Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has played down his team’s chances of lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy this season, admitting that the holders are “apparently not contenders” ahead of their Group Stage opener against Napoli on Thursday.
City, who won Europe’s top club prize for the first time in 2023, fell short last season after a painful play-off defeat to record 15-time champions Real Madrid. Bookmakers currently rate Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain as more likely winners of this year’s competition.
When asked during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference if he considered City contenders, Guardiola replied:
“Apparently, we are not. We just enjoy the moment, the journey. We are happy to be here. In the past, we have been. We just won once, so that is a lot of difficulty. We are focusing on tomorrow’s game, starting this competition well.”
City’s Rebuild and De Bruyne’s Return
The Premier League champions endured a difficult start domestically, losing two of their first three matches, before bouncing back with a convincing 3–0 derby win over Manchester United last weekend.
Guardiola has overseen major changes to his squad over the past two transfer windows, with long-serving stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, and Ederson departing. Thursday’s clash will mark an emotional return to the Etihad for De Bruyne, who joined Napoli in June after a glittering decade with City.
Guardiola admitted he was looking forward to seeing his former playmaker, but only after the match.
“The players at that level don’t need much time to adapt and perform well,” Guardiola said, praising De Bruyne’s “talent and vision.”
Donnarumma’s City Dream
City’s new No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma also addressed the media ahead of the Napoli showdown. The Italian goalkeeper, who lifted the Champions League with PSG in May, made a £26 million ($36m) deadline-day switch to Manchester after being deemed surplus to requirements in Paris.
“My desire was to come here,” Donnarumma said. “That was my first and only option, the only thing I wanted.”
With renewed ambition and a reshaped squad, City will hope to prove bookmakers wrong as they begin their latest European campaign.