(Reuters) – Manchester City’s legacy under Pep Guardiola will not be defined by the trophies they have won but instead by the joy they have brought to fans, the Spaniard said as his side edge closer to winning their fifth Premier League title in six seasons.
City are now just two points behind leaders Arsenal but have played two games less, and could go top later on Sunday with a victory at Fulham. They have also booked their berths in both the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-finals.
Asked about City’s legacy in football, Guardiola, who has won four league titles, four League Cups and the FA Cup with the team since taking over in 2016, told reporters: “people enjoy watching us today, it is enough”.
“That is why we are here, people remember in 10-15 years with a smile and say how nice was that period that we had seven, eight or nine years together, that is the biggest compliment, better than any trophy and anything that you can give.
“… I think that managers and players cannot forget it, we fight for the title, but we cannot forget what we give to others.”
Guardiola has won 30 major trophies across his spells with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but said he is not bothered about where he will rank in debates about the best managers in football.
“Honestly I don’t know, I try to do my job like all the managers, but I’m not concerned about that. My concern is to live in the moment and yeah now is Fulham and the rest doesn’t matter,” Guardiola said.
“Never ever in my life did I expect as a manager to live what I have lived when I started in the fourth division with Barcelona B. If I had to finish my career, now, tomorrow, for whatever reasons, I could not ask for anything else.”
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
