Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged Barcelona not to view their 2025/26 campaign as a failure despite another Champions League exit, extending their long drought.
The Catalan side won the La Liga title but failed to add another in the bag as they were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals. However, Guardiola, who recently said goodbye to the Sky Blues following the conclusion of the Premier League season, has given some wise words to his former side.
Pep Guardiola drops massive bombshell on Barcelona Champions League failure
Speaking amid Barcelona’s strong La Liga title challenge under Hansi Flick, Guardiola warned that Europe’s top competition can “destroy” well-built projects due to injuries, form, and refereeing decisions. He said:
“The Champions League is a competition that DESTROYS projects.”
The former Premier League club manager added:
“We must not think that just because you don’t win it, everything that has been built is no good. The league is the competition that gives you consistency and continuity.”
Guardiola, a former Barcelona coach who won 14 trophies including two Champions Leagues, added that domestic success should be the main benchmark for a season’s quality. The club has not won Europe’s top prize since 2015. Amid the UCL struggles, Guardiola’s comments serve as a strong defense of the club’s current project and long-term progress.
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