Guardiola accepts Man City 'far away' from Champions League

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that the football club is still "far away" from mounting a challenge for the Champions League gong, European club football's biggest prize.

Guardiola has acquired a reputation of at least reaching the semi-final stage of Europe's top competition in all his combined seven seasons in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich,, and therefore, Manchester City's loss to Monaco in the quarter-finals this year, has caused him disappointment and led him to introspect, reports Sport24.

The Manchester City manager believes there is much work to do if he is to replicate his past successes.

"We need to qualify for next season. Not all the magnificent teams are in the quarter-finals," he said.

Guardiola is widely expected to make wholesale changes to his squad although the form of 28-goal Sergio Aguero, whose efforts have come in a season disjointed by injuries and suspensions totalling seven games, suggests the Argentinian may have a role to play, despite the pending return to fitness of newcomer Gabriel Jesus.