Pep Guardiola insists the coming weeks will not define his legacy at Manchester City because it is “already exceptional”.
City are on the verge of their fifth Premier League title in six years under the Spaniard and could win the treble as they also chase the FA Cup and so far elusive Champions League glory.
Wednesday offers a chance to reach the final of the European tournament as they take on Real Madrid 1-1 in the second leg of the semi-final.
Winning the Champions League has long been seen as the club’s ultimate goal, but Guardiola – a two-time European champion with Barcelona and a total of nine major trophies with City – doesn’t think his reputation depends on it.
He said, “My legacy is already exceptional!
“(We have been) here many times already. We are not fools, (we) know how important tomorrow is, perhaps the most important thing since we’ve been here.
“I tell the players: live it, enjoy the moment and how lucky we are. It’s in our hands, it’s up to us.
“We don’t have to do anything exceptional – be ourselves, give everything. I have an incredible feeling for the team. Whatever happens, thanks for bringing us here again.
“The legacy is that we had a hell of a time and for years they (the fans) will remember a generation of players who scored a lot of goals and conceded very few in five or six years and that we won a lot of stuff and won a lot of okay, and people should remember that. This would be a good book.
“Whether they remember us, I don’t know, but we had a good time.”
In the first leg last week at the Bernabéu, City dominated for a long time, but Real were more astute in counterattacks and created more clear opportunities.
City now have a home advantage to come back, but Guardiola believes his team must take their game to the next level.
He said: “The emotions are there and they will be high – (they) should be high – but that alone cannot beat a team like Real Madrid.
“We need to improve the game plan a bit to adjust a bit, to create more chances for our attackers.
“We are playing Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League, with the strongest opponent. It’s a challenge, but we’re going for it.
“We are arriving very well. We are in the FA Cup final, one game away from the Premier League, but we have to play better than Madrid. We have to perform well, not just have the desire.”
City are once again without defender Nathan Ake with a hamstring injury, but otherwise have a solid squad.
