Pep Guardiola downplayed Manchester City's achievement of winning only one Champions League title as they gear up to defend their championship.
City secured their first-ever Champions League title in June with a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan, completing a historic treble. Despite having won all five of their Premier League matches this season, they face former champions Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad on Tuesday.
Guardiola, addressing reporters on Monday, remarked, "While winning the Champions League is an incredible feat for our club, it's important to note that many teams have won just one Champions League, which is quite common. However, there are numerous teams that have won two, three, four, or even five titles. In the grand scheme of things, our achievement isn't particularly unique; we've won just one. Nevertheless, it makes me proud to be part of a club that has never won it before."
Real Madrid leads the way with 14 Champions League titles, followed by AC Milan with seven and Liverpool and Bayern Munich with six each. Guardiola acknowledged that winning the first Champions League title is the most challenging, and their recent victory came after years of near-misses.
Regarding the upcoming Champions League final at Wembley, Guardiola stated that their focus is not on that yet, emphasising the importance of taking one game at a time and focusing on their immediate opponent.
Defender Kyle Walker, who recently extended his contract with the club, highlighted the team's hunger for continued success despite their multiple trophy wins in recent years. He emphasised that the players and the manager, Guardiola, remain motivated to win more and are not content with settling for second place.
For the match against Red Star, City will once again be without John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Mateo Kovacic, who are sidelined due to injuries.
