Manchester City need 10 years to match Barcelona and Real Madrid, says Guardiola

Manchester City need 10 years to match the levels of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Juventus, according to manager Pep Guardiola.

The 46-year-old’s first season in charge at the Etihad Stadium ultimately ended in relative disappointment, with City finishing third in the Premier League and failing to win a trophy.

Their Champions League campaign was ended in the last 16 by Monaco, ensuring that Guardiola missed out on reaching at least the semi-final stage for the first time as a head coach.

City have set about revamping the squad to improve their chances of silverware in 2017-18, having spent a reported £76.5million on Bernardo Silva and Ederson amid links with a number of other possible signings, including Alexis Sanchez and Benjamin Mendy.

Guardiola insists that he will not change his methods in England but he has warned City fans that it takes a decade to establish the kind of success enjoyed by Europe’s dominant sides.

“I’m not going to change because I don’t know how to do things in another way,” he told L’Esportiu.

“Here, just as it is everywhere, it’s 11 against 11 and in the same space. The difference is that the referee allows more and then the game is more balanced.

“I hope to do quite well, as I did in the first season, because I’ve enjoyed it. There are some people who say it hasn’t gone well but the exception is what we have done until now.

“Seven years as a professional head coach and six league titles, and with respect to the one that was lost, there is plenty to discuss. Always in the Champions League semi-finals. This year, we weren’t there, but not even Barca have reached the semi-finals every year.

“City are a great team, they’ve been in the Champions League for five consecutive years, the only team in England to have done so, but to reach Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern, Juventus… it’s very tough. You need time, a decade.”