Pep Guardiola says his legacy ‘is already exceptional’ as insists Champions League won’t define him

Pep Guardiola insists the coming weeks will not define his legacy at Manchester City because it is ‘already exceptional’.

Under the Spaniard, City are on the brink of their fifth Premier League title in six years and could clinch the treble as they also go after the FA Cup and hitherto elusive Champions League glory.

Wednesday offers the chance to reach the final of European competition as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of a semi-final delicately tied at 1-1.

Winning the Champions League has long been seen as the club’s ultimate goal, but Guardiola – a two-time European champion with Barcelona who amassed 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. We are not stupid, (we) know how important tomorrow is – perhaps the most important one since we got here.

“I say to the players, live it, enjoy the moment and how lucky we are. It is in our hands, it depends on us.

“We don’t have to do anything extraordinary – be ourselves, give it our all. I have an incredible feeling about the team. Whatever happens, thank you for bringing us here again.

“The legacy is that we had a great time and for many years they (the fans) will remember a generation of players who scored a lot of goals for five or six years and conceded very few, and we won a lot. things and won really well, and people have to remember that. It would be a good book.

“I don’t know if they’ll remember us, but we had a good time.”

City dominated much of last week’s first leg at the Bernabeu, but Real were sharper on the counter-attack and created more clear chances.

City now have home advantage for the return, but Guardiola believes his side will need to take performance to the next level.

He said: “The emotion is there and will be high – (it) has to be high – but this is not going to beat a team like Real Madrid.

“We need a better game plan, adjust a bit, create more chances for our strikers.

“We will play against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League, the toughest opponents. It’s a challenge but we’re going for it.

‘We arrive very well. We are in the FA Cup final, one game from the Premier League, but we have to play better than Madrid. We have to perform well, not just have the will.’

City are once again without defender Nathan Ake due to a hamstring injury, but otherwise have a fully fit squad.