Pep Guardiola fears the sack if Manchester City fail in Champions League: 'Maybe it could happen'

Spanish manager has won five trophies major trophies with City but has so far struggled to tkae the club beyond the quarter-finals in Europe

Pep Guardiola is looking forward to putting his Manchester City team up against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16. Getty Images

Pep Guardiola has said he dreams of winning the Champions League with Manchester City but believes failure to do so could lead to him getting the sack.

Guardiola has achieved domestic domination with City and has won five major trophies in three seasons at the Etihad. However, City hasve curiously struggled in the Champions League and have not managed to progress beyond the quarter-finals during the Spaniard's reign.

Guardiola's side trail Liverpool at the top of the Premier League by a mammoth 22 points this season with their campaign now set to be judged on how they fare in Europe.

"I want to win the Champions League. I dream (of it) and I will enjoy preparing for the games against Madrid," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"If we don't beat them, OK, [then] the chairman or the sport director [could] say, 'It's not good enough, we want the Champions League, I'm going to sack you.'

"I don't know [if this would happen]. It has happened many times and could maybe happen."

Guardiola has a contract at the Etihad until the end of next season.

After four years at Barcelona and three in charge of Bayern Munich, he is expected to fulfil his deal and enter a fifth season at one club for the first time in his managerial career.

But Guardiola also hit back at the suggestion that the success or failure of a season should only be measured in trophies.

"We give a bad, bad message for the new generation to just count the winner, the trophies to win," Guardiola said. "You say the season is a disaster but if you win the Champions League it will be exceptional. Why? It is difficult to win it.

"If you don't, we can say in more than 100 years of history [there] were 100 failure seasons for Manchester City. That is not true."