Pep Guardiola views his three-year reign at Bayern Munich as a failure, having again failed to steer the Bavarians to the UEFA Champions League final.
However, the Spaniard said after Bayern went out to Atletico Madrid on away goals that he has “given his life” to Bayern, whom he is to leave at the end of the season for Manchester City.
Bayern lost the semi-final first leg 1-0 in Spain, and went out on away goals, despite beating Atletico 2-1 in the return match in Munich on Tuesday.
Photo: Reuters
Antoine Griezmann’s crucial goal for Atletico made the difference as the tie finished 2-2 on aggregate. Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski netted for Bayern on a night when both teams missed penalties in Munich.
Bayern again exited the semi-finals in Europe to Spanish opponents after they lost to Barcelona in 2014-2015 and were also dumped out of the last four by Real Madrid in 2013-2014.
Guardiola was asked if he viewed his time in Munich as a failure, despite winning five trophies so far, including two Bundesliga titles.
“Yes, in terms of what we have won,” he replied. “It was my goal to win the Champions League final with Bayern after doing it with Barcelona [in 2008-2009 and 2010-2011].”
“Perhaps we have helped the players, maybe it is not enough, but it was the important thing for me. I have given my life for this club, I have fought and done my best. The people can say what they want, but it was really an honor to work with these players,” he added.
Bayern can become the first team to win four consecutive Bundesliga titles if they beat Ingolstadt 04 on Saturday and they then face Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal final on May 21.
However, Guardiola, who is to coach Manchester City next season, said the chance to win the double does not make up for the disappointment of another Champions League semi-final exit.
He hopes his replacement, Carlo Ancelotti, can now win the European title next season with Bayern.
“Of course we want to win the German Cup, we also want to win the league, but it will not change my opinion of my time here by winning the cup,” Guardiola said.
“Titles are numbers, statistics are statistics. I wanted to reach the [Champions League] final. I have not managed it, I hope Carlo can do it next season. We have not managed it. We are sad, but we have to prepare for the league game at Ingolstadt,” Guardiola added.
Guardiola said he had no regrets in his team selection, having recalled Thomas Mueller, Franck Ribery and Jerome Boateng in three changes from the side that lost the first leg.
“You are disappointed when you do not play well. When you go home feeling you have not given all. Today, I do not feel like that,” Guardiola said.
“We just did not achieve our goals. We tried our best, but I do not have the feeling we let the fans down. We prepared well, but Atletico deserve to reach the final,” he added.
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said the squad regretted failing to reach the European final in Guardiola’s swansong season.
“The team is not to blame. We tried everything, but unfortunately it was not enough,” Lahm said. “We failed to get the goals at the right time. It is a bitter result that we have not been able to reward ourselves and the coaching staff for the work over the last three years.”
Having missed his first-half penalty, Mueller was left to rue the chances that got away.
“Football is sometimes so extreme,” the 26-year-old Mueller said.
“We did a lot right and only a few things wrong, unfortunately it was not enough. I have not experienced many nights like this here, the sting goes very deep. I am disappointed not to have converted the penalty,” he added.
Goalscorer Robert Lewandowski said it was hard to bow out having won in Munich.
“It is hard to accept, because we had deserved the win,” Lewandowski said after Bayern failed to score a crucial third goal. “To go out like that hurts.”
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