MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola has used Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus to defend his failure to guide Manchester City to victory in the Champions League by saying that even the world’s greatest sportsmen lose more than they win.
Guardiola has won the Champions League twice, both while manager of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.
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He hasn’t lifted the trophy since despite spells at Bayern Munich, his quarterfinal opponents this season, and City, but Guardiola said he should not be defined by his defeats because both Jordan, who won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, and Nicklaus, who won a record 18 major golf championships, are only remembered for their successes.
“Yesterday, it was the Masters,” Guardiola told a news conference on Monday. “How many Masters has Jack Nicklaus played or how many majors has he played in his career? In 30 or 40 years as a golfer? In 30 or 40 years as a golfer of four majors [a year], like in the Champions League. How many wins? 18 wins. Wow. He loses more than he wins. That is sport.
“In football, in golf, in basketball; Michael Jordan, the best athlete for me in basketball, won six NBA titles out of 15 [seasons]. He loses more than he wins. This game, all games, are so difficult.”
City face Bayern in the first leg of their quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday; a tie that pits Guardiola against Thomas Tuchel, the manager who led Chelsea to victory over City in the 2021 Champions League final.
