Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola accepts blame for Champions League failure against Lyon

Pep Guardiola feels responsible for Manchester City’s failure to win the Champions League last season and their quarter-final defeat to Olympique Lyonnais.

City’s tenth consecutive season in Europe’s elite club competition begins on Wednesday night with a Group C opener against Porto at the Etihad.

And despite appointing Guardiola four years ago in the hope of winning the club's first European Cup, City are yet to reach the semi-finals under his stewardship.

Guardiola’s side suffered a shock elimination at the hands of Lyon in August during the competition's eight-team mini-tournament held in Lisbon.

And the two-time Champions League-winning coach said on Tuesday that he has watched the 3-1 defeat back and accepts the blame for their early exit.

"It was a tough moment," Guardiola admitted. "I felt so responsible for this, how the club and players fought, I was not able to drive them.

"I feel responsible watching the game. We have to accept the reality, we were not good enough.

"We didn’t play bad, but at the same time we made mistakes and we can’t do that in this competition and go through.

"The reality is, every player and manager, not just here, has to dream with high expectations. We have to accept it with humility.

"When we do this it is the best way to improve. This competition is so demanding and the mistakes we commit, I feel so bad for the players. We are going to start tomorrow from zero again."

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