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Pep Guardiola's Champions League mission: Man City boss blamed himself for last season's exit and has struggled to replicate the success he enjoyed at Barcelona... so, can he finally take the club's Abu Dhabi owners to the summit of European football?

It’s hard to believe Pep Guardiola hasn’t won the Champions League for nine years. It's the most difficult challenge in club football – no manager has ever lifted more than three European Cups – but the long wait will still rankle for the greatest coach of his generation.

The Guardiola triumphs of 2009 and 2011 were near the beginning of his managerial career when he built an iconic Barcelona team that included Lionel Messi and the midfield pair Xavi and Andres Iniesta whose chemistry made it impossible to mention one without the other.

Since then, he has tried and failed with Bayern Munich and Manchester City, not going beyond the semi-final.