Pep Guardiola insists that he has earned too much money for Manchester City to panic about the financial consequences of the humiliation of Champions League.
For the Stadsbaas, the must-win is collision with Clubbrugge at the Etihad, over a compliment instead of cash. Not beating the Belgians would see that the four-in-a-Row Premier League champions were dumped in the group phases and the club cost at least around £ 10 million after budgeting to make the last 16.
But the Bottom Line for Guardiola is about rescuing the City's struggling season after the biggest crisis of his management career in the past three months. Guardiola said: 'I don't know anything about the finances. I didn't talk to my CEO about that.
“In the last two, three or four years we have always earned money in the transfer toys and they always say that the budget is positive. Of course I am not naive enough not to know how important it is financially for the club to continue in this competition.
“We want to try to continue – but especially for sporting reasons. As I have said many times for five or six years lately, the net spending has been great at this club. “
City is the only Premier League club that bends and invests their financial muscles during the current transfer window to bring in Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vorror Reis and Juma Bah.
The quartet is not eligible for the collision against a Bruges side that is unbeaten in 20 games. The Belgians only need a draw to reach the play-offs and can even sneak into the top eight to claim an automatic place in the last 16 when they win and other results go their way.
City collapsed last week on a 4-2 defeat in Paris St. Germain after wasting a lead of two goals. Earlier in the competition they gave Feyenoord after building a 3-0 lead with just 15 minutes to play.
But the blues, which only won two of the seven group matches, produced their best performance in months to get from behind to beat Chelsea on the Etihad on Saturday evening – and Guardiola has called on the fans to appear the volume again. He is not worried about a new injuries and welcomes Oscar Bobb back in the team with the Norwegian winger who now fits completely after breaking a leg in the preseason.
Guardiola said: “If the fans come, it will be fine. If we perform well and we are in a good rhythm, they will be there as if they were in the last game against Chelsea. We felt more than ever this season that they were with us – even when we started and it was really difficult.
“I know the opponent we are dealing with. They have not lost in the last 20 games. I saw when they defeated Juventus and they are incredible, solid, consistent, they don't give a chance, they are aggressive. We would like to score a lot of goals in the first 20 minutes, but I think it will not happen.
“I know that in this kind of game you have to show something special, something that has not been enough in the Champions League for us to win the matches so far. The question is simple. If we don't win, we're gone. If we win, we will continue. Sooner or later you have to play this kind of game that when you win, you continue and if you don't win, you're out. “
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