Follow the Community Shield live on Sky Sports' digital platforms; Kick-off is at 3pm on Sunday
Sunday 4 August 2019 07:35, UK
Pep Guardiola insists he would not gamble away any of Manchester City's successes for a shot at winning next season's Champions League.
The City manager, who won the competition twice as manager of Barcelona, denied seeing Liverpool win their sixth European Cup undermined his own side's domestic treble.
"No, no way," said the Spaniard ahead of the Community Shield against Liverpool on Sunday. "Why can we not share the glory?
"We would like to win the Champions League - big respect to Liverpool, winning the Champions League is so difficult, so, so complicated. That's why winning the Champions League gets all credit.
"But why is it higher than what we have done over 11 months?
"The Champions League is an important tournament but I don't want to go to the casino and gamble everything I have in my pocket for seven games. I don't want it.
"I think I want to be happy during 11 months. It makes me happy, the Premier League, every game. When I win, the days after I am happier. I go to the restaurants better, I feel better, I work better with my players.
"Am I going to wait until February to play seven games with everything on black colour? From my point of view, it's too risky."
City were the first side in history to win all three domestic trophies, however, none of Guardiola's players were announced on the shortlist for FIFA Best men's player of the year.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were named on the 10-man shortlist.
Guardiola, who was nominated in the best coach category, said: "I'm not going to say the 10 guys nominated for this award don't deserve it but, for example, our players for the Premier League trophies we had five or six nominated.
"So I was a little bit surprised, because they were incredible. We won four titles and we were not able to be, even once, there.
"Maybe because for this award it is seven games - eighth-finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. When you win the Champions League, you will be there.
"In the other 10 or 11 months they don't care for these kind of awards."
Watch Manchester City v Tottenham, live on Sky Sports Premier League on August 17 from 5pm; kick-off at 5.30pm.
