Guardiola tells City multiple English titles key to Champions League glory

City collected their third Premier League title in seven years last weekend, with a number of all-time domestic records still within their reach ahead of Sunday's match at home to Swansea.

But that magnificent league form contrasted with the Champions League, in which City were emphatically beaten 5-1 on aggregate by rivals Liverpool in the quarter-finals, and their manager insisted his club was still some way from being able to compete for that prize.

"I realised this season how difficult it will be to win the Champions League," said Guardiola, who lifted the European Cup as both a player and manager at Barcelona.

"May be, I am wrong but before you win the Champions League as a club you have to win more Premier Leagues in a row first, to get respect in Europe that you are a top club. If you don't, I realise this season it will be so complicated."

He added: "Of course we are going to try but I don't know if we are like a club to have the power on an off the pitch to achieve and to get there. So I would prefer, like this season, to be solid in the Premier League.

"The Premier League is the priority next season, absolutely. I will sign up right now if we can do what we did this season again next season. Right now. To win the Premier League together is the most important title."

'Constant'

Guardiola declined to expand upon precisely how a lack of respect cost his club in Europe this season although, at the time, the City manager was vocal about what he believed were poor refereeing decisions in the Liverpool defeats.

However, at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich the Catalan followed his first league title by winning two more in succession and he insists domestic superiority remains the priority.

"When I came here the chairman and sporting director never said 'You have to win the Champions League' or 'You have to win the League,'" said Guardiola.