Pep Guardiola: Manchester City Can 'Imitate' Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has called on his Manchester City side to "imitate" Juventus, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, the three sides he believes have been the "best teams in Europe" over the last decade.

Real Madrid have won four of the last five UEFA Champions Leagues, but Guardiola made it clear he does not see that as the benchmark of success.

He dismissed the idea that City could win four trophies this season—the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup—but he said he would like to see his side emulate Juve, Bayern and Barca by consistently winning the league title as well as competing in cup competitions, per Sam Lee of Goal:

"It's important now that at the end of January we are still there [in all four competitions]. At the big clubs, that is the big difference. I've said many times: what are the best teams in the last decade? Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona. These are the three best teams in Europe. Why? Because every season they win the league, every season they win the cups, every season they are there. Because they are the best.

"We can—not get close to them, because it's difficult—but imitate them. Being in the competition until the last stages. Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes not, but be there. That's what I want. Premier League, until the end. Carabao Cup final back to back? Chapeau, hats off to my players. FA Cup today, we win the game and get through. Prepare for Schalke (in the Champions League last 16). That is when you become a better team and a better club. The best teams have to imitate these three teams, not the other ones."

City could get their first piece of silverware this season in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on February 24.

In the interim, they will have the chance to book their spot in the sixth round of the FA Cup having beaten Burnley 5-0 in the fourth round on Saturday.

They also have the opening leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Schalke and a number of key Premier League matches.

Indeed, when examining City's schedule for February—three league games in eight days against Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea could well damage their title hopes—it is easy to see why Guardiola considers any quadruple talk as "fantasy":

Unlike last season, when City had a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League after 23 matches, the Sky Blues are playing catch-up in the English top flight and are four points back from leaders Liverpool.

The slightest slip-up could spell the end of City's hopes of successfully defending their league title.

That will likely mean Guardiola has to give his best players more minutes, and they could tire, which could impact City's success in the cup competitions.

Conversely, two of the three clubs the Spanish manager named as Europe's best, Barca and Juve, have comfortable leads in their respective leagues.

The Old Lady are 11 points clear at the top of Serie A, and Barcelona have a five-point cushion in La Liga.

As such, Massimiliano Allegri and Ernesto Valverde may be able to rotate their squads in the league, leaving their best players fresher for the Champions League and cups, a luxury Guardiola cannot afford at the moment.