"It's a good lesson for the big clubs," said Pep Guardiola. "They think 'We are unbeatable and strong,' and they are not here."
Bayern Munich's manager was reflecting on the opponents he faced in last year's quarterfinal: Manchester United. As the Bavarian giants limber up for their match with cross-town rivals Manchester City, United's star-studded squad sits at home. It is not ideal.
Wayne Rooney watches television. He would happily identify it as one of his main hobbies outside of football, so much so that in his autobiography, he revealed he often leaves the TV on at night to help him sleep. Watching football is one of the things he does assiduously, and it can't have escaped his notice he has nothing to do this week.
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Perhaps that is why he has chosen to publicly bury the hatchet with Sir Alex Ferguson in a series of interviews to mark his decade at the club. Rooney has spoken about being "grateful" to his former manager in a manner that suggests their icy relations are beginning to thaw. Events over the past year bring into sharp focus how precious the success of that decade has been.
Maybe even it was the sight of Liverpool running out to a dramatic victory in that competition on Tuesday night, but the reality of absence from the highest stage is excruciating for all those at Old Trafford right now.
In many ways, Manchester United define themselves as an institution through their relationship with the European Cup. They were famously the first English club to take part in 1957, despite strong discouragement from the Football League at the time. In their maiden campaign, their young team crushed Anderlecht 12-0 and dazzled football fans far beyond the shores of the British Isles. Widely tipped to grow into one of the great sides, Sir Matt Busby's fledgling team was decimated by the Munich air disaster just 18 months later.
Similarly, Rooney shares a close bond with the competition; it was against Fenerbahce that he made his debut all those years ago. The hat trick he scored that day, ludicrously accomplished for an 18-year-old, is now somewhat hidden behind the stack of achievements he has accumulated in the meantime.
Even amid the euphoria of the new signings United unveiled this past week, a nagging frustration gnawed at their arrival. Every player was greeted by questions about absence from the European Cup and whether that was a factor in deciding to come to Manchester. These players should be competing on Wednesday nights against sides like Bayern Munich.
United's Champions League campaign last season provided the few highlights of a difficult year. In particular, the victories against Bayer Leverkusen were enjoyable, and came as welcome respite from the dreary fare served up in the Premier League.
As new manager Louis van Gaal tries to resuscitate the first team and get them back up the table, his new acquisitions leave him with an interesting dilemma. United have an abundance of left-footers at the moment. On Sunday at Leicester, not Van Gaal could conceivably start with Robin van Persie, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata with Luke Shaw on the bench.
While this might skew United's forward momentum towards the "sinister" flank, replacing Van Persie with Radamel Falcao would also give the front line a little more balance. Lest we forget, it was Van Persie who complained last year about people "occupying [his] space" after the defeat to Olympiacos. If several players are turning into the same space to shoot, this problem could re-emerge.
Without quibbling over dexterity, Van Persie last scored for United when Ryan Giggs was manager and it has been a significant length of time since he had a decent goal-scoring run. Indeed, his last epic performance in the shirt came in the return leg of that same tie as United destroyed Olympiacos at home.
The Old Trafford crowd were glorious that night. Facing a two-goal deficit and a league campaign that was spiraling into oblivion, the fans cheered their team towards an improbable and delirious victory. It was the kind of night that defines the club.
"That's why football is magnificent. Every single week you have to be ready. Every week you have got to show you are ready," Guardiola added. United were not ready for Fergie's retirement. How could they be? But there are no excuses for this season now. Their absence from the European Cup cannot be prolonged.