Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on playing on dry pitches and FIFA club world cup
CGA, Manchester, UK
CGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00 I think there's been a legal action against FIFA because of the scheduling of the FIFA World Cup.
00:05 The international players' federations have got together and sent off legal letters about it.
00:10 I just wonder what your view is. You've spoken a lot about the scheduling and that competition
00:14 which you're going to be in, the new World Cup, Club Cup.
00:17 I just wonder what your reaction to that action was.
00:19 Normally the organisation is against one competition because it's not involved in that competition.
00:27 It's because they don't treat it perfectly for their own interest in the competition.
00:31 Tomorrow will be another part of another organisation, it will be Premier League or UEFA.
00:36 There will be no greed in that competition because it's not involved in that competition.
00:40 It cannot take benefit from that competition.
00:43 And always we are in the middle.
00:45 One day they will see each other, they will realise it's 365 days a year, no more.
00:52 We can change it, we can try it, but I think it doesn't work.
00:56 And maybe one day they will say, "OK, we're going to do it that way."
01:00 It's as simple as that.
01:02 Do you think all the parties need to sit down and discuss this at this point?
01:05 What do you think?
01:07 What do you think?
01:09 But it's fair enough what I said, honestly. It's a fair point.
01:13 Pep, you won the Club World Cup this season.
01:18 When you look at the season, how important are the Club World Cup and the Super Cup
01:22 for getting you to where you are right now in the league?
01:26 People will talk about the biggest trophies, but when you win these trophies,
01:30 it's so...
01:32 Even the community shield, you know that?
01:35 We have to win it in extra time, you lost it, penalties.
01:40 This competition is nice, especially when the club didn't have it once.
01:44 For other clubs, they have a lot, but we never have a Super Cup
01:47 because you have to win the Champions League or World Cup, you have to win the Champions League.
01:51 We are there, you have to take it, and the team will leave it for that.
01:55 And being here again, at the end of the season, the chance to have two titles in the pocket
02:00 to try to win the next one and the next one, it's nice.
02:04 Especially the Club World Cup came at a time when results weren't coming that well
02:09 in the Premier League, and then after you came back from the Club World Cup...
02:14 I don't have a phrase in my mind.
02:17 I remember before we equalised against Crystal Palace at home in the last minute,
02:22 when we gave away a penalty, but I don't remember before that if we were not good.
02:29 I don't have that feeling.
02:31 We started well in terms of points, but not in the way we played.
02:36 I remember Sheffield won, but they played full-on, but it was not good.
02:42 But it's normal for the beginning of the season.
02:44 But after, when we played better, we dropped points.
02:47 We were much better than, for example, at the beginning of the season.
02:49 But in the Premier League it happens.
02:51 Sometimes the results don't relate to what you perform, in a good way and a bad way.
02:55 So that's why the Premier League is always fair, because every team has its ups and downs.
03:00 And at the end, the one is who deserves it.
03:03 That's why I like a lot these competitions.
03:06 And I think winning the World Cup helped us, and especially when we came back after two or three days,
03:13 we went to the Goodison Park, always difficult in the way we performed after a win 0-0.
03:18 So, these guys are still, we can rely on them and we can do it.
03:22 So, here we are.
03:23 One week left to finish the Premier League, three games a week,
03:27 to give all we have in our bones to perform.
03:30 The first one in 12.30, on a sunny day in London.
03:35 I don't know the grass, last season was so, so dry.
03:38 High and dry.
03:39 So, we have to adapt.
03:40 We talked about that, so we have to adapt like we were in Nottingham.
03:43 And try to fly back with three points.
03:48 Hi Pep, will you want to play in the Club World Cup in 2025?
03:55 Just to come back to Ian's question, how would you feel about it?
03:58 I would say that if they organise the ban, we are invited anyway.
04:04 So, we will be there.
04:06 But I don't know how it's going to finish, like I said to him.
04:09 It's obviously worth a lot of money, so the club will be keen to play, won't they?
04:12 It's obviously worth a lot of money for the club to come.
04:14 But not just for the money.
04:15 Of course it's important.
04:17 We are here to make the club sustainable.
04:20 That's why, since 2015/16, I read lately in one newspaper,
04:28 we are the fourth team to spend money in the Premier League.
04:30 So, a lot of titles.
04:32 Not the first, not the second, not the third.
04:35 Of course, the money is important, but it's not just that.
04:37 It's organised for the best teams in the world.
04:39 Man City is invited.
04:41 They are invited because the rules give us the chance to go there.
04:45 For what we have done in the past, we will be there.
04:50 So, what can I say?
04:53 Hi Pep, in the future, at some point after your amazing coaching career,
04:59 could you ever see yourself as head of FIFA?
05:01 Are you ready to sort out some of these problems?
05:03 Me there?
05:04 Yes.
05:05 Absolutely not.
05:06 Why not? You seem to have a right idea.
05:08 I don't like tights.
05:10 You seem to have a lot of common sense when it comes to these.
05:13 I like to go to sneakers and, you know...
05:15 No, no, no, no, no.
05:18 I don't like meetings and official dinners and this kind of stuff.
05:22 If you give me advice, I will give it, but...
05:25 It's part of the problem maybe, you don't have top football people in these positions.
05:28 No, I don't think so.
05:30 You have to have people prepared.
05:33 It's not about that. The football players will be there.
05:36 And they will decide what works for that organization.
05:40 Not for other issues.
05:43 Everyone, even when you said, you know,
05:46 some person criticized the team.
05:49 It's fair enough, but I will defend my team.
05:51 I have my interests, I defend my club.
05:53 And everyone has his own view as a journalist,
05:56 and all the institutions, organizations involved in football.
06:00 I understand properly.
06:02 But the people complain about that,
06:05 could have complained about many other things, they don't do that.
06:08 Because it's their own interest.
06:10 Everyone sees his own house.
06:13 The neighbour...
06:15 What happened today all around the world...
06:18 Listen.
06:20 What happened all around the world,
06:22 and we are sitting here, don't do anything.
06:26 Anything.
06:27 It's here, around the corner.
06:29 One day it will come there.
06:32 It's full of injustice, all around the world.
06:35 And we are sitting, everyone looking at himself.
06:38 You mentioned the grass at Fulham last year.
06:46 Was it a forest the other week as well?
06:49 Can you just describe how much of a difference that makes in practical terms?
06:54 Yesterday we trained part of the session with a dry high
06:58 to adapt, to feel it.
07:00 And after we went to another with a normal one...
07:04 It's a massive difference.
07:07 Massive.
07:09 Massive.
07:12 It's another game.
07:14 Another game.
07:16 And you have to adapt.
07:18 In ten years, six, seven, eight years we are here,
07:21 we played many times, not many times, a few times,
07:23 and we adapt.
07:25 But difference is important, so we have to adapt.
07:29 It's not only what's said, it's just to feel it.
07:32 And it's what we have to do.
07:35 Just out of interest, how many away games do you think you've dealt with that sort of thing?
07:41 A few.
07:43 So not many?
07:44 No, because wintertime here.
07:46 Here in England, in 12 months, ten is winter.
07:49 And you're still here.
07:53 But we're arriving in the early games of the season,
07:56 the last in the season.
07:58 It's a part you have to think about.
08:00 And the players we talk about, so guys, it's what it is,
08:03 and tomorrow the game is 8pm, it's completely different than 12.30pm.
08:07 So you have to adapt.
08:09 I saw the forecast, sunny tomorrow, sunny day in London,
08:13 lovely city, so you have to adapt in that situation.
08:18 And play another rhythm, another way,
08:20 and the pass has to be stronger, faster, quicker,
08:23 control has to attack more the ball.
08:26 So it's completely different, it's not basketball.
08:30 It's like you play Wimbledon or Roland-Garros, the surface is different.
08:34 Talk with the tennis players.
08:36 So it's different, the speed of the ball is different.
08:38 So it's the same in football, same one.
08:40 Thank you, guys.
08:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]