Guardiola on boring Manchester City and Utd problems this season
Guardiola on boring Manchester City and Utd problems this season
Embargoed section
24/05/2024
GGA, Manchester, UK
Embargoed section
24/05/2024
GGA, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportTranscript
00:00 What's with Bayern Munich? Obviously a player in a club you know very well. What do you think?
00:06 I don't know, it's not confirmed, right? I'm happy that this happened by a Link Bini.
00:15 I have a huge, huge opinion about Bini. It doesn't matter if it was relegated or not.
00:21 What I felt when I played against him and I know him a little bit, I have a high standard opinion about his work as a person, his personality and knowledge about the game and how he handles the media and many things.
00:35 I would love Bayern to take the best decision. They deserve it. I love that club.
00:41 I'm in love with Bayern Munich for many, many reasons, especially for the people that still are there and hopefully can take a big decision.
00:49 They believe that Bini is the right decision. From my side, I have a guy I will support unconditionally.
00:55 You always said you thought he would end up here one day. Do you still think that?
00:59 Yeah, yeah, for sure. You will call me when this is going to happen.
01:04 Hi, Pep. You often say that you value the consistency of your team above anything else.
01:10 You've never missed out on the Champions League when the titles have been there. You've always been there whether you've won or not.
01:15 United, meanwhile, have finished second during your time here, they've finished eighth, they've been in and out of the Champions League.
01:20 The transfer spend is comparative over your time as manager. What do you think has been the biggest difference between the two clubs?
01:28 Don't ask me questions, because now it's easy to answer. I don't know, I'm not there. I would like to answer you with all my honesty, but I'm not there.
01:39 I don't know. I can talk. What we are is obvious. I've said it many times. From up there to here, it's the same path.
01:53 We make mistakes, but we believe in what we do and we continue to continue. Not all the signs are good, not all the decisions are good.
02:02 It's impossible. All the clubs in the world make the wrong decisions. It's not about complaining, it's just about what's next and trying the same path.
02:13 When that happens, you are consistent. To win the titles at the end with a little margin, a little lag.
02:21 You know, Bernardo said it perfectly this day. In the Premier League we had lag sometimes, in the Champions League we were incredibly lucky many times.
02:30 It's football. Accept it and move forward. I think this is the reason why.
02:35 Of course, it helps the same manager for many years, the same sport director, the same chairman, CEOs and all the people.
02:43 Of course, it moves a lot of people. Since I arrived here, a lot of people from our departments here at HQ have changed a lot.
02:51 But the idea is quite similar. That's why we are still there.
02:55 Because of the season you've had, Champions League again, and the season United have had, finishing eighth, there's a perception, rightly or wrongly, that you will win fairly easily tomorrow.
03:05 How much of a red flag is that to you and your players? How much of a danger is that?
03:09 We are used to it. We started in September and October, we are going to win the Champions League, the Premier League, for 25 points in front.
03:18 Every year, in the last years. I said, "OK, you're right." But I say it's boring.
03:25 When you win one point or two points in front, what happened with Liverpool many times or Arsenal many times, it's not boring.
03:31 If you tell me every season we win for 50, 20 points, I would tell you, "Yeah, it's boring. It's not going to happen."
03:37 But that's what I use in the games. Yeah, because people think it's going to happen because we are 31 points in front of United.
03:44 Other people will be easier. I understand that. But there's no competition. It's one game.
03:49 It can be 10 against 11, bad decisions, mistakes, and whatever, and you can lose a game. You can lose a game.
03:53 We know we can lose a game. In a long period, we have been better than United this year.
03:59 It's obvious. It's a fact. Every game we are there.
04:03 But in one game, everything can happen. The players know and feel it.
04:08 I hope we are ready to play the last game of the season and to try the FA Cup.
04:14 The FA Cup is... Wow, it's nice. The FA Cup is the FA Cup. That's why it deserves all our focus.
04:23 Last year's final was 2-1. That scoreline suggests it was a very close contest.
04:28 When you look back on that game, is that how you view it, or do you feel you were in a lot more control than the scoreline suggests?
04:33 At one moment, I think we started really well for the goal from Gundo.
04:38 After we had a good period, and after they equalised, the second half was really good.
04:43 Really good. We scored the second. We played really good. We could make the third.
04:46 They didn't get a chance. In the last minutes, they put a lot of players there with McTominay.
04:51 I remember perfectly. Long balls, second balls, and we struggled in free-kick corners in the last minutes.
04:57 But in the end, we handled it well. I think we deserved to win that game.
05:02 With all honesty, it's past, and there's no opinion about that, but it's a final.
05:08 We had moments, and we have moments, but in general, we played a good final.
05:14 I'll try to stick to one each so I can get through all of you. Simon?
05:17 Last year, the FA Cup final came before the Champions League final,
05:21 and it could have either set you up for the treble as it did, or ended the treble.
05:26 Was it different this year, with it being just a one-off, the final game of the year, nothing else to come?
05:31 Well, no. It's quite similar. Of course, we had a little bit in mind, Inter and Milan,
05:37 but we knew that we took it seriously.
05:41 We arrived tired, I would say, last season.
05:45 The last period of the game mentally was so exhausting last season,
05:50 because now, the fact that the quarter-finals were out, Real Madrid,
05:53 we didn't play the semi-finals, between Nottingham Forest and Fulham,
05:57 so that helped us for the Premier League.
05:59 I don't know how we would have reacted, just in case we would have been through in the Champions League.
06:07 But I think we arrived in a good mood, trained really well these two or three days,
06:11 and we'll see. Maybe we'll play bad gaming with a win, I don't know.
06:16 I had the feeling, now we have lunch and have to take a train,
06:21 I had the feeling that we would travel with the intention to be still there,
06:26 we are not disconnected already after the Premier League,
06:30 I still had the feeling that we are there.
06:33 You've been doing this job a long time and you've won a lot of things,
06:40 do you still get that feeling in your stomach before matches like this,
06:44 that real anticipation?
06:48 I cannot deny that the mood in the office is really, really high, it's really, really good.
06:55 People laugh a lot, but in the moments of work, they were so focused, it's normal.
07:01 I don't want to be too much concerned, because I still like to enjoy and celebrate the fact that I won the Premier League,
07:10 but I'm pretty sure tomorrow we'll have the butterflies,
07:13 we'll have what they do, what they can do, we did good decisions,
07:18 how the players will feel, all the questions you had before the game,
07:23 I think it's going to happen.
07:25 What is it that gives you that feeling, though?
07:28 Because you have done it for so long and you have won so much,
07:31 that it could easily become a bit of a normality and you can lose that feeling inside.
07:35 No, it's not. Always I had the feeling it's an exception,
07:38 always I had the feeling when the Premier League is an exception,
07:40 people think about it differently, always I had the feeling that playing in the final of the FA Cup is an exception.
07:45 I always had the feeling that it's so difficult to win against Spurs away,
07:49 you have to win against Newcastle home, you have to win against Fulham in that moment,
07:54 that was a good moment, I'm sorry, Luton.
07:58 So to arrive here is always difficult, I don't take it absolutely for granted.
08:05 This is the reason why we respect a lot the opponents, we take seriously,
08:10 we can lose every game, but at the same time we can win it.
08:13 I never had the feeling that it doesn't matter, it's a new one.
08:19 Absolutely not.
08:20 In the finals when you arrive it's something, wow, what a privilege to be here again.
08:26 People think, 'ah, now it's City-Tel Aviv.'
08:31 Many good teams think in the past it's for granted,
08:34 but now it's difficult, always I say to a player,
08:38 what you have done arriving in the finals is always difficult.
08:43 And I don't change my mind.
08:46 Hi Pep, four of your players have played in each five of the rounds,
08:51 and as you mentioned there Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham, Luton, very difficult games.
08:55 Two of those, Doku and Oscar Bob, Doku's first season here, Bob's first season, part of the first team.
09:02 How good has it been for their development to play in these knockout games?
09:06 Do you see it as a difference to the Premier League?
09:09 Has it helped their development?
09:11 Everyone has his own skills and qualities, we need some specific things, we need them.
09:22 All the players know we arrived here all together, everyone has his own contribution,
09:27 one more than the other ones, we know that.
09:30 It happens all the season with all the managers, all the teams,
09:33 that their play is more important than the other ones, but we arrived all together.
09:36 You see the minutes from Julian, Kovac, important players,
09:42 that we are there, we are massively important to arrive where we arrived.
09:45 And they have that feeling, they have the feeling they make a contribution, they help us a lot.
09:50 The highlights, there are always specific ones, two or three players, the manager,
09:54 that's fine, because it's what it is.
09:56 But we know internally how many, many, many important players are for us,
10:02 maybe they are not in the highlights, but they are important, and that proves a lot.
10:07 What are the important factors to keeping your injuries as low as possible?
10:18 It's a good question, because sometimes you do the same, you have a lot of injuries.
10:22 But I think in the past, in the last years, we controlled really well.
10:26 I think we have a Lorenzo Aventura, he's a master to know exactly,
10:30 to tell me Pep today is soup, always say soup, hot soup, and garage.
10:37 No, don't do it.
10:39 Sometimes today we have to increase a little bit.
10:41 We are used to play for many, many, many years, since we are together.
10:46 Maybe three days during 60 matches, until the last stages, for many, many years.
10:52 And we know, we learn that sometimes there's no training,
10:55 just a little bit, and keep the energy for the game is so important.
11:00 That's the first.
11:01 And second, we have an incredible department for doctors and physios, unbelievable.
11:05 So they stay here 67 hours, it's not just 20 minutes, make a massage,
11:10 it's not hours and hours and hours, morning and afternoon,
11:14 they go home to the players to do it.
11:17 And the players themselves, always they are a part of the players.
11:21 They sleep properly, they eat properly, they train properly, they go out a lot,
11:26 they go to sleep at 3 or 4, they drink a lot of alcohol.
11:29 This kind of stuff is invisible, that you don't see it, is massively important.
11:35 And I have the feeling that all of them, they are incredibly focused,
11:40 they know what they have to do to care for their bodies, to be fit.
11:44 Because you can have a lot of ideas, tactics, many, many things.
11:49 If you don't have the players, what can you do?
11:53 I'm naked, in that moment I'm naked.
11:56 So this is the truth, and we have an incredible department.
11:59 When we talk about the group and the team, the organisation,
12:01 what I said before, what is the reason, why is that?
12:04 So every department pushes each other in getting better,
12:07 and they found what can do better and better.
12:10 And all big teams, you have this infrastructure that does not depend on me,
12:16 it depends on the club, the ideas of the club.
12:18 You cannot survive.
12:20 Once a week maybe, but in this, but now I'm going to holidays on Monday,
12:25 but these guys go after, 70%, 80%, 80%, go to the national teams.
12:32 And after 2 or 3 weeks, and when I started the pre-season,
12:35 yesterday I started to think about it, the day before.
12:39 We have an academy, and 4 or 5 players, Erling, Oscar, Sergio, Mateus,
12:45 and that's all, Stefan, Rico, there's 5 or 6 players, Scott Carson, no more.
12:53 Go to the tour with these 7 or 8 players.
12:56 And after when we arrive in 4 or 5 days, the committee show.
13:00 And most of the committee shows will not be there.
13:03 And you have Olympic Games, maybe some players want to go to Olympic Games,
13:06 and Copa America, and European Cup.
13:09 So that's why is the players don't do this,
13:12 or have this structure, you cannot survive at all.
13:14 It's impossible, impossible.
13:16 And we have really, really, really good doctors.
13:19 Max and Edward are unbelievable, and all the physios, all of them.
13:23 And nutritionists, you know, Tom and Hannah, they are really, really good.
13:28 Really good.
13:30 And that little details helps to be fit, and after you can use them,
13:33 and compete in the competition.
13:35 Hi, Pep.
13:37 Did you say earlier that you have doubts about your lineup for tomorrow?
13:43 Did you say you have a special lineup planned?
13:47 No, doubt is not.
13:49 We can play in different ways, and have to think about it.
13:52 They are all fit, they want to play, and know how to decide.
13:56 We mainly decide, but have some doubts, and we train, we talk with the staff,
14:01 and we decide tomorrow.
14:03 But it happens quite often.
14:05 We play three days, never when I come here have 100% the decision made.
14:10 Few, few times.
14:12 Always I leave the last night to think about it,
14:14 and the day of the game normally I decide the team.
14:17 Thank you.
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