Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reveals reasons behind contract extension, form and his ageing City squad
embargoed section
22/11/2024
CFGA, Manchester, UK
embargoed section
22/11/2024
CFGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00There's been times this season when you've thought maybe this should be your last one.
00:03What were the sort of doubts that you were having and why?
00:05The time, because we started really well.
00:10We won the Community Shield.
00:11We won one title this season again.
00:13So we started top of the league and we dropped for, I would say, obvious reasons.
00:20We dropped points and yeah, but I don't have any doubt about that play.
00:26I'm sorry.
00:27Otherwise, if I had doubts, I would not extend.
00:29So I love still to work.
00:31I like to work with them and still I know how they behave.
00:35And in that moment said, but it happened yesterday.
00:37Every time I stand a contract for the first time.
00:39Okay, the last two.
00:40So the people know stayed 10 years in one club, 11 years in one club.
00:44It's difficult to find, right?
00:46So today, all the clubs after a month, they doubt if the results are not good.
00:51So stay here long and always when I think, I think, oh, maybe it's the last, no?
00:55Okay, six years, seven years, eight years, so we'll be enough.
00:58But every time I rub in the last and we are good.
01:02I'm good.
01:03And yeah, here we are.
01:04Yeah, you said it was all done in two hours.
01:08You said the meetings only, you only needed two hours.
01:10Yeah.
01:11Did you instigate the meeting or did Farhan and Khaldun come to you?
01:15How did it sort of happen?
01:16No, we talked.
01:16Well, we talked in the past and it was Khaldun, of course with Farhan, with Tchiki
01:20and I listen to their vision or what they think and okay, let me think.
01:25Let's see what happened.
01:26But I said many times what's going to happen is going to happen.
01:29And in that moment, I said, okay, I think it's the moment to do it.
01:35Was it a surprise that Kyle Walker played both games for England after he was injured last time?
01:42He's fit.
01:42I like to play in the national team.
01:44For me, it's not a problem.
01:45Don't misunderstand me.
01:47I want Jack to go to the national team.
01:49I want Kyle to go to the national team.
01:52I want Max Salahini to go to the national team.
01:55Never, ever in my life, I would say one player don't go to prioritize national team.
01:59But you are not fit.
02:00You are not good.
02:01You are not going to play in the national team.
02:02Because here you cannot play.
02:03Why you have to play in national team?
02:05It's the only, the subject.
02:07I think it's quite obvious, right?
02:09The analysis.
02:10But of course, I want Kyle to have a dream to make 100 games national team.
02:15I want to cancel this dream to him.
02:17Absolutely not.
02:18Our love never was this longer.
02:22So I understand.
02:23But at the same time, I don't want to play there when you are not in the right conditions.
02:28And maybe that's the problem.
02:29Because Kyle played the previous time national team came here.
02:33And stayed 10 days without playing.
02:35And without him, he has to use players with a lot of games in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham.
02:39And after that game, the four central defenders were out.
02:42They could not play central defenders in proper conditions against Bournemouth.
02:46In proper condition there.
02:48Because the people say we are ruddery.
02:49Yeah, we are ruddery.
02:49Of course, we are missing.
02:50The best player in the world.
02:52Imagine our period in Barcelona.
02:54In that moment, Messi was the best player.
02:56Played that season without Messi.
02:58Do you think I win the treble?
02:59I don't win the treble.
03:00Win six in a row with Barcelona without Messi?
03:02I don't win six.
03:04Ruddery is out.
03:05But I have four central defenders.
03:07You know how important is Ruben and John when he's fit?
03:10Tell me.
03:11And Nathan and the other ones?
03:14We don't play in that position.
03:16So with Kyle, I'm not blaming Kyle.
03:18You understand me.
03:19You know the message of what I'm saying.
03:20With Kyle, you can use him.
03:22You know, I cannot play the minutes like Ruben was a little bit poor in the positions.
03:27One game a week, the top teams in Europe play another competition.
03:33It's another competition.
03:34It's another history.
03:36Bournemouth play one game a week.
03:37Brighton play one game a week.
03:39Six days, seven days to prepare one game.
03:41Give me that.
03:43Give me, give me.
03:44Give me that.
03:47You play another.
03:48You know, the Premier League is the real.
03:51No, no, no, no, no.
03:52I play 20 more games a season than you.
03:56But I'm complaining.
03:57No, because we won.
03:59I'm sorry.
04:01Six Premier Leagues.
04:03Doing that.
04:05Doing that way.
04:06No complaint at all.
04:07But why we won it?
04:08We were fit.
04:10We have injury, muscular, two weeks, three weeks.
04:13Oscar for a month.
04:14You know the best player?
04:15Do you know our high pressing with Oscar, how it is?
04:19He can run with three.
04:20Have incredible talent.
04:21Intuitive too.
04:24The intention, we choose central defenders and fullbacks at the same time.
04:27We can stay high.
04:28We recover.
04:29Without him, we are less.
04:30The best player in the preseason.
04:31Energy, four medals.
04:33Rodri, and the other one.
04:35So it's more difficult.
04:36But I have to find a solution.
04:37I have to break that moment.
04:39But say to Kyle, don't go to the National Team.
04:41You are fit, Kyle.
04:42I encourage him.
04:42Go to the National Team.
04:44Defend your country.
04:45And play as best as possible.
04:46We were 100.
04:47And after we were 125.
04:48125.
04:49But if you are not, you cannot go.
04:52It's like last season.
04:53We played quarterfinals.
04:55The Champions League against Real Madrid.
04:57Go to the friendly game.
04:59I don't understand why FIFA decide to do this.
05:01I'm sorry.
05:02Because we are fighting the competition, competition.
05:06And bring in the right moment of the season for the Premier League.
05:08For the European competitions.
05:10For a friendly game.
05:11And come back injured.
05:12No.
05:14No, because I work a lot.
05:15My staff work a lot.
05:16The players work a lot.
05:17These guys work a lot.
05:18It cannot be.
05:20But when I said to Jacques, you think I'm a problem, Jacques.
05:24I would love to go to the National Team.
05:27Of course he has to go.
05:29But 70 days.
05:3070.
05:31Once he did the training, he has to go to the National Team.
05:33No.
05:34To recover well.
05:35And for the next time, go to the National Team.
05:36This is my view.
05:38And I'm going to change my opinion of that.
05:40Of course.
05:40Sorry, Pep.
05:42You've almost answered that question.
05:44I was going to ask you about Jacques.
05:46There was some confusion.
05:47With whether he goes to England or not.
05:49He didn't go.
05:50Is he now fit?
05:51Is Jacques fit to play?
05:52Yeah.
05:53We trained two days together.
05:56And trained really good.
05:57Could you explain what actually happened with him?
05:59The FA said something different.
06:03I don't know.
06:04It happened.
06:04It's forgotten.
06:05So I want the best for Jacques.
06:07The National Team want the best for Jacques.
06:10You know?
06:11I want the best.
06:12I said, no.
06:12We communicate.
06:13I don't know.
06:14So the doctor said to me, he's not ready to play.
06:18Before Brighton, the doctor said to me, he's not ready to play.
06:21And I believe my doctors.
06:22Why?
06:23Because they are every single day there.
06:24And after they talk with the doctors of National Teams.
06:27No England.
06:29I know people from England.
06:31So I have a top relation.
06:33Believe me.
06:34So it's not about that.
06:36I know they want it.
06:37But they have 200 players to select.
06:40So when Jacques is not fit, has to recover for many reasons.
06:43It was a long time there.
06:45I think he has to recover.
06:46Because I need him.
06:47He will play good here.
06:49He will go with Thomas for the National Team.
06:51But he performed well here.
06:53Otherwise, you don't go to a National Team.
06:54You don't perform well here.
06:55Why Rico is going to a National Team?
06:57Yesterday, 20 years old.
06:58He's performing well.
07:00So the main target is here.
07:02And to be here, to be fit.
07:03You have to rest.
07:04You have to...
07:05And after that, for the quality they have, they go immediately.
07:11Sorry.
07:15Hi Pep.
07:16Cheek is obviously leaving at the end of the season.
07:19And it feels like there's quite a few important transfer windows coming up.
07:22How important was that when you were weighing up whether you wanted to continue?
07:27The transfer window will come naturally.
07:29We will not do the club like every season.
07:31There are seasons you buy five players.
07:33There are seasons like this season.
07:34We bought one and come back.
07:35Because when everybody is fit, they don't need it.
07:37I think right now the squad is exceptional.
07:40But we have a lot of problems.
07:41We had recently a lot of problems.
07:43No availability to play to the players.
07:45But it was not happening.
07:46Today, in the modern football, you cannot change seven players and bring seven players.
07:50It's not the right way.
07:51But in one, two or three, for reasons, Cheeky will help us until the last moment.
07:55And with Hugo, he's going to help us afterwards.
07:59You mentioned 12 players over the age of 30, though.
08:02So the squad will need to kind of change significantly in the next few years.
08:06It depends how it performs.
08:09Do you know how good players there are over 30?
08:11I saw Real Madrid with Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Modric, more than 30,
08:14win Champions League, Champions League, Champions League, win and play every three days.
08:17It's not about that.
08:19So it's not before 30, it's players with 33, 34, 35, play all the season,
08:24play incredibly well and help the team.
08:29It's not about reality.
08:30It's not 23 or 24, 25.
08:32When you have more than three years, you have an experience.
08:35You have something that the young players cannot have.
08:38You cannot have just young players or young players just with 35.
08:41You have to have a mix.
08:42And we have a mix.
08:43We have eight or nine or ten with 21, 22.
08:46Josco, Erling, Phil, Rico, Oscar, Maka and someone else.
08:53And Jeremy, Xabio.
08:56We have a lot of incredible top young players.
09:00Again, most of them gauged for the 30 and the perfect gauge for still to do it.
09:05Why is it going to decision?
09:07We win or we lose?
09:08We are there or we are again in the bottom?
09:13The club will say decisions.
09:15Managers, players.
09:18So we have to win again our future.
09:20We have to perform well to stay here.
09:23Quite a few hands, guys.
09:26Hi, Pep.
09:30Congratulations on the deal.
09:32Obviously, you speak to the people above you about signing the new contract
09:36and how you feel, but how much do you have to speak to family as well
09:39and your other coaches?
09:41Does everybody have to be on the same page that,
09:43okay, we'll stay, we'll do it, we'll keep doing it?
09:46How much does that factor in?
09:48Yeah, important.
09:50Important.
09:54When it comes to the charges and the Associated Party transaction stuff,
09:58do you enjoy that feeling of defending the team as well?
10:02Obviously, you've got the four defeats, so you feel, okay, let's get the team back.
10:06But when you've got the off-field stuff as well, you're always asked about the charges.
10:09There's always the rumors.
10:11Does that energize you as well?
10:13Do you really enjoy that?
10:15Yeah.
10:16I enjoy it.
10:17I prefer to be in that position, but once he is there, I love it.
10:23Yeah, because when you believe in your club and you believe in the people there,
10:28because I see what they say to me and the reasons why and everything that happened,
10:34I said, okay, we'll see.
10:36That's why I cannot say it yet, because we are waiting for the sentence in February,
10:39March or January, I don't know when it's going to happen.
10:42But at the same time, yeah, I want it.
10:46Just following on from that, how important is it for you to reach 10 years
10:52as a sort of legacy thing?
10:54Because quite a lot of people have gone, Pepe will want to do 10 years
10:57because it's a round number.
10:59No, it's not for the number, it's special.
11:02One main objective or main target is not become something or the numbers or whatever,
11:11just be happy.
11:13Wake up in the morning, come to do my job and still I like it.
11:17Prepare the game for tomorrow and this is the only reason why I want to be.
11:24So numbers are here and tomorrow we'll be there.
11:2810 years is a consequence for something.
11:30I said I'm 10 years because we won a lot.
11:33Otherwise I would not be here, 100%.
11:36And I would love the club the same, how they treat me, like I love Bayern Munich.
11:40I don't have any bad word about Bayern.
11:42Of course Barcelona is my club and when I was born they gave me absolutely everything.
11:47So it's not about that.
11:49I don't have perspectives.
11:51I didn't extend, I want 10 years.
11:54No.
11:55No, I would like to have a milestone, to have a decade.
11:58No.
11:59No, that is not the reason why.
12:01Nine is enough, eight will be enough.
12:03As much as I'm good, the rest is not important.
12:06How much of the UEFA stuff and the charges at the moment and even the APT stuff,
12:12how much has that actually helped you feeling energised?
12:17How much has that helped you stay for this period of time?
12:19Has that added any bearing whatsoever?
12:21No, I don't live with that.
12:23I know when I come here you ask me or I read something about the situation.
12:26I say, wait and the people start to say you have to be relegated immediately.
12:32Like 75% of the clubs in the Premier League they want it.
12:35Because I know what they do behind the scenes and this kind of stuff at the moment.
12:40But I don't live with that.
12:41I live with the team.
12:42Four games, four defeats, what do I have to do?
12:44What do I have to do this?
12:45What do I have to do that?
12:46My energy is here.
12:48Sometimes you ask me, OK, I remember.
12:50But I don't live thinking all the time with that.
12:53This is the lawyers for both sides and the people are in charge.
12:57I don't think, honestly, I don't think it.
13:03Hi, Pep.
13:04You said in the interview yesterday that in the summer you thought this might be your last season.
13:09Was there a moment where that changed or was it something that gradually changed over time?
13:14No, I said to myself when I signed the contract two more years, OK,
13:17I'm going to start the last one.
13:18I said, OK, I have to be the last one.
13:20Always I think about that.
13:22I will extend six years.
13:24But it's not.
13:25But the situation, what I said, sometimes it looks like you don't believe me.
13:30But I said, I don't know yet.
13:31What's going to happen is going to happen.
13:33It's true.
13:34So when I have doubts, because I have moments, oh, I want to stay.
13:37In other words, I'm tired.
13:38You know, my kids are away of me.
13:40And, you know, most of the things I said, mm-mm.
13:44But I have a moment because I believe something is going to happen.
13:49And one moment is going to say, now is the moment to leave.
13:51Now is the moment to stay.
13:53And I wait that for many reasons.
13:55And it happened this time.
13:56It could happen in two months or three months.
14:00And Jurgen Klopp, around this time a year ago, he announced he was leaving.
14:04He said he was tired, he was fatigued, that he needed a break.
14:07Why do you not need a break?
14:09No, I'm tired.
14:10Most of the time, sometimes I'm tired.
14:13Of course I'm tired.
14:14Sometimes, oh, another game.
14:16Yeah, sometimes it happens.
14:19The difference, it helps me.
14:22For the win, win and win helps a lot.
14:25Helps a lot.
14:26So our life is better when you win.
14:28You know, when you win, you win a lot in these last years.
14:32That helps to continue.
14:35Thank you, everyone.