OneFootball
Dan Burke·20 May 2022
OneFootball
Dan Burke·20 May 2022
Pep Guardiola spoke to reporters on Friday ahead of Manchester Cityâs season finale against Aston Villa.
Here is what he had to say.
âWe have incredible doctors. They make partial training, itâs good to have them back.â
âI donât have to tell them, they believe. Different opponents, different opponents. Itâs not a similar game, we know what we have to do. Be ourselves, give everything we have to win the game.â
âItâs difficult to control emotions, you know what youâre playing for. We spoke about that, maybe you have to live something unexpected. React best as possible, if itâs over, itâs not over. When itâs over think itâs not over. Do exactly what we have done the last month, go for it.
âAt the end, we play just a football game. We are not going to do something new. We arrive 2-3 hours before, we prepare vs Villa as we do always. Go to the plan and beat Aston Villa. At the end we can make theories but itâs just a football game. 11 players, a good manager. Apart from that we didnât do different.
âToday we train, a normal PL game, northing special. Importance of the game, they feel it.â
âBefore we won the first title, it would be the most incredible moment of our lives. The day after you feel, oh, the day after the sun rise and people start to demand more.
âSatisfaction is there, but after one, two days itâs forgotten. It has to be like that.
âItâs nice, we have incredible focus to try to do it. In the end, the feeling hasnât changed much. We try to be ourselves, do what we need to do.
âFootball is emotional, but itâs a game. The game means luck, a thousand things you cannot control. The way we play, most of the time we play to win, there are aspects we canât control. If you want it you canât control. Something can happen. Put it in the right manner, try of course, an incredible desire to win, we would be incredibly happy.
âAfter 1, 2, 3 days, we continue to start again.â
âIâm sure my English isnât good after four, five years. I said in the time you arrive in the titles, the teams with more history have more supporters. It happens in Spain and Germany and Italy. We are outsiders in the last decade.
âIn that moment, of course people donât want Liverpool or us to win. Liverpool fans want to win, Iâm not saying all the country are Liverpool fans but in general they are a team with more titles. Maybe Iâm wrong, but in countries all around the world there are two, three teams people support more than the other ones.
âLiverpool, United, Arsenal have a lot of history, we are new, how many times we arrive in this history? Brighton, Paul Dickov, I donât think so. Itâs not much. Itâs why we feel itâs a privilege and wonât waste this opportunity to enjoy the 95 minutes.â
âItâs good, I would prefer winning two days ago. It is what it is, important is being there, a chance to win a game to be champions. So nice, a privilege to arrive this stage.â
âBecause itâs more difficult. A lot of weeks, a lot of games struggle with injuries, good and bad moments, different situations. The success is being there in the last few years. Liverpool were unstoppable that year and we were not good enough, the rest we were there.
âWhen you fight for the Premier League it gives the sense you enjoy the locker room. We are happier in our lives, when you win and win it makes good training and environment. Itâs not just one single game like the FA Cup, itâs a consistent team.
âYou want to change different things, experiences. In terms of Premier League, itâs more every day, itâs nice.â
âIâm not saying Champions League is not important. Weâd love to be in Paris next week. Always to win 38 games, or 6-7 games is different. Always I like it, itâs nice. We are close.â
âWe are together since day one. Heâs one of them, became captain. We experience many good moments and bad moments together. Generous guy, puts the team first over him. He knows it, Iâm more than happy to have met him in my life and work together.
âWe wish him all the best in the future and his last season in Brazil, maybe he will be a manager. Iâm sure weâll meet again in the future.â
âItâs not unexpected. I said a month ago, we need more than 90 points. The last 51 games Liverpool lost one. When you face this kind of team, you have to be good and win the last game. Otherwise with their results they are fantastic.â
âI didnât speak with him. I can if you want? Iâm sure he maybe helped for Villa to be promoted to the PL and remaining in the PL for two seasons. For him, never won the PL, he must be so excited.
âWeâd be happy to have one, my advice to him is to be happy as possible playing football. The feeling after 2-3 days, all the effort, your name on the list [of honours]. If heâs comfortable getting better itâs the most important. In one year, we defend and be champions. Next year someone has to take it off us.
On Sunday, in one year we see if he retains it or plays every game next season, itâs nice.â
âItâs completely different, we cannot compare. Weâre in different positions. Both teams try to win. Sometimes you canât control. I said to the players itâs just a football game, donât focus on anything else. If you think about it being one more title, itâs a football game.
âIngs and Watkins, how we face this process, Luiz as a holding midfielder, Digne moving inside or outside, this is what we think about.
âIâm sure our people will be as one. I have a feeling our supporters will be incredible. As a club we havenât been here many times. Anxious, nervous? No way. If we concede or struggle, come on, try again, continue and do it. Itâs the best way to approach this kind of situation. Not âwhat happens if we lose?â What is the movement and set pieces of Villa? This is the only way, all that matters.â
âHe got married, congratulations. I donât know his travel, he had permission. If you ask me personally, I want him next season. There is no-one thinking he cannot be here. If he wants to leave, as a club we donât know it. All the Twitter accounts saying he will leave, I donât know. Maybe you know more than me.â