📣 Guardiola on Walker, UCL final regrets and meeting Elton John | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola spoke to reporters on Tuesday ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League final clash with Inter.

Here is what he had to say.

On mood ahead of Istanbul

“I’m more than calm, I’m so grateful for what the players have done but finals are so different.

“Inter are used to dominating the games in Italy and they have a lot of good patterns so we have to defend really well. It’s a final against a top team and we have to do it.

“We are confident, optimistic but I can not deny the qualities of the opponent.”

On dropping Rodri for the 2021 final

“It was a game plan like it will be on Saturday and if I tell you the reason why I made the decision maybe you think I’m right.

“If I win I’m right if we lose I’m wrong. In this business, you have to accept it. It was a tight game and in many ways we were better but we lost.

“Would I do differently now? Maybe yes but that doesn’t count.”

On Kyle Walker’s training absence

“He had a disturbance in his back. Yesterday he was not good, today he was a little bit better.

“We didn’t want to take a risk and we will see in the next days.”

On motivation to avenge 2021 defeat

“I can’t speak for the players, some were there some weren’t It’s a different situation.

“Two years ago isn’t long and of course we want to finish differently but we have to know exactly what we have to do.

“It’s about what you do in 90 minutes, we accept what the people say no problem at all.”

On meeting Elton John

“We saw him. I was with him at the concert in midweek, he was incredibly kind to me and my family.

“After, he surprised me when we landed after the FA Cup he was there – Sir Elton John.

“There are few people in this country, whatever you do in your life, when you are 50 years being there all the time generations after generations people listening to your songs it is because you are really good.”