Just before we go onto the Champions League final.
Could you say a brief few words about Tottenham’s new appointment?
I think you know, Ange, - Who?
Tottenham’s new appointment. I think you know Ange.
A good addition to the Premier League?
Absolutely.
Another exceptional manager is coming.
I was lucky to,
to meet him in Tokyo, years ago,
when he was manager from Yokohama,
one of our clubs in the City Football Group.
And it was an interesting chat and have a
maybe his relationship with the owner of Celtic Glasgow, he made an incredible job,
and he will do an incredible job.
I suppose hopefully, we can score one goal away.
Hi Pep. You and this club have done
so much since being taken over by Abu Dhabi.
It's the final frontier.
You've spoken before about maybe, people wanting to keep you out.
Do you feel like,
European football wants City to be successful, to win the Champions League?
I don’t know. Some people want, some people don’t.
So friends of ours, our club, like we are sympathetic.
I'm pretty sure they want it, and other clubs,
they don’t want it at all. But it’s normal, it’s not a problem.
What message would it send?
To who? - To win it, to the world.
We have to play a game.
It’s the last game of the season, so,
the team who is going to win will be the crown,
So, [they] will be champions.
And it's about what we have to do to beat Inter Milan.
This is the point.
And after, the consequences, we’ll see.
Pep, you've said that
over excitement doesn't suit this club.
How will you contain that excitement over the coming days?
It’s really good.
It's really good dreaming,
dreaming the game,
and travelling in two days, three days to Istanbul and, be all together.
And yeah, it's a dream.
A dream to be here.
So two years ago, we were we were there, but
in different situations for the COVID, and
yeah we're going to try to do our best and we know it’s,
a final is how you behave at that specific 95 minutes.
It's not about history, that the history
they are better than us.
It’s about what we have to do.
What we have to do in 95 minutes to be better than the opponent.
It doesn’t count what you have done in group stage, quarter finals, last season...
and Premier League.
Or FA Cup. It is one single game you have to be better in this time
Hi Pep.
Kyle Walker wasn't training today, and obviously he went off towards the end
at Wembley. How is he? Are there any concerns?
Yeah. He has a disturbance in his back.
Yesterday was not good and today a little bit better.
We didn't want to take risk.
And we see what happens in the next days.
Hi Pep. What do you think about Inter Milan?
And what do you think you need to do to beat them?
A team with a lot of history,
they have done really, really well in the last years,
with the shape,
It’s not just how good they defend, it’s how good they are,
with the ball, with the transition have to link with the strikers,
and especially they have a really good process.
Especially start from Onana.
This is an exceptional keeper, with a build up,
one of the best right now in the world.
And that makes so difficult,
our high pressing, because you cannot press,
all the players that are on the pitch and yeah, a really, really good team.
now that we know them quite well, because we saw,
as much games as possible.
I understand completely
the reason why they are there.
Pep, you mentioned the final, two years ago.
Will you use the pain of that as motivation this week,
and also, maybe, a kind of a warning because you were favourites
then as well and
a lot of people expected you to win then, and to show to tell the players...
I don't know.
I didn't speak about the players.
Some were there, some don't.
That was completely different situation.
But of course, it was not like last season
it was two years ago. But two years ago is not a long time ago.
And of course we want to,
we want to finish differently but,
we have to know exactly what we have to do,
to beat this opponent, in terms of approach, about the system
they use about what they do with the ball and without the ball.
This is why they have to be focused.
Hi Pep. You just said there about how Inter have a bigger history in this competition
but everyone sees you as big, big favourites for this game.
We are used to it. - Yeah.
How did you make sure that that doesn’t arrive to the players,
and does it make it more dangerous because Inter will go in feeling like
they have nothing to lose?
Why should it be more dangerous being favourites or not favourites?
It is what we are going to do in 95 minutes.
I accept the role and
and go out there so I know the quality,
of the opponents. This is the most important,
And if,
we accept what the people say, you know, no problem at all.
It seems like you’ve got the 11 sorted.
It feels like from the outside that every player knows
what they have to do, that the style is sorted.
Is it the calmest,
I don't know what to call it, or the most relaxed, the most
convinced of what the team has to do that you ever been before a big final?
Yeah, but
of course, more than calm, I’m
so grateful for the players what they have done, what we are doing
but finals is completely different
and what I’m doing in the last days and the next days
is try to understand the game you have to play.
How as much, play as much
who we are but at the same time, it will be a day
with a lot, a lot, a lot of difficulties. A lot.
It's not easy to attack the defensive system that they use.
And we have to be,
with a lot of rhythm, but be patient.
We are not going to do it in the three or four passes, and we're going to do it.
So we have to be,
you know, exactly the tempo, the right tempo what you have to play.
This is the most important thing in these type of games because,
you know, they know with as much the game goes through, you became a little bit
anxious and that will be a problem. But at the same time
is not a team like people say,
No. Just, so they are used to controlling
all the games in Italy,
they have an incredible good patterns,
for everywhere, and,
and of course, we have to defend really, really well.
So, this is a final against a top team and we have to do it.
And of course we are confident. I am so optimistic.
But in the same time I cannot deny the difficulties
and the quality of the opponents.
Never have I done it, and especially in the final of the Champions League.
In years gone by,
fans up and down this country, of different clubs,
have always wanted English teams to do well in this competition,
particularly when it was on terrestrial telly and everyone was able to watch
the Champions League.
Do you get the sense that you have the support
of the country of England for
you to win this competition?
I don't know if United wants to see us win the Champions League final...
No, I don't know.
I'm not able to, to discover all the clubs, all the people in England.
So of course we represent this country, and we want to do it well.
Our fans, when they travel in Istanbul, represent our club and of course the UK.
But to know exactly if all of them, they want [us] to win. I don’t know.
Either way, if you did or you didn’t, would it matter to you?
If you had their support, or didn’t have their support,
would it make any difference to you?
Listen, when you arrive at this stage not all of the people around
the world wants you to win.
So, at the same time,
I’m pretty sure there are a lot, a lot of people in teams in Italy.
They want Inter and the other ones don't.
So that football, you know the rivalry and ones that sometimes
I think the people that like us,
yeah that’s for sure. But the other one it doesn't matter
if they win Inter Milan, you know.
So at the end it’s not a big, big important issue.
Presumably, when you went into 2021 against Chelsea,
you felt similarly confident going into the week as you do now.
Can you say, does anything feel different about this time and this team?
Well, one week ago,
we won the FA Cup, a few days ago the FA Cup. In that moment we were just
preparing a final that we arrived from losing the last two
or three times, two times against them, against Thomas Tuchel teams before
and we had some doubts about we should do it and
it's not the same, but they play five in the back.
Both teams, Chelsea and Inter Milan and the approach.
of Chelsea was defensive too.
But of course Chelsea also had incredible patterns to play, to punish us.
So I wouldn't say similar, but there are some things
that is quite and hopefully we can attack a little bit better than we did it.
We did it in that time.
Hi Pep. It’s a lot of the same players here now who were here
in 2021 in that last final, obviously there's guys like Rodri and John Stones.
Who seem to have taken big steps forward.
But overall, how do you think the players
that were there two years ago and here now, how have they changed?
Have they got better? Have they grown as individuals?
Have you seen a change in those guys over these two years?
In that time, when we played a final of the Champions League,
We had an incredibly good season in the Premier League,
so, we were playing really, really good that year.
It’s quite similar now. It’s not much difference.
maybe the fact that we are again there and always
I had the opinion that as much you arrive in the finals one day, maybe we are lucky
and you can win it.
So it's difficult to arrive just once in your lifetime and win it, you know.
the important is, is to be there and
and have this opportunity when you want to take it.
You faced a lot of criticism for your team selection for the 2021 Champions League final.
Was that fair?
Looking back,
did you maybe make mistakes in selection? Also, to use what you often say,
Are you so humble enough to maybe look at your thought process two years ago
and not necessarily learn from it, but sort of
assess that, going into this final with regard to selection?
It was a game plan. Like it will be next Saturday.
And if I tell you privately, the reasons why I took the decisions
of the movements of Chelsea in that moment, you could say, oh, maybe he was right.
But the simple I lose, I was wrong.
If I win, I'm right.
So that's why I don't pay. No, it is what it is.
It’s not about fair or unfair. It is what it is.
In this business you have to accept it.
Doing the same, you win, you are,
It's good. And you don’t do it.
So review the game because it was a tight, tight game.
So in many things we were better than them.
But we lost. And when we lost,
you know, I had an idea in that moment for the momentum for the players
or many reasons.
And you tell me, would you do it differently now? Maybe yes.
I. I don't know but that doesn't count.
It’s in that moment, the decisions you have to take.
There's some new figures out today which suggest that City’s now
the biggest football brand in the world, overtaking Real Madrid.
The clubs obviously, very proud of it.
Is it sort of a sign of how far the club's come recently?
Well it’s a question for our CEO, Ferran Soriano.
If that has happened it’s congratulations to them but,
about the numbers, I’m not really good enough.
The reason why we are the brand or not the brand.
So for Ferran Soriano could explain better than me the reason why.
But I'm pretty sure the team of Ferran must be proud. So...
What would what would winning the tournament do for this club though?
Would it sort of take it to another level?
Yeah, definitely.
So sooner or later I said so many times,
you have to win in Europe to stay at another level.
It’s as simple as that. You have to admit it.
Did you get any words of advice from Elton John on Saturday night?
Sorry.
Did you meet did you meet Elton John on Saturday night at the airport?
Did you see him?
If I saw him, or are we going to see him?
Some of the players saw him at the airport...
Yeah, we saw him and I was with him, at the concert.
There was in the midweek.
He was incredibly kind, to my family, to myself.
Yeah and after surprisingly,
So when we landed from London after the FA Cup we were there,
and especially for the staff, the backroom staff and some players.
So, Sir Elton John, so
No don’t laugh. It’s Sir.
So it’s few people in this country, you know,
And you know,
whatever you do in your life, we are 50 years. 50.
Being there all the time. Generations after generations.
The people listen to your songs. It’s because you are really good.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you.