LIKE TIM WHO KNOWS A THING OR
TWO ABOUT THE RIVALRY.
HE PLAYED IN 21 MANCHESTER
DERBIES IN HIS CAREER.
FORMER CITY DEFENDER, PABLO
ZABALETA
HE SPENT NINE YEARS AT CITY
MAKING OVER 300 APPEARANCES FOR
THE CLUB
WON FIVE MAJOR TROPHIES
INCLUDING TWO PREMIER LEAGUE
TITLES AND SCORED THE OPENER IN
THE 3-2 WIN AGAINST QPR TO HELP
CLINCH THE CLUB'S FIRST-EVER
PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE
WE NOT ONLY MOVED SPOTS IN THE
STUDIO, WE HAVE THE PREMIER
LEAGUE TROPHY, WE HAVE PABLO
NEXT TO ME
THANKS FOR MAKING THE EFFORT TO
BE HERE.
WHAT BRINGS YOU TO TOWN?
>> THANK YOU
IT'S A PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE
SHOW
I'M WITH MAN CITY DOING SOME
APPEARANCES.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME THAT I'VE
NOT BEEN HERE IN AMERICA BECAUSE
OF THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF THAT.
ALWAYS GOOD TO COME AND
REPRESENT THE CLUB
I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR SO MANY
YEARS, MEET THE FANS
ESPECIALLY FOR THE GAME TODAY,
ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES.
I MISS THOSE GAMES
THEY'RE ALWAYS SPECIAL
SO I'M BACK FOR THAT
IT'S A PLEASURE.
>> BIG GAME TODAY IN THE RED AND
BLUE PART OF MANCHESTER.
YOU WERE THERE AT THE START OF
THE EVOLUTION OF THIS FOOTBALL
CLUB WITH SHEIKH MANSOOR TAKING
OVER THE CLUB.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF
THAT CHANGE WHERE CITY ARE
DOMINATING OVER UNITED
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE SOMETHING
SPECIAL WAS HAPPENING?
>> I CAME TO THE CLUB IN 2008, JUST A WEEK BEFORE THE TAKEOVER.
JUST A WEEK BEFORE THE TAKEOVER.
YEAH, ONE OF THE DIVERSE CLUBS OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY BOUGHT THE
OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY BOUGHT THE
CLUB AND RUBINIHO WAS A RUBINIS
THAT WAS HUGE.
AT THE SAME TIME, FOR THE
PLAYERS THERE, IT WAS A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE OURSELVES
THAT WE WANT TO BATTLE
THE MONEY WAS THERE, THEY NEEDED
TO BRING GOOD PLAYERS, GOOD
NAMES.
YOU ALSO NEED TO CREATE A
WINNING MENTALITY TO FIGHT WITH
THE BEST TEAMS IN ENGLAND,
ARSENAL, LIVERPOOL, MAN UNITED,
THEY WERE REALLY STRONG TEAMS AT
THAT TIME.
SO WE TOOK, LIKE, THREE, FOUR
YEARS TO WIN THE FIRST FA CUP.
THEN THE FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING
I'M PROUD OF BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN
THE WHOLE TRANSFORMATION OF THE
CLUB
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DERBY
BEING SPECIAL.
WHAT WAS YOUR DERBY EXPERIENCE
LIKE
AS YOU MENTIONED, PRIOR TO YOUR
ARRIVAL, THE EXPECTATION WAS
THAT YOU WOULD LOSE THE GAME,
THAT IT WAS EASY FOR MANCHESTER
UNITED
THAT CHANGED WHEN YOU AND YOUR
TEAMMATES GOT TO THE CLUB.
WHAT WAS THE SHIFT IN MENTALITY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE FIRST TWO SEASONS IT WAS
DIFFICULT TO WIN DERBIES
THEY WERE A MILE AHEAD OF US
IT WAS DIFFICULT
AT SOME POINT OUR TEAM WAS
STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT AGAINST
MANCHESTER UNITED.
AND TO BELIEVE IN OURSELVES THAT
WE NEEDED TO START WINNING
DERBIES.
THE 6-1 AT OLD TRAFFORD WAS ONE
OF THOSE GAMES
I REMEMBER ALSO WHEN WE WON THE
SEMIFINAL FA CUP AT WEMBLEY,
THAT WAS FOR A TOURNAMENT POINT
WHERE, YOU KNOW, FERGUSON USED
TO CALL US NOISY NEIGHBORS AT
THAT TIME BECAUSE OUR TEAM WAS
STRONG ENOUGH TO PLAY WITHOUT
FEAR
THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOMENT
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS MORE EQUAL
BETWEEN BOTH CLUBS
>> YOU SAW PEP GUARDIOLA COME
INTO THE FOOTBALL CLUB AND
ARGUABLY THE TEAM HAS GOTTEN
STRONGER UNDER PEP
YOU WORKED UNDER HIM FOR A
SEASON THERE
WHAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT AND
SPECIAL AS A COACH
>> HE'S REALLY GOOD.
I MEAN, AS YOU SAY, I SPENT ONLY
ONE SEASON WITH PEP.
I WISH HE HAD COME TO THE CLUB
WHEN I WAS PROBABLY 27, 28, WHEN
I WAS AT MY PRIME, PROBABLY
WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IT A LOT
MORE
AS A MANAGER, HE'S REALLY GOOD
ON THE FIELD TACTICALLY HE'S A
GENIUS
HE ALWAYS WANTS THE TEAM TO
ATTACK
HE ALWAYS SET UP THE TEAM IN
THAT WAY
HE LIKES TO PLAY WITH A LOT OF
NUMBER 10S
>> NO NUMBER NINES
>> SOMETIMES YOU NEED, LIKE, A
REFERENCE IN THE BOX
HE LIKES HIS PLAY.
HE NEVER GIVES YOU, YOU KNOW,
TIME TO KEEP THE BALL, TO MOVE
AROUND, AND THEN -- HE'S SIMPLY
AMAZING.
AS A PLAYER, WHEN YOU PLAY THAT
WAY AND YOU DOMINATE THE GAME,
IT'S LIKE, WOW, THAT'S WHAT YOU
EXPECT
>> IS IT DIFFICULT TO PLAY UNDER
HIM?
>> AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS
TOUGH. PLAYING UP FROM THE BACK, WE
PLAYING UP FROM THE BACK, WE MADE A FEW MISTAKES, I KNOW THAT
MADE A FEW MISTAKES, I KNOW THAT
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR TO US
SAYING TO THE YOUNG PLAYERS,
LISTEN, DON'T CHANGE THE WAY WE
PLAY
JUST BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO, AND
YOU WILL SEE HOW AFTER A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING
WILL COME OUT.
YOU WILL FEEL THAT'S THE RIGHT
WAY TO PLAY.
IT'S HOW HE CAN CONVINCE THE
PLAYERS TO DO THAT
SOMETIMES AS A DEFENDER, WHEN
YOU FEEL YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE,
THE BEST THING TO DO IS GO LONG,
GO DIRECT, AND PUSH FORWARD,
THAT'S IT.
UNDER PEP, IT WAS I DON'T WANT
YOU TO PLAY LONG
ALWAYS PASS.
PLAY SHORT FROM THE BACK
I WANT YOU TO BRING THE BALL
INTO THE ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
IN A BETTER SITUATION.
SILVA, DeBRUYNE, TO FIND THEM IN
THOSE POCKETS, YOU KNOW, AND
GIVE FREEDOM TO THE PLAYERS UP
TOP
TOP, BECAUSE IN THE FINAL THIRD
YOU NEED PLAYERS WHO CAN CREATE
THAT MOMENT OF MAGIC AND SCORE
GOALS.
WITH MAHREZ, SILVA, IT WAS
REALLY SIMPLE.
OFF THE FIELD AS WELL, HOW HE
INSPIRED THE PLAYERS
HE'S A GENIUS.
>> YOU'RE WELCOMED TO STAY AND
WATCH THE MATCH, BUT WHERE DO
YOU PLAN TO WATCH THE DERBY
LATER TODAY?
>> WE'RE GOING TO SOFI IN NEW
JERSEY
WE'LL WATCH THE GAME WITH SOME
FANS
IT WILL BE SOME FUN.
>> I KNOW YOU USED TO BE A NOISY
NEIGHBOR
I WANT TO CALL YOU AN ESTEEMED