Hi Pep, Just going back to the Champions League final,
How difficult was it for you personally to get
over that, to get that out of your system?
What happened that night?
The feeling I had it was a joy to prepare the game, a little bit sad,
like every time in this competition that has the stages for the players that
could not play, always had that feeling of being unfair with many, many
of them like it happened the previous season again, second to Lyon.
And every time we go in other things, the feeling to join to prepare the final,
I leave it with a sense of calm and and after that, the mix of disappointment,
sad because we could not achieve it in the same time.
Incredibly proud, what we have done in that
competition last season, even the finals.
So we had courage.
Maybe we're not
brilliant in the final third to find the spaces.
We believe we could find them to punish them, but that's football
it's happened in part for the quality of the opening.
But like I said before when you play 13 tournament won 13 games, we were able
to win 11, draw one and lose the finals always because it was exceptional.
So, uh, right now, every time happened.
More proud.
I am.
And I would like to feel this for I don't know, entire club,
but at least the players know how nice it was.
So to get the final in this club, in this club within a massive success and
yeah, it was a privilege to leave that, uh, improve for the next days.
If you have the challenge to do it and go ahead.
Hi Pep, um, Chelsea this summer,
Obviously, added a top striker in Romelu Lukaku.
You yourself obviously hoped to bring in Kane, but couldn't get him out of Tottenham
Do you feel Chelsea bringing in a top striker this season
leaves you at a bit of a disadvantage to them?
I'm not going to deny that what a player Romelu Lukaku is.
He knows, he knows The PL,
He was the first
step in Chelsea, but especially in Everton made a step forward.
And then Ronald Koeman,
And after when he went to United, he had highs and lows.
But in an Inter Milan under Antonio Conti
I think he got another step.
I think Antonio Conti has the ability to improve every single
player that he was with him and then came back and
the Champions of Europe.
So the team was already so strong and with him is stronger.
And of course so, how he plays long balls, how could keep and supported
for the attacking midfielders for the wingbacks and with the quality of players they
have in the middle to put the balls between the lines and he can keep it.
If you anticipated you go down.
And yeah, of course, is a stronger team than last season.
But this is the challenge.
I'm not going to say
I'm sad or disappointed for the squad we have. Absolutely not.
So we are the champions.
So we are the runners up for the Champions League.
We want the Carabao Cup, will get the semifinal of the
FA Cup and just with the one that people came back,
uh, fit, with injuries,
half the squad as high possible, quick
as possible because players run coming back.
But after 10 days, 12 days no training sessions, so and what
I want is to have the squad fit, when the squad will be fit.
All of them.
I know what we can do because we have done many years already.
So and it's a privilege again to go to London, to play there and after
to Paris to go in Champions League and after the other game.
So, uh, you will not listen James, for one single moment in this
season, complaining about "We don't have this player"
So the place that we have gave it to me personally at the club, WOW
what the things they gave us to us in these recent years.
These players put this club another another step.
And still, I'm fascinated the way he training,
the way, the commitment and everything.
And that is for me enough.
And now we try.
We'll try again, and when the opponent is better or they win only, I said all my
career is congratulate them improve, because the defeats make you improve and accept
the other ones have been better and always this new challenge and opportunity
to prove yourself to do it again and again and again.
It was just I wondered as well the margins at the level
You guys are operating a so small that you know sometimes to get
another kick on a player coming in can make a big difference.
Obviously you've got Jack.
But a Striker was an area... - I'm completely,
I'm completely agreeing with you completely.
Striker are strikers, Strikers is just like they
live a little bit outside of the bubble, like a
team, one team when creating for themselves.
I'm here in the game, but
this is the most difficult players to take it.
We were the privileged to have Sergio for many years.
That was important.
Unfortunately, the last year, year and a half was out injured.
We could not use him much and we survive without him in
a good way in the way we played without with him.
We knew that we have an extra and these two options when we right now in
the situation, complaining and say yeah, we'll have it to say "Oh God,
we have an exceptional players" and we don't have this weapon like
other teams can have like United or Chelsea or Tottenham
or another teams we have to use as a team,
what we can do. We spoke many times, we don't have a players to score
25 a year goals for himself, we don't have it.
So I have to do it as a team, as a group and playing,
and this is going to try this season.
Hi Pep,
Um, Chelsea, PSG and Liverpool away is one hell of a week.
Do you talk up these games with the players and try and enjoy and embrace them?
Or do you sort of try and take away as much kind of hype as you can from them?
I don't necessarily to talk, say, to the players, Enjoy.
Because I see them, how they prepare, how they
are looking forward to play these kind of games.
It's unnecessary.
And we didn't speak one second about PSG and Liverpool.
So in these two days, we had after Carabao Cup
is prepare the game, like we prepare the previous ones, that's all.
Does it help at all that you're playing three sort of very high
profile games in a row, to sort of get into a rhythm?
Simon, the schedule is a schedule we can play
I don't know another another teams, I don't know.
The schedule is the schedule.
So
they decided to the first games to the to have these games.
and welcome,
So
we are the champions.
Because few times rarely we complain about many stupid things is what it is.
Accepted, adapted, and go for it.
Hi Pep, just following on from that, because it is a massive week.
How difficult is it for you as a manager
personally, when quite a lot of the squatty that aren't fit just
come back from injury or don't have that match fitness when you've
got 3 massive games? - Other players will come in
and other players will come in.
Some players come back yesterday for the training,
partial yesterday, today, full training.
We're going to check how they feel.
And, uh, if they are good, they are good.
You're going to play another ones, you know, the academy.
So not even one second thinking about that.
I never thought in these five years, when there was injuries, important injuries
long injuries, first season with Gundogan, Sergio the last years and
and Aymeric (Laporte) when he was in the best top form as a central defender.
2nd, 3rd season was injured.
Also, 5/6 months
never would have to use.
Fernandinho was the fourth central defender.
Maybe it was to play like a second, old defender all of the season
during the season, especially in this brutal schedule.
So we'll have.
The situation is not comfortable to deal, so
we have enough.
Enough.
It's quiet and would want to go with
Hi Pep,
Obviously, you have had weeks like this throughout your career as a manager.
But when you have one of these, do you find that the level of your players,
even in training in between these games lift a little bit because of the
intensity of the game, is so high that there is no let up at all?
Yeah, they know.
We know again which opponents are going to play in which stadiums,
Yeah, they know it,
It is not necessary to tell, but I would say something if this commitment,
that the people suggest that these players would have these three
games at this week, have been since I arrived
9 to 10.
That's why we want for Carabao Cups,
And FA Cups, Premier Leagues
every year of doing better in Champions League, so will not be possible.
It's not a team like today,
I dress nice to this game, in the other
games either use the suit,
I go to the to sneakers.
All the time
they tried to do well in all competitions, no doubts about it.
Yeah, Hi Pep,
Um I don't know if you're aware, but you're very
close to a club record in that one more win and you'll be the
the most successful man city manager of all time.
You've spoken before about how much you know,
how proud you are to be manager at this club.
How would that make you feel?
We will be so proud.
Yeah, we did it in a short time.
Will be so proud.
Yeah, Many, many people, many people, has done this possible.
Many, many, especially all the players that we had since we arrived.
So it's a nice milestone.
I cannot deny it will be an honour.
Hopefully we can do it.
Sooner than later.
But it's a big compliment for all the club to achieve
it all the time we spend together here.
Especially the players, of course, but all the stuff
and backroom staff that they did it possible
sooner or later will be beaten.
So the records are nice because always will be beaten.
So and but we'll be part of that.
It's nice.
Hello?
Can you hear me?
Yeah.
Hi, Pep
Um, so yeah, with regard to a striker and want him.
And why did you want to striker?
Because in your teams and the way they play, is that position.
Not a little bit of luxury for you and how you like to play because
you know you want the midfielder to get involved
and when you play Torres there, for example, you know
he's just supposed to help out in the midfield?
So
there's a view that is a bit of surprise that he was so
keen on wanting an actual dedicated number nine.
Always.
I had the strikers in my career,
and the striker is the biggest, biggest like a goalkeeper.
Striking are the biggest specialists, is for done,
but I play with Samuel Eto, may be the best.
Well, one of the best.
Strikers, I,
I ever train.
What a
player was Smauel,
and I was with Thierry Henry.
It was,
I don't know.
if he's a striker or what he is, Leo Messi, but a few goals we were able to score.
It was Lewandowski, Thomas Muller.
So always I play with a striker, then Sergio here.
But Gabriel always he likes to play more in lateral ways, not in Central.
And we wanted as a club because I think the club not known for Pep for me myself.
The club needs in the next years,
striker, sometimes it's possible.
sometimes not,
So because they are more expensive ones and and it's difficult
to find it and when it's not possible, it's not possible.
So we're going to move on.
What, with the
Fantastic squad
that we have.
Hi Pep,
you mentioned earlier that you'd watched the Champions League final
back this week in preparation for the Chelsea again.
Was that the first time you watched it since the final?
And also did you,
was there anything you wish you'd done differently, having
looked back at that or do you have no regrets at all?
Because we lost.
You know, when we win every decision is good?
Yeah.
We make some movements we we spoke with, we're talking, we trained a little bit.
Some movements we have done in the final third, that we have not done it,
and that's why we were not know what the decision is made in.
The moment is made.
Always regret that I have, no regret.
All the time in their positions.
I'm sad because I am,
I tried to put in the position for the players,
didn't play, always, but you never know.
With another
players we'd have won.
So I saw the game.
Yeah, a few weeks later, the final and have a
an impression.
Have quite similar impression right now, and that's all.
So we're going to try to learn to try to improve, and every time we win or
we lose, always have something to improve, it's going to happen tomorrow