Chairman.
Thanks for joining us.
Uh, one of the more complicated interviews that we've
done, I'm sure we'll get through it.
I'm sure we'll have as much fun as well, you as we normally.
do
It's great to see you anyway.
Even from this distance.
Can we start with an overview of the season?
How do you assess the season on the pitch?
Was the Carabao Cup
Enough of a return for you?
Well, you know Chris, it's been a very long season.
We started last August.
It's been a year. Over the years, we've had many
ups and downs and very many challenging seasons.
But I think this one is unique in its nature.
Starting first with winning the Community Shield, then a number
of very important injuries that we've had to deal with.
Then you talk about dealing with the UEFA situation, very
challenging situation that the club had to deal with.
We've had some management changes midyear, which were disruptive
We've had COVID - unprecedented in the nature of that challenge.
And then the period where we had to stop and then come back.
And then we start you know when I look back in terms
of results now are the results satisfying?
The answer is of course not.
I mean, we always look for finishing the season with success and as many competitions
as possible, the Premier League obviously being the primary one.
But of course also the Champions League and, of course, both Cup competitions
Winning the Carabao Cup in addition to the Community Shield that we started
with something very good making it to the semi finals of the the F A Cup.
Okay, but not good enough.
And now to the two big ones.
First, the Premier League. No doubt second is not what we look for
We always like to win the competition.
That's our objective, that is our target.
Every year. We came short, I think, credit to
the champions, they are well deserved champions.
But from our perspective, finishing second and finishing with the number
of points between us is not something that will satisfy us.
And of course will make us hungrier. And in the Champions League
again, our objective is to win that competition.
It's very simple.
That is what we try to do every year.
So I think overall, given everything I've described - giving the nature
of the season, the challenges across the board, which is, by
the way, you know all teams have faced. All
Teams have faced challenges.
I think for us, it leaves us with some disappointment,
but also a lot of positives to build on.
Pep in an interview not long ago said.
I think I'm quoting here.
The Chairman isn't happy with me over the results in the Champions League.
One, is that correct?
And two
How do you explain not getting past the quarter finals in four tries?
You know, me and Pep have something very important in common
We both I hate losing and don't take it lightly and I think
on this both of us share the same level of disappointment.
We had a great opportunity this year and the same as the last couple of years.
I think it comes to the Champions League, you know, in any cup competition.
it's always challenging because you're playing these three stages
quarterfinals, a round of 16 and it boils down to two
games and in this case it will go down to one game.
Given the the nature of the Champions League this year and you have to deliver and
unfortunately this year we missed it. We were equally upset with that result because
we knew this was a great opportunity for us to go to the semi finals and a great opportunity
this year to actually win this competition.
We have to be able to look back at that experience.
Take the learnings, go back to the drawing board and make sure we're
ready next year to give it another shot and go on to try to win it.
It was going to say that there's no danger that the quest to win in Europe becomes
something of an all encompassing quest to the detriment of other competitions.
The priorities will lie in the same places this season.
Absolute absolutely.
I think that's that we've been very consistent on that Chris.
The domestic league comes first.
That is the foundation for everything.
The success in winning the Premier League is what breeds success in every other
competition, so that is always gonna be the foundation and we've been
very successful in the domestic cup competitions that we
did not get to crack the Champions League, but we'll crack it.
We will crack it.
We'll find a way.
And I have the highest confidence
in everyone in our club on our ability to learn and continues to improve.
I know you don't like talking about individuals too much, but how much pleasure.
Did the emergence of Phil Foden give you as a regular starter this season?
You know, Chris, with Phil, it's always special for
me because I remember very well the back end of
I think 2010.
I was at the academy and I was speaking to to Brian Marwood.
Back then, I was asking him about the talent I always like to know about
how the academy is doing and how the different age groups doing and
where is the talent and who look who to look out for.
So I remember distinctly this conversation with Brian, and he pointed out a player.
He was nine years old back then from Stockport.
Phil Foden and he pointed out to me.
We had a nice discussion, and then that's it.
It stayed in my in my head, and I remember over the years, whenever
I'm in the academy, whenever I'm always asking the question.
How's he doing?
How's it developing?
Brian had a very clear, almost prophetic view of the how Phil was gonna evolve
what he was gonna become over the years, given the talent that he saw and watching
it actually play out, You know, over the last almost 10 years is very fulfilling,
and certainly I'm very proud of what Phil has accomplished so far.
Many coaches have have helped him through this journey.
Brian, of course, in the beginning and Txiki on the football direction side.
But most important on the coaching side and now, over the last couple
years under the stewardship of Pep, he is really blossomed.
It's very promising.
I think we have a very special player here and more importantly he's
got the right mentality, and I think this is what's gonna make him.
Hopefully what we all expect him to be.
A very important player for this club
We just touched on this before in conversation and finally, last
weekend in the wake of the disappointment of the Champions League, it was great
to see Kevin De Druyne to become Premier League Player of the Season.
It was it was lost a little bit in the noise of the Lyon game.
But how much of a leader for the team has he become?
And how pleased were you for Kevin that you got that individual award?
I was very pleased, Chris.
Very, very pleased because it is so well deserved.
It was a combination of being pleased but also relieved.
I was worried because we've seen it.
in the past, unfortunately, some of the City players them being overlooked for
this very important award, and I was worried that Kevin would be overlooked
this year because he, in my view, it's was unquestionable.
My vote was clear.
Obviously it's subjective. But
Kevin is the best player in the league this year.
He's been and become an important leader of the squad.
He is really the future of Manchester City.
I guess leaders in football, as in business
come all shapes and sizes, don't they?
There are some inspired by the way they do.
Some inspired by the what they say.
Kevin's quite a shy and quite a quiet lad.
But I guess he leads by example.
Is that how you see him?
Absolutely.
He's what you see on the pitch, the work ethic, the
discipline of the hard work, and the quality.
Everything you see on the pitch is Kevin.
But at the same time, he's understated.
He's a leader, and all the players look up to him and see him as that.
So
I think we're very lucky to have Kevin.
The transfer.
Window is a bit different this year, and we've already
done two pieces of business in Ake and Torres.
Has the pandemic caused a rethink
On how much business we will do this summer?
I mean, you have to take that into consideration on that's part of that,
sensibility, that approach that we have to take.
But at the same time, you know my comment.
My position is clear.
We don't take a one year view.
We take a 3, 5, 10 year view, and when you look at what changes or improvements,
we have to make the squad, you know we're gonna make them when it comes to
the two acquisitions we've made Ake and Ferran Torres moved quickly
clearly these were our targets, and when the opportunity came, we were able
to come in very quickly and swiftly and do that business.
There are additional players that we will be bringing in, and we will stick
to the plan within the realities of the market that we live in today.
I mean, that's interesting news for the fans that
there will be more people coming in.
But is it a rebuild, or is it a recalibration of the squad?
You know, I don't like to use the words these words at the end of the day,
you know, every year we will see ultimately what the manager needs.
The work of the summer.
It doesn't start now.
We've been working for months in terms of clearly identifying the areas
of weakness in the areas that we need to improve and strengthen.
And that's you know, that's that's an intuitive process.
I know you're not gonna tell many names, but what type of player
in terms of age and profile are we looking for?
Well, Chris, if you look at the acquisitions
we've made over the last couple of years.
There's a consistency in terms of the type of player
that we have targeted - the age and quality.
So we will continue down that road and that for the first team is in the
20 to 25 year old category, that's kind of the spot that we like.
But at the same time, you know, I always the reason why I don't like to box myself with
this answer because sometimes opportunities come up that fit within what the manager
wants and with what we need for the squad that might be out of that box.
So nothing is set in stone.
We have clearly a set of targets that are well defined, but at the same time we're
pragmatic enough to take the opportunity if that opportunity comes up.
This is the bit I think
of the interview the fans are probably looking forward to the most
is the result from the UEFA change and the CAS appeal
It's obviously the big question Chairman of the
UEFA finding
and the subsequent CAS appeal.
How do you feel now It's over successfully?
And what's your general take on the whole situation?
Well, you know, Chris, we've talked about this last year and I've always
been relaxed about it because I'm confident in obviously what we've done.
And I'm confident that in a good process and a fair
process, you know, the truth will prevail.
But what I was most concerned about was the distraction that
this was putting upon all of us on the team specifically
because at the end of the day, all I care about is going
back to what we do best, which is playing football.
That's the focus.
It's about playing football.
It's about running our business.
It's about pushing forward and really having that focus to coach on that
and not having any distractions and that's really the most important
thing that I'm happy with right now is we can keep the destruction now
behind us and go back to focusing on what we do best.
Even so, though, have you been disappointed by the reaction, I guess, to the verdict from
certain people and I'm not gonna name them and I know you're not going to do.
But people listening to this interview will make their own minds up.
I mean, there's certainly been some whispering going on in some
quarters and some rather louder criticism.
So what's your response to that?
I'm not surprised.
I think football.
One of the most important things I learned is never
to be surprised in terms of the whispering.
And, you know, I think one thing I've never done is talk about other club's business.
It's not for me, and it's not for this club.
We're bigger than this and we just won't do it and I won't.
They can say whatever they want to say.
I'm gonna focus about talking about our business at the end of day.
I understand.
You know, there's people that don't like us.
There's clubs that don't like us.
I understand it's a competition.
Sports are very competitive, and I think what this the
team has done with this organisation is doing.
Is to disrupt football the way it was both played and conducted from a business
perspective over the last 12 years, we've disrupted that and always when you
do such a disruption you can have a lot of people that don't agree with it and
I understand that's the nature of the beast.
And it won't change the way we run things.
We're just gonna keep looking forward. His Highness
Sheikh Mansour is a very sensible, forward looking individual, and
I think his leadership with this his clarity in terms of guidance
to me over the years has helped me take the approach.
Let's say the relaxed mould that you see me in right now because that's when you
are comfortable in what you think and what you feel and where you're going.
You know it helps you.
It helps you have that clarity.
And in that sense, what other hopes for future
relations between between City and UEFA?
Are they damaged, or is it now gone?
Finished?
Done and a new era?
You know, Chris, life is too short to carry grudges.
You know.
It is an important competition.
It is one of the most prestigious competitions the world sports,
and it's a competition we want to win, and it's a competition
we have to respect in order for us to win it.
This was a challenge.
It's behind us end of story.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm now just focus on how to help this club compete
in this competition and win it and how to have a constructive relationship
with UEFA and I think that's the only way to go.