Hi Pep. Good afternoon. - Good afternoon.
I know you spoke about it a little bit on Wednesday after the game.
The quick recovery that you've got.
Are you ready to go, tomorrow night? Is the squad all fit?
Of course we are ready.
Of course.
At the end we need to, we need this type of challenge.
So when we won what we won, we were the team that everybody wants to beat.
And we need these difficulties for many, many reasons right now.
For the many important injuries that we have the calendar to play with a,
short, short recovery.
It is a challenge to prove ourself again, if you are able to
to do a step forward, never is it easy in sport.
And when you won what we won, we need that. At the end it’s,
we are in... it doesn't touch but that is what it is.
That is a step to see the team again do it and try and try it and try it in the,
in the not ideal situations.
So in football, in sport, always there are problems.
It is how you overcome
that define if you are a good team or not.
And I never do that.
But we need to have our people more, more more than ever, especially this season.
So we cannot be at the Etihad Stadium, just looking how good we are.
Because of what we have done. And tomorrow we need them.
8pm is a good time.
Before to take a beer after the game and we need since the first minutes
until the end the support because we play against an extraordinary team.
They continue to do it really well, for one or two seasons.
That they bought perfect players, suit perfect for the way they play.
See the game against Aston Villa defined perfectly who they are.
And when we don’t arrive, hopefully our people can help us to get it.
I want to ask you a little bit about Newcastle,
because so early on in the season, you had it almost last season as well at St James’ Park.
How good a test is Newcastle to see where you squad is at right now?
It’s a Champions League team.
If you are a team and you qualify for the Champions League for the next season.
It’s because you are a really, really good team.
And I think in the short time, with the takeover from Saudi Arabia,
People, in the short time, they put the team there.
And I have the feeling they are there to stay for a long, long, long time.
Nobody believed it last season, look what happened.
So and they continue with this
Eddie Howe, creating a fantastic, fantastic team for many reasons and transitions
in both possession, in the build up in and set pieces in everything.
They control everything. It will be a massive, massive test for us.
But yeah, we are there for that.
Afternoon Pep.
How good is Cole Palmer?
And if he stays, how much of a welcome will that be in terms of Kevin's injury
and helping the squad with what you've got in terms of challenges this season?
Well, it's not necessary to ask me about how good he is, otherwise he will not be here.
Second, he does not need to score two goals in two finals to realize how good it is.
I don’t define the player just for that.
Cole last season, or in the previous seasons, arrived at a moment that was extraordinary.
I remember a game in the FA Cup, he defined the game.
And after, [he] had an injury another injury, another injury, another injury, and could not be the,
you know and playing for Man City is not easy when you have Riyad, we have Bernardo,
we have a lot of players.
But of course right now he’s important.
So last season our
blazing midfielder was Kevin De Bruyne.
[He] will be four or five months out, and we have Gundo like he's not here anymore,
so we have to adjust a few things.
We are not in our best.
We are not our top.
That is normal we have to adjust just a few things, but the spirit is there.
Because we compete incredibly well against Arsenal.
We lost for a deflection
In the final, except for 10-15 minutes in the second half, when we lost our control against Sevilla,
and the rest of the game, we were there.
So I don't have doubts about there, but,
still we need time, to adjust a few things. With important players who are not here.
Will not be here.
And John is out, and Bernardo is out. And Ruben I don’t know.
And Joško arrived, the first minutes he didn’t train much against us.
A lot of principles, he still didn’t know it.
So yeah, we need time, a little bit of time.
But in the meantime, we have to try not to drop points.
And we are really pleased to, for the title we won.
For the first, we need just one, to complete the circle, in winter time.
We had the final the World Cup, if we are able, the club will have all the titles.
And this is a joy, a pleasure.
And tomorrow, yeah, Etihad Stadium full.
Stay with us please because we need them because we are not in our best best moment.
So especially in the bad moments, stay there. We need their noisy support.
And when they happen, they know. It’s the first time that we joined together after
FA Cup final against United and the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
After the Sevilla win, it is the first time we will come back.
And hopefully we can celebrate together,
during the game.
And on Newcastle, you mentioned they’re a Champions League team.
Are they a title contender and how good would it be to get a win tomorrow,
hopefully, to put your marker down again.
If they handle the three competitions this season,
The Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Premier League.
If they handle it well, they can compete.
But it's completely different when you play one game a week.
Or when you play four games a week.
But if they are able to handle it, of course they are contenders.
Pep, can I ask you about the Women’s World Cup. Obviously ahead of the final.
We've seen record attendances in the tournament so far.
Obviously, there's a hope that that translates to the WSL in this country, next year.
But I just wonder.
What’s been your observation of the growth of the women's game over the last few years?
... is great, is not just for the future women, girls, generations for the football.
I think they are right to stay what they have done since United States of America
with the many, many Megan Rapinoe, and other important figures.
They're demanding a position in the world football, that they deserve to be.
So see the stadiums in Australia helpful, see the semi-finals both the Spain,
and especially Australia as at home team, a local team, against England.
And it’s so nice, I can imagine all the 12, 13, 14, 15 year old girls.
Like they see now Russo, or Lucy Bronze, or
whole and all the, Kerr, all the fantastic human girls playing football. Maybe they dream to play there.
And as much the teenagers do sports, whatever it is is,
about many, many bad things in life.
So it's really, really good.
They make an incredible contribution for the future, for the women’s football.
Hopefully it will be a good final,
hopefully the best team wins, and I will be there on Sunday morning,
at 10 I think? 11. I will be there watching the final.
Can I ask who you'll be cheering for? England or Spain?
I’m supporting a few,
Spanish, Aitana Bonamtí is a footballer player
I am completely in love with her for the way they play.
I would say it is like the woman Iniesta.
So, playing Barcelona also made an incredible impact in the women’s team in football.
Of course I have some connections with,
with a lot of Barcelona, you know, how much it means to me.
But in the same time in England, I have I know
a few girls who play here, in Manchester City.
You know that, they are in the final.
So, in the finals I would love to see the better team win.
So, in the finals always I like the team who plays better.
Hopefully not unlucky then certain things can make an influence. In football, normally these things can happen.
But I’m pretty sure both teams they play really good.
And it’s impressive what England has done, you have to admit it.
What Serena has done with the team in the in the European Cup, I think last summer,
you know, at home winning and and now again a final that means you find,
that you are consistent you are there.
I'm very, personally, I'm very, very, very pleased.
That is a step
that hopefully the FIFA, the UEFA, the federations can support the humans.
It is nice is attractive to watch.
Because I see some actions that says, Wow, they play really good.
So some of them, they are really, really good.
The control, the passes, how they move.
How they have the strength, the power for genetic.
The woman is stronger for the women's, you know, for just for that detail.
But the rest, they play really, really good.
Hi Pep.
When you mention that the team needs some adjustments, does that excite you?
I mean, is it a problem or is it maybe the part of the job that demands
more creativity?
No it is not creativity. It is every year is depends what will happen.
Last season is completely different, even with the same players
last season even Gundo stay, or Kevin not injured, or everyone think maybe,
we should do some adjustments because the people know you.
The people have to find solutions like or something that you have done
And I’m pretty sure you have to do something differently.
What right now, I don't know,
because I will see the team what we have, the moments.
Important is that the spirit is there.
The guys are training really well, they compete, and,
and I know how happy they are
to, you know, every day we arrive here in the
in the training center, we open the door and we see the four trophies in front of us.
And you see the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup. Now the Super Cup.
Whilst saying, how nice is that, How difficult is that?
And we love it, we love to watch it and we want to continue, you know, to compete
in a now in a big, big problem and especially for this game but in general.
And but that is what it is.
So I don’t want to, I would love,
every manager would see the same in my position.
You know
People went to sleep at 4 a.m. in Greece.
We play at 10 p.m. At 4 a.m.
arrive recovery with 35 degrees, 40 degrees in Greece come back
arrive here late. Tomorrow’s the previous game, tomorrow [we have] a game.
Today we can not train. I will train but today is,
everyone in the pool everyone in the table massage nothing.
We're not going to do anything because we don't have time and we love one more day.
But okay, we accept it. This is a challenge.
You know, every month you will see the same, what is the challenge?
These are the problem. Difficulty.
That’s why we won.
Because we overcome all the time these kind of positions in winter time.
Always we had less time to recover in between the games.
On Boxing Day, know it’s the problem.
We have to go there and try it.
The more physical team and transition team in the Premier League right now alongside
Liverpool is Newcastle, we have to be incredibly careful in many things, but this is what defines.
Define the big teams. How we are competing with the problems.
When everything is good, everything is comfortable.
That is not the point.
The point is that is tomorrow. That's why
when we play
in Newcastle that cannot happen.
But we play at home in a home.
And at home I want to see our crowd.
A lot of noise. We need them.
We need them. More than ever.
Hi Pep.
Did you say that Stones and Dias are out tomorrow?
Stones, yes. Ruben, maybe he will be fit.
John is out, yeah.
Sorry? - What is the problem with John?
Muscular issue.
Last training, he felt not comfortable. I don’t know how long he will be out.