Pep Guardiola spoke at a lengthy, press conference under embargo about Vincent Kompany’s possible transfer to Bayern Munich to take over as head coach.
After winning the Premier League title for the fourth time in a row last weekend, Manchester City has the chance to win their fourth trophy of the season in the season’s final domestic match.
In the current campaign, City has already won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. They now have the opportunity to make history by being the first team to win the domestic double in consecutive seasons.
Pep Guardiola has talked about a lot of topics in the run-up to Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup final against Manchester United, including the possibility of being naked without his players, the ironic value of alcohol, and Vincent Kompany.
This is the complete transcript of Pep Guardiola’s pre-Manchester United press conference from the City Football Academy on Friday afternoon, including the section that was under embargo!
Regarding Bayern Munich and Vincent Kompany
“I’m not sure, isn’t it not confirmed? If this is true, I’m pleased that Bayern and Vinny are connected. I have a very strong opinion about Vinny, regardless of Burnley’s relegation.
“I had a high standard opinion about his work and as a person because of his personality, his knowledge of the game, his handling of the media, and many other factors, which is what I felt when I played against him and I know him a little bit.
“I love that club, I’m in love with Bayern Munich for many, many reasons, especially the people that are still there, and I would love for them to make the best choice. And maybe they’ll be able to choose wisely. We will provide them with unwavering support if they think Vinny from Manchester City is the best choice.
Regarding the primary distinction he perceives between Manchester United and Manchester City
“I’m not sure. Don’t ask me these questions because I can easily respond to them now. Since I’m not there, I’m not sure. I want to be completely honest in my response. However, I’m not present. Thus, I’m not sure. so that I can discuss who we are, which is clear.
I have stated repeatedly that even though we make mistakes along the way—from above, there, up there, to here—we never give up and keep going. We have faith in our actions. It’s impossible for all signings and decisions to be successful.
“Every club in the world makes a poor choice, but it doesn’t matter if you complain afterwards; it’s just OK to try the same thing again. And you are dependable when that occurs. And finally, a little bit of luck to win the titles in the end with the tiny, tiny margins.
“As Bernardo Silva so eloquently put it these days, we were extremely unlucky many times in the Champions League and occasionally we had luck in the Premier League. Accept it and move on—this is football. And this, in my opinion, is the cause.
Naturally, it helps that there have been a lot of changes since I’ve been here, including the CEOs, chairman, sporting director, and manager for a long time. Many individuals from our departments have undergone significant changes at HQ. However, the concept is extremely similar. We remain there because of this.
“We are accustomed to it. Starting in September or October, we plan to win the Premier League and the Champions League by a margin of 25 points. Each year, in the most recent years. “Well, that’s correct,” I said. You say it’s boring, though. It’s not boring when you win by one or two points, as was the case with Liverpool and Arsenal on numerous occasions.
Yes, it’s boring, I would say if you told me that we win by 15 or 20 points every season. However, that is not going to occur. So, it is accustomed to them. Because we lead United by 31 points, people assume that it will happen and they also predict that it will be simple.
“I know that, but that’s just one game, another competition. We know we can lose a game, but it can also be 10 against 11. Poor choices and errors can occur, and you can lose the game. We have been superior to United for a considerable amount of time; the years have proven this *claps hands*. We attend every game. However, in a single game? Anything is possible.
The players are aware of it and feel it, so hopefully we’re prepared to play the final game of the campaign. And here’s the FA CUP to try! The FA Cup is, oh, so good! Because it’s the FA Cup, it merits our undivided attention.
On if he thought the championship game of the previous season was a very close match
There were times like that. After (Ilkay) Gundo’s early goal gave us a great start, we enjoyed a nice period of play, and then they equalized. We played really well and scored the second goal in the second half.
“We had a chance to score the third, and in the final moments, they deployed numerous players in attack alongside Scott McTominay.” I recall everything clearly: in the final minutes, we battled on free kicks, corners, and long balls. However, we handled it well in the end. To be honest, I thought we deserved to win that game.
“It’s history, regardless of one’s perspective on that. However, it’s the last one, so we had our moments, and they had their moments. However, we played a solid final overall.
No, it’s actually pretty similar. Naturally, we were considering Inter Milan a little bit, but we were also aware that we were taking it seriously. We were, to put it mildly, worn out last season. We were mentally worn out from the previous season’s games because we didn’t play semi-finals between Nottingham Forest, Fulham, or other teams of that caliber, and we lost to Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.
That therefore benefits us in the Premier League. I’m not sure how we would have responded or behaved in the event that we advanced to the Champions League. However, I believe we arrive in a positive attitude and have trained exceptionally well over the last two to three days. We could play poorly and end up losing; I’m not sure.
However, I get the impression that after the Premier League, we will eat lunch and then board a train with the intention of staying put. In other words, I don’t think we’ll already be cut off after the game. I feel as though we are still there.
Regarding if he still experiences genuine excitement before matches in his stomach
“It is undeniable that there is an extremely positive and upbeat vibe in the offices. People laugh a lot, but they pay close attention when working. It’s typical. I prefer to be with the players to celebrate and enjoy their Premier League victory, so I don’t want to worry too much.
“But I think it’s going to happen; tomorrow we’ll have the butterflies, we’ll have what they do, we’ll have the good decisions, how the players feel, and all the questions you have before the game.”
No, it’s not. I always get the impression that this is an exception, that winning the Premier League makes you an exception, and that other people have different perspectives. I always feel like it’s so hard to win away from Spurs, that we have to win at home against Newcastle, that we have to win against Luton right then, and that playing in the FA Cup final is an exception. It’s always hard to get here.
“I never take it for granted. We can lose every game and win it at the same time, which is why we respect our opponents so much and take it seriously. I never, ever feel like it doesn’t matter because there is only one game. Not at all. When you get to the finals, you think, “Wow, this is a privilege to be here again.” Many successful teams used to take things for granted; now, however, things are harder. “What you have done, to arrive in the finals, is always difficult,” I tell the players every time. And I don’t think otherwise.
Regarding the significance of the FA Cup knockout matches for the growth of Oscar Bobb and Jeremy Doku
“Each person possesses unique abilities and attributes, and we require certain, particular things. Every player is aware that we got here together and that each person contributed differently—some more than others, but we all know that. However, it occurs in every season, with every manager, and with every team that certain players are more significant than others.
“Everyone shows up together. When you look at the minutes from Julian Alvarez and Mateo Kova, you can see how important the players were in helping us get where we were. They also feel as though they have greatly aided us and contributed to our cause. When we win, there are always certain players—two, three, the manager—in the highlights. That’s okay; that’s just the way things work.
However, we are aware on the inside of how many, many, many crucial players there are for us; even though they aren’t highlighted, their significance was demonstrated in a big way.
It’s a good question because sometimes you do the same thing and you get a lot of injuries, but I believe that we controlled extremely well in the past few years. We have Lorenzo Bonaventura, I believe; he is a master at telling me, “Pep, it’s soup day.” Hot soup, garage, and soup. Avoid doing. These days, we occasionally need to make a small increase.
“Since we have been playing together for 60 matches up until the final stages every three days for many, many years, we are accustomed to playing for many, many years.” And as we all know, sometimes training is insufficient—just a little bit—but maintaining energy for the game is crucial. And second, we have the most amazing department of physicians and physiotherapists.
They spend 60 or 70 hours here. Making a massage takes more than 20 minutes; it takes hours and hours, mornings and afternoons. Leave it to the players to finish the job. Furthermore, the players themselves are always a part of themselves. They go out frequently, go to bed at three or four, exercise regularly, sleep soundly, eat well, train well, and consume large amounts of alcohol—these kinds of things are invisible to the naked eye but are incredibly significant.
Additionally, I get the impression that everyone is intensely focused on maintaining their physical fitness. Because you can have an abundance of strategies, ideas, and other things. What can you do if you don’t have the players? I’m not dressed! I’m nude at that precise moment! That is the reality. Our departments are amazing.
“That is the reason why, as I mentioned previously, when we discuss the group, the team, and the organization. Therefore, every department works together to improve and discover what they can do even better. Large teams also have an infrastructure that depends on the club rather than on me; without it, you cannot survive. Maybe once a week.
I’m going to be on vacation starting on Monday. However, these players—roughly 70–80% of them—join the national teams. Erling (Haaland), Oscar (Bobb), Sergio (Gomez), Matheus (Nunes), and that’s it. We have an academy and four or five players when I start the preseason, or at least that’s how I started thinking about it yesterday. Rico (Lewis), Stefan (Ortega), and maybe five or six other players play. No more Scott (Carson).
Taking this group of seven or eight players on tour, and then Community Shield when we get here in four or five days! And the majority won’t be present for the Community Shield. Additionally, there are the Olympic Games, which some players may wish to compete in, as well as the Copa America and European Cup. For this reason, you cannot survive at all if the players fail to follow these guidelines or if this structure is lacking. It’s not feasible.
Additionally, all of our physiotherapists, including Tom and Hannah, are excellent, and our dietitians, Max and Edu, are absolutely fantastic. And those small details help you stay in shape so you can use them and participate in competitions.
“No, without a doubt. We can play in a variety of ways, and I need to consider it. They all want to play and are in good shape, so I have to make a decision. I’ve made up my mind mostly, but I have some reservations about the training. We will discuss our options with the staff tomorrow.
But it occurs frequently. Playing every three days, I never come here with a 100% decision made, only occasionally. I always have the final night to consider it, and I usually choose the team the day of the game.
