Guardiola admits increasing squad size is not financially viable as he struggles to turn City around
13/12/2024 embargoed until 14/12/2024
CFGA, Manchester, Uk
13/12/2024 embargoed until 14/12/2024
CFGA, Manchester, Uk
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00:00When results aren't going your way, when times are maybe tougher than usual,
00:06it's always the manager who is called on to inspire the players.
00:11Where do you turn to for your inspiration? Where do you get yours from?
00:17A good question. For my closest people, I would say.
00:23And reflect a lot and think a lot.
00:26I think what people think about what happens is necessary.
00:30I think all the managers, not right now in my case,
00:34you are alone in the decisions.
00:36You can share opinions and listen to opinions,
00:39but in the end it's you and your decisions you have to make.
00:43But ultimately it comes down on you, doesn't it?
00:45Yeah, that's why I am well paid.
00:51If I don't want that, if I don't want what happens, all the comments after the game,
00:55I have to get it off and I have to go to another job.
00:58It's not new.
01:00I didn't expect that the good moments would happen in the past,
01:04give me time in the bad moments.
01:06Never, ever happened in any manager in all the history.
01:10There's a reason, but I'm calm because I know the reason why when we were winning,
01:15I know the reason why we are losing.
01:17I don't know, all of you.
01:19The people don't know the reason how I want to ask to know exactly why we are losing.
01:23I know it because I'm there and I know the process and things that,
01:27of course, you don't have to know it.
01:29So this is the truth.
01:31So that's why I'm aware of how is the team for the circumstances
01:34and many little details how we are playing.
01:36It's not enough.
01:38I know that the players are not stupid.
01:40They know it.
01:42They taste the highest level in consistency.
01:46It doesn't matter what happens, always we found a way to win the games.
01:50Now we don't have the way to win the games.
01:52Even playing good moments or bad moments, we don't have it.
01:55So they crossed the halfway, you went to six times.
01:58Six times.
02:00Six times they crossed the halfway.
02:02So away in Champions League, the biggest English team there.
02:05So it's quite good.
02:07But it's not enough.
02:08We defend poorly.
02:10In attack, we are right there.
02:11Come on, shoot.
02:12We don't shoot.
02:13So, of course, we have to do many good things.
02:15The players know it.
02:16Of course, we have to improve.
02:18So it's not defense.
02:19It's the results.
02:20I don't have defense.
02:21We don't have defense.
02:22How you sustained the last nine games, you lost seven.
02:25A team when we win the season,
02:27maybe to lose seven games in one season didn't happen.
02:29And now another half happened.
02:31But it's football.
02:32It's life.
02:33I was thinking about that.
02:34It didn't happen.
02:35No.
02:36You tell me a month ago when we were top of the league and beaten,
02:38the only English team and beaten,
02:39we're going to lose the next nine, seven.
02:41Are you crazy?
02:42It's not going to happen in my team.
02:43It's happened.
02:44And maybe we can lose more.
02:46When you go through periods like that,
02:48I don't know if you've ever been through a period,
02:49but when you go through dips,
02:50does that make the good times even better when you come out and you're winning?
02:54Because I suppose if you're winning all the time.
02:56I know the people better.
02:59I know who they are wearing behind the scenes and how they come up.
03:02So, yeah, that's for sure.
03:03But the important is how we are inside,
03:06how the players feel and the staff.
03:10There is one thing when I would say,
03:13Pep, you have to think about it.
03:16It's when I lose the team.
03:18When I feel they don't run,
03:19I feel for everybody knows the manager,
03:21I lost the team.
03:23They don't follow me.
03:24In that moment, no one more minute will be here.
03:28But the moment is there.
03:32More than ever, I am there.
03:34More than ever.
03:35There's no doubt about that.
03:37And that can happen for the results,
03:38can happen for the style of direction,
03:40can happen because we are tired from many things.
03:43And I said one month ago, it should happen.
03:45And it should happen for one reason,
03:47the schedules for the injuries.
03:49I don't know what happened with all the players there.
03:52With Rodri there.
03:53Most of the problems are being there,
03:55with Phil there, with Oscar there,
03:56with the four central defenders there.
03:58I don't know what the position that would be.
04:00I imagine what it would be.
04:02I cannot prove it, right?
04:04Nobody knows what will happen.
04:06But I think it will be a better team.
04:08Everybody knows, I think.
04:10Just for the fact what happened in the past.
04:12But the reality is completely the opposite.
04:14Sometimes, sometimes it happens.
04:16Put an example.
04:18So, Liverpool were seven for the Europa League qualifier
04:21when many injuries happened.
04:23So, all that matters depends on the quality of the players.
04:26I'm not special.
04:27I didn't feel special before.
04:29Not now.
04:30But I don't feel bad now.
04:32Because always I make a contract with a football player.
04:35This business belongs to the players.
04:37And we are here to support them.
04:38But now, for the problems we have,
04:40it is a schedule.
04:41Crazy ones.
04:43So, why is Inger Rodriguez?
04:45He played 75 games last season.
04:47When I finished, I was on holiday.
04:49He was the Euro to win the Euro with Spain.
04:51And Inger with Spain and come back.
04:53And one game, two games.
04:55Do you know being fresh in the ACL?
04:57No.
04:58I promise.
04:59Strong is Rodriguez.
05:01But come back tired.
05:03Not on the top.
05:04But I need him against Inter.
05:05I need him against Arsenal.
05:06Not being on the top.
05:07You are not strong enough.
05:09And unfortunately it happens.
05:11And unfortunately it happens.
05:12The reason why?
05:13The schedule.
05:14Give you one month and a half, two months holidays.
05:16Give to Rodri.
05:17Two months holidays.
05:18After Euros.
05:19Like NBA.
05:20Three months they have.
05:21Four months they have.
05:22Tell them.
05:23It will be perfect.
05:24And I have to play 80 games if you want.
05:25But give three months.
05:27But next season.
05:28Next season, Manchester City.
05:30Or Chelsea already has a squad.
05:34There have to be 30 players.
05:3525, 30.
05:37How you sustain the club?
05:38That's economically, financially.
05:40We don't have revenue next season.
05:41Impossible.
05:44Impossible.
05:45Why we have revenue this season?
05:47We sell a lot of players.
05:49The academy especially.
05:50A lot.
05:51Julián and the other ones.
05:52A lot.
05:54Combine the financial and the demands for the team.
06:00It's tough.
06:01We would like to have 70, 80, 90 players.
06:03Financially, the conductor for the team is perfect.
06:06Today in the modern football it's impossible.
06:09Impossible.
06:10Even with 22, 23 years old, the young ones.
06:14In one team we say, no, because we work differently.
06:17We work perfectly in the preparation, physical preparation.
06:20No, because our nutrition is more special than the other clubs.
06:23No, because our beds are tough to rest.
06:28You see that, yeah?
06:29Next year, seven injuries.
06:31Doing the same.
06:34The schedule.
06:35Don't look at another way.
06:37Impossible.
06:40Pep, we can see your determination to turn this thing around,
06:43the way you're speaking now.
06:45When you get City back with an Olympic trophy,
06:48do you feel it's only your greatest achievements
06:50because you've come from this low?
06:52Or will it just be another one?
06:54The greatest achievement has already been done.
06:58I'm sorry.
07:00We have been the best.
07:02And we are not the best because we don't have the players.
07:04We don't have the players.
07:05Otherwise, Liverpool, we would be close, my friends.
07:09Close.
07:10But now we realise how difficult it was, what we have done.
07:14And when we come back, of course.
07:17When we come back, of course, we will be...
07:19Wow.
07:20We will not forget that moment.
07:23Because we want it and we do it and we are not able.
07:26We don't have defence, my friends.
07:28We don't have.
07:29We lose too many games.
07:30And when that happens,
07:32all the criticisms and the first judge deserve it.
07:38But I have to analyse a little bit the reason why.
07:40And there are moments that...
07:41Because another issue, there are things that I need to train.
07:45I need to practise.
07:46For the players to improve, I need to practise.
07:50When?
07:54Normally, when you have a game, the day after recovery,
07:56and they train the players like they didn't play the day before.
08:01They have seven, eight players, nine, the academy come.
08:04One player half.
08:06I have one player.
08:09So I don't have...
08:10We don't have time to practise all the mistakes that we have.
08:12We have a lot of mistakes, but we don't have time.
08:14With the video, the video is not enough.
08:16You have to practise.
08:17You have to...
08:18To be a writer, it's not necessary to read the books.
08:21You have to practise to write a novel.
08:25At least, unless you are William Shakespeare,
08:27after that, you don't need anything.
08:31Pep, this might be a short answer,
08:33but I just wondered, with all the problems that you're having,
08:35and you've explained,
08:36if you have any regrets at all or second thoughts
08:38about signing your contract extension?
08:41Absolutely not.
08:42I will regret leaving now.
08:45I could not sleep.
08:46Even worse than now, that I think now I'm leaving
08:48and leave the situation.
08:49Impossible.
08:51They will sack me.
08:52That can happen.
08:54But leaving now?
08:55No chance.
08:57If my boss, Khaldun, is not happy with me,
08:59they can do it.
09:01But leaving now in that position?
09:03No chance.
09:05No, no, no.
09:07Do you want to leave on top like Fergie did?
09:09No, no, no.
09:10Not even that.
09:11When I feel it's time to leave, I will leave.
09:13Not because I'm here or there.
09:15No, no, no.
09:16What we have done, we have done it.
09:18Satisfaction to do it, it's done.
09:20I don't have any, I would say, target to make my life
09:24or my tenure here, or my time here,
09:26completely different.
09:27Impossible.
09:29I leave tomorrow, I leave in a bit.
09:31I've been the best in this club.
09:34I will never, never, ever forget.
09:37No, no, no.
09:38I will not leave until I win another Premier League
09:40or Champions League.
09:41No, no, no.
09:42It's done.
09:43It's accomplished.
09:44The way we have played, the numbers and everything,
09:46always will remain.
09:47But now, in that situation, I could not leave.
09:50I could not leave.
09:51Of course, you have to do many things to do.
09:53To go to the market in the right moments,
09:54maybe in winter, or the other one, or the other one.
09:57For the reason I said, to make a better squad,
10:00for they compete each other,
10:02to outcome the best of every player competing,
10:04you know, during the week as enemies
10:08and the weekend as friends, against the opponents.
10:11So, that is for sure.
10:13But, listen, if I'm losing, and losing, and losing,
10:17and losing, one month more of losing,
10:19at the end I will say,
10:20it took someone else to fix these kind of things,
10:23because it cannot be eternal.
10:25Because, I said, you have to be honest.
10:29Still, I didn't feel, you know, to be, you know,
10:33get you off of my job,
10:34because we have done it in the past.
10:35So, I don't know if in a big, big club,
10:38in a big, big club,
10:39in the last nine games, lose seven,
10:40I don't know if I have the confidence that I have
10:42right now for all the departments.
10:44But it happened because we have done.
10:46And recently, the players and the club know
10:48the situation is completely exceptional
10:50for many, many reasons.
10:52But, I think, I'm not stupid to know that
10:57a lot of games lose and you have to do it better
11:01and you have to win.
11:03But, we try it.
11:05Every day we try it, but it's not enough.
11:08Thank you, guys.