Guardiola on City latest, De Bruyne and breaking records in a difficult season
25/04/2025
CGA, Manchester, UK
25/04/2025
CGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everyone, hope you're well.
00:06Same process as ever with Mike's on either side of the room.
00:09Please bear in mind it's a Sunday embargo, so the open section will be busier.
00:13And we'll set the embargo for 10.30pm on Saturday evening.
00:16Somewhere to start?
00:19Afternoon, Bet.
00:20So, FA Cup semi-final again.
00:22It could be a third successive final as well.
00:25If you strip back all the trophies you've won, how much of an achievement is that?
00:33To play what? Final?
00:35If you're in a seventh successive semi-final, it could be a third successive final if you win.
00:41If you take all the trophies you've won away from it, how much of an achievement is that?
00:45It would be good to make the third, but you have a serious and tough, tough, tough rival to do it.
00:53And with the enthusiasm of Nottingham Forest people and fans, because it's a long time to play a semi-final FA Cup.
01:03And I know the support that they will have.
01:07But of course, it means the many years we have been there in this competition.
01:11I noticed the other night I had a kick-off that Rodri was in and around the dressing room and talking to the players
01:18and helping them just before they went out against Aston Villa.
01:21Even though he can't play, how much of a role is he having right now?
01:25I love that.
01:27I love that.
01:28All I say, the guys don't play, the ninjas.
01:30I allow them to be a manager.
01:32So the Rodri knows perfectly and he can help the guys there.
01:39It's the way we create the teams.
01:41It's bones.
01:42It's something special when the guys don't play or are injured.
01:45It can help the guys that are playing.
01:48Because everybody will enjoy next season being in Europe.
01:53And if they believe that it's just for the 11 players played, they are wrong.
01:58So I like it.
01:58I like it a lot.
01:59And finally, for me, Kevin De Bruyne said this week that it was the club's decision not to renew his contract.
02:07Just wanted to know why then the club didn't feel that it was worth keeping Kevin on.
02:13I said the reason why.
02:18Hi, Pep.
02:18Just on the injured players, is there any chance of Edison or any of the other injured players returning this weekend?
02:23We'll see.
02:24Eddie is coming back, training a little bit.
02:27But I don't know.
02:31We will be ready for this game, hopefully for the next one.
02:35Are there any new injuries or new issues at all?
02:38No.
02:41Hi, Pep.
02:42On Edison, there's been a bit of speculation about his future again.
02:46I know it's something we've heard before.
02:48Could he leave in the summer?
02:50What's the thinking from the club's point of view?
02:52I don't want to speak about the situation right now.
02:56About the possible situations personally.
02:58So we are really pleased for the victory in the last game.
03:03But we cannot forget that the games that our contenders have in hand, we can be fifth in the table.
03:10So there's many, many important games to play.
03:14We have a semi-final.
03:15I'm not going to talk about any personal situations right now.
03:20Will that be the key then?
03:22Once you know whether you'll be in the Champions League for certain next year, that's when you as a club will make those decisions?
03:28There's plenty of time for every single situation and every single player that they deserve to be dealt like they want for the benefit of them, the families, agents, club, and anything in the right moment.
03:39Now is not the right moment.
03:41Maybe internally the players can do whatever they want.
03:44But here is not the time.
03:48Can I just finish by asking about Erling Haaland?
03:50Obviously, Rodri being around the group was obviously a massive boost.
03:54What's Erling been like around the dressing room?
03:56He's getting better and he's injured and, of course, I always have been involved as well.
04:00So apparently he can be 10 more years here.
04:05So I'm pretty sure he wants more than anyone else to be in the Champions League next season.
04:12Forrest are having a dream season.
04:15They could come back to the Champions League after so long.
04:17Do you have any memories of that Brian Clough team?
04:21You didn't?
04:22I was so young.
04:23How do you see that season?
04:26Unbelievable.
04:27I know the history.
04:28I found years ago his son in the Fiat Cup or Carabao Cup.
04:32I don't remember.
04:33And we talk about his father.
04:35But I have done it.
04:35It's unbelievable.
04:36And I think English people know the character, personality, the press conferences, the way they play.
04:42So if they did it, what they have done, Brian Clough has done, what we have done, what Forrest has done is because they were a really, really good team.
04:51You cannot do it.
04:53No consecutive time to do it.
04:55And this Nuno Espirito Santo team is quite hard to break.
05:00They defend really well, counter-attack so fast.
05:03Yeah, Nuno has done incredible, I think, with balls, qualifying for the Europa League in Europe.
05:08And now with Nottingham Forest, always have done an unbelievable job.
05:10Always have been really, really tough.
05:12When I was involved now, and yeah, said, please defend.
05:17The commitment to defend.
05:18Always I said, when players defend that way, it's a huge talent.
05:22Always we consider the talent, the guys who have good skills, good passes, good goals.
05:26But I admire a lot the teams like defend with this spirit.
05:30We defend well is have a talent.
05:32And they have the commitment and, of course, a transition with the tough players at the front.
05:37So the owner, I think, invests with a top, with a top, top-class players, have a depper squad.
05:44And, yeah, it was promoted in the Premier League.
05:48And they invest a lot to them be relegated.
05:49And they did it.
05:50And now, look, the results are here.
05:56Hi, Pep.
05:57Another trip to Wembley.
05:58Are you still feeling the same buzz and excitement as you have done in previous years?
06:03For me, yeah.
06:05Especially with the season that we had.
06:07Yeah.
06:09And would a top-five finish and reaching another final, would that provide some sort of satisfaction
06:14because of the difficult season you've had?
06:16Or would it still be a disappointment for you?
06:17First, you had to read the final.
06:19First, and that's too much respect.
06:21The second one, I said many times the season has not been good.
06:25Regardless, we reach the final or we go to the Champions League.
06:28But, of course, we would avoid bigger damage, you know, for the club.
06:35And the season was not been good.
06:36So, from my point of view, what dictates what the season is good is the Premier League.
06:42Premier League all the time because it gives you, week by week, happiness, good momentum.
06:48And after the Mafia Cups, Champions League, it's more to keep us safe, not safe.
06:54Penalty miss, no miss.
06:56Make the difference.
06:57But the Premier League dictates how it has been in the season.
07:00It has been since it has not been good.
07:01But it could be worse at the same time, right?
07:04It could be worse.
07:06Not being in the fifth or fourth or third like now, it could be even worse.
07:10So, now we're in the positions in our hands.
07:13We have this incredible opportunity to be three in a row to the final in the FA Cup.
07:18Now they have a few days to play against Wolves.
07:22But, again, we received like Crystal Palace when we came here in the best month of the season.
07:25Five in a row, six games in a row in the Wolves.
07:28And after the half, yeah, long weeks.
07:30It depends on the final or not to prepare the last three, four games.
07:34And hopefully we can do it.
07:37Finally, just does the disappointment of the Premier League season
07:39then give you more fire to make it right next season?
07:44Next season will be better.
07:46I think everyone learned the lesson.
07:49So, next season, I think we'll compete in the Premier League
07:51and it will be better than the half in that season.
07:55Hi, Pat.
07:57Erling put on social media, sort of in back training with his boots on.
08:01Is he close to a return?
08:04It feels better.
08:05I said before, it feels better.
08:06But I don't know when.
08:07Because the injury is not a comfortable injury, I would say.
08:10You know, you have a put, some twist in your ankle and your knees
08:14and after, you know, taping or so on.
08:16But since it's not a comfortable, it's not a small guy,
08:23I would say completely the opposite.
08:24But it's getting better.
08:25Step by step, I still didn't train with the team.
08:27We'll see next day how horrible.
08:30So, it's just individual work for now?
08:33Yeah.
08:33Yeah.
08:33You said that just before about learning lessons.
08:40What lessons have you and the squad learned this year?
08:44We have to do better.
08:47To create another bound about the team, the spirit,
08:50like we recover.
08:53The celebration, we scored a goal.
08:54We scored a goal the first,
08:56Bernard Bernard scored a goal in the first minutes
08:58and the way we celebrated,
09:00we didn't celebrate that season.
09:02When we scored the first goal in October, November, December, January.
09:06We didn't celebrate in that way,
09:09the body language we celebrate.
09:10That is stupid detail.
09:13Say a lot.
09:14The passion that we had all the time
09:16and this season we didn't have.
09:19Did you notice that at the time?
09:20Or is that something you've looked back on now?
09:23Yeah, but we could not train.
09:24We had to have 13 players.
09:27Every three games,
09:27we could not recover.
09:28We are not the pace and energy
09:30that is necessary to have.
09:33Now we can compete.
09:34They compete.
09:36The best of the players,
09:37they have to feel they are not going to play.
09:39They have to feel it.
09:40I'm not going to play.
09:41And they could not feel it
09:42because we don't have players.
09:44We have six, seven, eight inches most of the time.
09:49And that was the biggest.
09:51It was another one,
09:52but there was the biggest issue.
09:54We could not train because recovery,
09:56we could not demand
09:56because they would not do it.
09:59I remember many times
10:00we were,
10:00ah, good, good, 65, 70 minutes.
10:02And after,
10:04we go down.
10:05Of course,
10:05you can make some changes
10:07and maybe Nico involved more
10:09or Macca involved more
10:10and I didn't do that.
10:12Always I reflect on that now.
10:13But at that time,
10:14maybe I didn't realize.
10:16So,
10:16always I put in front
10:17about what happened that season.
10:19But we have to recover
10:20that spirit
10:20that we had
10:21during nine years.
10:22The first season
10:22we didn't win,
10:23but we have an energy.
10:24We have new managers
10:25and so on this year
10:27did I have.
10:29Hi, Pep.
10:29You mentioned
10:30Rodri being in the dressing room
10:31earlier.
10:32If you get to the final,
10:33is there any chance at all
10:34he could get involved?
10:35I don't know.
10:36Is it training?
10:37Every training session
10:39is doing with us.
10:40So,
10:43it's doing really well,
10:44I would say.
10:46But,
10:47yeah,
10:49I don't know.
10:50To be honest,
10:51I don't know.
10:52Rodri wants,
10:53but the doctor
10:54is going to tell me,
10:55Pep,
10:55you have a green light
10:56to give you some minutes
10:58or so on.
11:00I wouldn't rely
11:01with the doctors
11:02in that case.
11:04And also,
11:05Pep,
11:05if you got to the cup final,
11:06it'd be one of Kevin's
11:07last games for the club.
11:08How special would it be
11:09for him
11:09to sort of lift
11:10the trophy?
11:12Of course it would be.
11:14He approved,
11:15so,
11:15the amount of minutes
11:17he played
11:17since announced
11:18that
11:22he's the last month
11:25here in Manchester City
11:26the commitment
11:27he's playing.
11:28Yeah,
11:28it would be good.
11:29Pep,
11:30you and the team
11:32have built up
11:32such an aura
11:33over so many years
11:35and so many trophies,
11:37so many league titles,
11:39you know,
11:39largely
11:39undefeated
11:42at the Etihad.
11:43Obviously,
11:43this season,
11:45you know,
11:45you've shown
11:45you actually
11:46can be got out
11:47and you can be vulnerable.
11:49How difficult
11:51is it going to be
11:51to get that aura back
11:53and can winning
11:54the FA Cup
11:56start that process again,
11:58start your move
11:58back towards that?
11:59the FA Cup win
12:02is not
12:02not
12:03not give you
12:06the certainty
12:07to come back
12:08what we were.
12:11Title is entitled
12:12to this lead
12:13is already forgotten.
12:15It's recover
12:15what we were
12:16and that is the title
12:18is the number.
12:19Okay,
12:19we'll be happy
12:20for our fans
12:21for ourselves
12:22because we compete
12:22to win.
12:23That's obviously
12:23it would be nice
12:24to finish in that way
12:25to take a little break
12:27before we go
12:28to the World Cup
12:29but as I said
12:30I will not change
12:31so the analysis
12:31has not been
12:32to how many trophies
12:33you win or win
12:33when you are not
12:34performing like we were
12:35in terms of
12:36and everything
12:37and what happened down
12:38can happen, right?
12:39So it happened
12:40to all the teams
12:41in the world
12:41not just Man City.
12:43It was surprised me
12:44the Mises
12:44in eight years
12:45to arrive
12:46in that stage
12:47so it can happen.
12:48Even with that
12:49now we are third
12:50in the table
12:51so the damage
12:52was not good
12:53but it was not
12:54but maybe
12:56for the public opinion
12:57or for everyone
12:58they were not vulnerable
12:59of course
12:59we were vulnerable
13:01even when we win
13:02they are not
13:02the perfect teams
13:03but for many reasons
13:05I said thousands
13:05million times
13:06in this press conference
13:07there are reasons
13:08why we dropped
13:08maybe unexpectedly
13:10too much
13:11and I had the feeling
13:13that next season
13:14we'll be better
13:15we'll compete better
13:17we'll be more
13:18who we are
13:19and I'm talking
13:20I'm not talking
13:20saying that
13:21we're going to win
13:22the Premier League
13:22or we're going to
13:23arrive last stages
13:24Champions League
13:25or the Fiat Cup
13:25or Caraba Cup
13:26I'm not talking
13:27about that
13:27because we'll have
13:29holidays
13:29we'll have recovered
13:30and I don't know
13:30how we'll react
13:31but I think
13:32I think
13:32that I know
13:35the players
13:35even then
13:36realize that
13:37what they have to do
13:38to be a decent team
13:40you know
13:41so I think
13:43Austin Villa
13:44came here
13:44with the last 11 games
13:45won 10
13:46so
13:47in Villa Park
13:49against PSG
13:51what a way
13:53to defeat
13:53what a way
13:57to lose the games
13:58against Madrid
13:59for example
13:59here
14:00last season
14:01or previous season
14:02against Tottenham
14:03and this kind of things
14:04that is
14:05the way
14:06I want to
14:06lose
14:07and I think
14:08Aston Villa
14:08have to be proud
14:09of that
14:10and against the team
14:12like you feel
14:12when you are there
14:13how good they are
14:14we were there
14:15we competed
14:15we didn't concede much
14:18and we weren't stable
14:19with a good spirit
14:20and good
14:21have a good spirit
14:23have a good passion
14:24desire
14:25not tactics
14:25forget about it
14:26have this
14:27humble behavior
14:29to defend
14:30your club
14:31and your position
14:31just have a big
14:32big talent
14:33and
14:34and I'm pretty sure
14:35we had
14:36and we will have again
14:36we will have again
14:38because I know
14:38the players
14:39the club
14:39and we will back again
14:40thank you