Guardiola focussed on Leverkusen and refuses to discuss Newcastle defeat as Rodri out

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Guardiola focussed on Leverkusen and refuses to discuss Newcastle defeat as Rodri out   24/11/2025  CFGA, Manchester, UK

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon, everyone. Hope you're well.

00:01Same process as ever, please.

00:02Please raise your hand if you have a question.

00:05With mics on each side of the room, we'll take questions in English first,

00:07followed by any questions from German media.

00:10Someone start?

00:17Hi, Pep. I just wonder if you can update on the team news, please.

00:20How's Rodri for a start?

00:22Not for tomorrow.

00:26Kovacic, how is he progressing?

00:27Not for tomorrow.

00:28Anybody else?

00:30Everybody for tomorrow.

00:37Hi, Pep.

00:38I mean, in terms of Rodri, do you have a time when you expect him back?

00:42Not long.

00:43Not sure, but not long.

00:46We're in the process, in the timing that he will be back,

00:50and when he will be back, we'll wait a little, little bit more

00:53to be sure that he's fine.

00:56And on a different note, I mean, with Gen. Luigi Donnarumma,

00:59he's got several bookings for dissent this season.

01:03He obviously didn't agree with the Newcastle goal,

01:07but I mean, do you have to talk to him about talking to referees,

01:11or do you just let him get on with it?

01:14He has to defend his position.

01:16He's a book, he's a book.

01:17Because he's a couple of bookings away from a Premier League back.

01:20James will play.

01:26Pep, there was evident frustration among the group at the end of that Newcastle game.

01:30How easy is it for that to be, to get that out of the system, I suppose,

01:36because you've got a game so quickly coming up, a big game in Europe?

01:39No, it's immediately forgotten.

01:43The night, a little bit, a little bit thought about what happened,

01:49but it's massively important.

01:52So we have a half of our way in the group stage.

01:57We make an incredible good, the four games.

02:00We've got even, again, the Monaco, we play outstanding.

02:03And now we start the second, the last four games,

02:07two at home, two away tomorrow.

02:10Third in the table in Bundesliga.

02:12Massively important game to finish what we want to finish,

02:17in the first eight, and, of course, winning tomorrow

02:19and one more point will be already qualified for the next round

02:23in front of the 23 or 24 teams.

02:26Like, last season was in the first half in the Bruges game,

02:31last one we're out.

02:32So that's why tomorrow is important and focus is what you have to do.

02:37And is this group good at moving on from disappointment

02:40from your experience?

02:41There's lots of players you've been with for a long time.

02:44We have to.

02:48I don't know who will be there, but we have to.

02:51What happened in the past doesn't count.

02:55It's your 100th Champions League game in charge of Manchester City tomorrow.

03:00How do you reflect on that achievement

03:02and in reaching another milestone in your coaching career?

03:05I realise I'm getting old.

03:07Every weekend it's a millistones and millistones.

03:09So, it's quite good.

03:11It means that every season we have been there.

03:14So, the only team in England for the last 19 years,

03:16every season we have been there

03:17and hopefully next season we'll be there too.

03:20So, yeah, it's a huge competition.

03:22So nice, special for the players.

03:24They love it.

03:25Managers and everyone.

03:25And to challenge yourself for the best teams in Europe

03:28is an incredible, huge experience for the club.

03:33In terms of reputation, prestigious and financial issues

03:36it's massively important.

03:39The victory in 2023 will be the highlight, I guess.

03:43Are there any matches in that period

03:45which still keep you up at night?

03:48Which you think, oh, what could have been?

03:50Yeah, there are, I would say, more disappointments.

03:55I would say that good moments.

03:57You know, there have been a good moment

03:58especially in the group of stages.

03:59We have been top every season

04:01except last season for a new format.

04:04But before it was always,

04:05before one or two games over we were qualifying.

04:07And after, yeah, more moments in quarterfinals,

04:11semifinals for, you know, little margins,

04:13last minutes and decisions and decisions

04:16and decisions that we cannot control.

04:17We are out and have a lot.

04:20But of course, I've been a top experience,

04:22good moment by moment.

04:23I had to find a team, a club and a sporty staff.

04:26So not everything is a flower's road

04:30and everything is easy and comfortable.

04:32It's part of who we are.

04:33We are built as a team, as a club

04:35and important we live it.

04:39That is what remains.

04:41Hi, Pep.

04:42You could come up against Claudio Echeverri tomorrow.

04:45Obviously, he's on loan at Bayer Lovacuz

04:46and he didn't get on at the weekend.

04:48He's not played a lot of minutes this season.

04:50Is that a worry for you,

04:51that he's not really involved there

04:53and not getting game time at Bayer Lovacuz?

04:55Always we love that the players alone

04:58play a lot of minutes.

04:59The intention is always there.

05:00We have an incredible appreciation.

05:05Appreciation about him as a football player

05:07and what happened in Lovacuz.

05:08You have to ask, I don't know,

05:10because I'm not beating Paul,

05:11but I didn't speak with him.

05:13And I'm pretty sure his agent

05:14will know everything than everyone.

05:17If he doesn't play much,

05:18would you look to potentially bring him back in January?

05:20Because a 19-year-old, I guess,

05:21the idea is he needs to play games.

05:23It's a question for his beautiful agent.

05:27Chris.

05:30Hi, Pep.

05:30At the end of the game on Saturday,

05:32you went on the pitch and spoke to Bruno.

05:34It's something you do quite regularly,

05:36speak to opposition players

05:37at the end of games

05:38that other managers don't seem to do.

05:41I was just thinking,

05:41what is your thinking behind

05:42why you do that a lot?

05:45We know from Bruno for many, many years.

05:47Every time you and Nt had,

05:48after the game, in the tunnel,

05:50or wherever, always we talk.

05:51Always.

05:52I don't know what happened.

05:52Always our path is crossed

05:56and I have always a good relation with him.

05:59But you've done it with other players

06:00maybe that you don't know as well.

06:02I was just thinking,

06:03while you do it,

06:05go on the pitch and speak to them.

06:06I love it.

06:08I'm an emotional guy

06:09and I love to talk

06:10and I move my hands

06:12and my arms and everything.

06:14Just picking up what Chris just said,

06:16would you care

06:17if an opposition manager

06:18came up to your players

06:19and did that in the postgame?

06:21Would it be fine by you?

06:23No.

06:24As much as we talk on respect

06:25as always I've done.

06:26There's no problem.

06:27Just with regard to that incident,

06:29an incident with the cameraman.

06:30By talking to the referees

06:31or an incident with myself?

06:33I'm sorry?

06:34We talk about the incidents

06:35for the referees

06:36or incidents for myself?

06:37Well, I was talking specifically

06:38about the Bruno Gumarres.

06:40Friday.

06:40Friday in Premier League

06:41we talk wherever you want.

06:42Friday before Leeds.

06:44So I don't quite understand

06:45because the referee

06:45wasn't involved

06:46with the Bruno Gumarres incident,

06:47was he?

06:47When you talked to him?

06:48The referee was involved

06:49in 95 minutes.

06:5198 minutes.

06:51He was involved.

06:52My God, he was involved.

06:54On Friday we talk, yeah.

06:55Right.

06:56So is that what you said

06:56to Bruno,

06:57it was the referee sort of?

06:58No.

06:59Okay, so just moving on.

07:00With regard to that incident

07:01and the cameraman incident

07:03when you sort of...

07:03I apologize.

07:04Yes, I was going to ask you,

07:05is too much made of this stuff

07:07because as you just said,

07:08just after the game

07:09you're a passionate guy,

07:10you're a winner.

07:11I apologize.

07:12Is it a sort of

07:13who cares sort of thing

07:14in a way?

07:14These things happen

07:15and you just move on.

07:16Is that the best way

07:17to sort of look at it?

07:18No, I feel embarrassed,

07:20ashamed when I see it.

07:20I don't like it.

07:21I apologize for the camera

07:22after one second.

07:24That's what I'm asking.

07:26Do you even need to?

07:28Because it just happens

07:28on these things.

07:29I am who I am.

07:30Even in 1,000 games

07:31I'm not a perfect person.

07:32I make a huge mistake.

07:33So it's not about that

07:35but I don't regret it.

07:36What is for sure?

07:37I defend my team

07:37and my club.

07:39That's for sure.

07:40The reason why

07:41is I want to defend

07:42my team and my club.

07:44That is no doubt

07:44because from my experience

07:47to win the Premier League

07:48I have to do 100 points

07:49and 98 points.

07:52Otherwise,

07:52we don't win.

07:54That's for sure.

07:55Will you get 98 points

07:56this season maybe?

07:57Losing four games

07:58in 12

07:59I have to improve a lot.

08:01So,

08:01even the contenders.

08:03Mathematically,

08:03it's possible.

08:04What?

08:0598 points.

08:07Mathematically,

08:07it's possible

08:08to win the Champions League

08:09and FA Cup

08:10and Carabao Cup

08:10and the Premier League.

08:11That's for sure.

08:13Even the teams

08:14mathematically

08:14can win the tribals

08:15and four Premier League

08:16in a row.

08:17Mathematically,

08:17in four years

08:18can happen.

08:19Sorry?

08:20What do you call this season

08:20maybe?

08:21You are an experienced

08:28journalist here

08:28together for ten seasons.

08:30Did you hear me

08:30talk about the quadruples

08:32in November,

08:33December 1?

08:33We won the quadruple?

08:34Tell me.

08:35No, right?

08:36So,

08:37we'll not be an exception

08:38in this case.

08:39That's for sure.

08:42Any questions

08:42from German media

08:43in the room?

08:45No?

08:47Done?

08:47No Loverkusen?

08:50No.

08:50Okay, good.

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