- 2 days ago
Guardiola on Rodri injury and return plus why he backs England for World Cup glory
05/12/2025 embargoed until 2230
CFGA, Manchester, UK
05/12/2025 embargoed until 2230
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Maybe because you've been so successful during your time here that when things aren't going perfectly there are a lot of questions but you're second in the Premier League, you're in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup, well placed in the Champions League, I think you're top scorers in the Premier League, that when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture that you perhaps would have taken this position now if you were offered it in the summer.
00:19Yes, so I was trying to see how is the team developing, that is my feeling, I want to feel that we are getting better.
00:36Of course being close in the top of the league, in the Champions League, if we were to take a result of Leverkusen we'd be in the perfect position now, it would be more difficult.
00:44But myself in the beginning, I'm happy and positive, I think the team will do well and about what the people say, there's no time to training and everything is judged for immediately, they don't have time, you know, to reflect a little bit in external situation, lose a game, it looks like a disaster, it's a chaos and going well, okay, now it's candidates to win everything and, you know, I think we have to be the managers today.
01:13In all sports and basketball and here and football and all the times, basketball, I'm saying in Europe and other competitions, it has to be more, it has to be more, everything is so quick, everything, it looks like when you draw points or results, everything is, count, you know, so, but it's not going to change, we have to, it's our duty to try to do it.
01:36On Rodri, has he had a setback at all and is it the knee that you're kind of holding him back over or is it other issues?
01:46Yeah, it was a muscular injury against Brentford in a high tendon muscular hamstring area and it's a bit more careful and that will happen previous ones when we setbacks, we want to take more cautious and have no more prevention but make a step more safe to don't do it again, so it's simple but it's not step back, so the process, the recovery is doing well and start to make a training session on the pitch already,
02:12so hopefully in a few weeks, so hopefully in a few weeks you can start to view us when.
02:19My friend is desperate to know when, so I will tell you.
02:24And just on the defensively, in four of the six years you've won the title, you've had the best defence in the league, is the message in four of the six seasons you've won the Premier League, you've had the best defence, is the kind of message that you have to shore up the back line to properly challenge Arsenal this season?
02:45It's not about the back line, it's not just the back line, the back line has been good, it's not just about that, but of course there are individual mistakes, the back four, yeah sure, but it's not just about that.
02:58The reason why we suffered against Fulham was completely the opposite.
03:07Our aggression in a high-high pitch, we forgot to do it, we don't need to do it anymore.
03:13That's why my theory, like when the ball is close to your box, we are more dangerous, with the way, we are safer.
03:20You have to insist, maybe for the new players, maybe for the rhythm, maybe because we cannot sustain 95 minutes, maybe, I don't know, but that's what you have to work.
03:33Pep, just on Rodri again, because you're being more cautious with the injury, are you waiting until maybe he's fit to start a game or have the two games in a week?
03:44You don't even miss play without the best player in the world two seasons ago, our main player when the one that traveled, played 70 games during one year and a half without him?
03:57Do you know what we miss? I want him back now, here.
04:03But he's suffering and struggling because when I come back and he's leaving, but I want to protect him.
04:11I want to be sure right now that this can be injured, yes, but minimize the risk.
04:17This is what we want. He wants, I want, and all the medical staff, he just wants him.
04:22So tell me, tell me, one team, what the best player in one year and a half is going there. Tell me, tell me.
04:28He's suffering. So Rodri is another level of the players, another level.
04:34Rodri came the last 20 minutes against Fulham, put him in the middle, there, there, in the middle.
04:40And do you know what's the fact? It's make just his presence. Don't touch the ball.
04:45The next ten players, safer, better. They play better. Even he doesn't touch the ball, just for the fact he's there.
04:54They do one year and a half without having, for that reason. And we try to, you know, because he wants him, he wants him,
05:00and that's why it happened. There are players that are replaceable, not just how good they play, how great to the other one.
05:07You know, because the other one said, oh, I have Rodri there. Give you the ball, he's going to lose.
05:12He knows when the space is free to break the shoot-off plays and the other one. It's unique.
05:18But I don't want to come back, you know, because I want it desperately right now in Madrid or next one, next one,
05:24and after six more weeks out. No sense. So I want to be sure that, okay.
05:31But now I'll come back, I have to make a precision. I have to, you know,
05:36I cannot play 90 minutes, 90 minutes, 90 minutes. You have to come back again.
05:39You have an injured ACL, your body is completely different. You prove it again.
05:44That is the only reason why. But I want him, absolutely.
05:47That was the question, really. He started three games in a week in September.
05:51He started two games in five days. Is that something that you're looking to do as soon as he's back?
05:56You have to think about it, but it's not a, you know, it's not a, I don't know what to say.
06:01One person said, that guy has to play 33 minutes and 46 seconds that game.
06:06Not 47 seconds, 46. I would love to know it, but I don't know.
06:11And sometimes you play, oh, 3-0, out. But 1-0, 2-1, Rodri is so good there.
06:17I wouldn't have been. The decision you have to take always is for many things that, honestly, you don't know.
06:24You don't know.
06:27You don't complain today, eh? It's longer than press conference, eh?
06:31I hear some rumors you were disappointed, the last one.
06:35And they said, it's not my fault. They didn't ask me questions. No?
06:39You got a very good moose before.
06:41You just didn't start in France.
06:42Always have had this season in a good mood.
06:45I'm more likely 10 years ago in Sunderland, right?
06:48You were not there. Where you were.
06:51Are you happy now here or not?
06:57Good.
06:59Of course, you're happy to see me.
07:02Can I ask you, those 18 months out, how is Rodri mentally?
07:08It must be a lot to take on being out.
07:12Of course.
07:13What would you do?
07:14You're a football player.
07:15You are a journalist.
07:16During 18 months, you cannot do your job.
07:18Tell me.
07:19How do you feel?
07:20You want to write?
07:21You want to write?
07:22You want to inspiration?
07:23Your lecturers?
07:24How good you are?
07:25And you cannot do it.
07:26How do you feel it?
07:27I feel it bad.
07:28So he has to be very mentally strong.
07:30Of course, and everyone.
07:31Yeah, of course he's strong.
07:32He has to be strong.
07:33In some moments he's sad.
07:34In some moments...
07:35I would not be happy if he's not sad.
07:36I would not be happy if he's not concerned about that.
07:39But now I have to be clean.
07:41I said, OK, it's the last step.
07:43The birds took him back.
07:45Don't make one step further to make 1,000 steps backwards.
07:51So that's what I want to try to do it.
07:54Because the season still is 1,000 million in front of us.
07:59You know?
08:00Ahead of us we have many nice things to live.
08:03He has to be there.
08:04He will be there.
08:05He has a World Cup there.
08:06And next season, next season, next season.
08:08As much as we recover there, it will not be for now.
08:10It will be for the end of the season, next season.
08:12That is the main thing.
08:15Can I ask, with the running,
08:18is it too simple to say,
08:21if you pass the ball better, you'll run less?
08:24Not just the pass.
08:25If you dribble better, you'll run less.
08:28Yeah, many, many aspects.
08:30The spirit has to be there.
08:32And always have been there, I would say.
08:34Always have been there.
08:35Otherwise, 18 titles in nine years
08:37will not be possible.
08:38We run a lot.
08:39The spirit has been extraordinary.
08:41But we have built a team.
08:43The players that we have signed
08:45is for a specific way to play.
08:47When we do it and we start to do some things,
08:50we are more vulnerable.
08:51That doesn't mean no win or lose.
08:53We are vulnerable.
08:54We have to try to do it.
08:56And I know that I completely agree with him.
08:58So never is enough for us.
09:00You know?
09:01Always it's just money.
09:03He commend perfectly.
09:04I know how much you spend the money.
09:06All the time, I know that.
09:08Never is enough for us.
09:09And always it's for granted.
09:11But that is the reality.
09:12We have to accept it and live with that.
09:14Because we have built something unique in this club.
09:17In terms of success.
09:18In terms of many, many good things.
09:19And being second and lose.
09:21And always I learned for the years
09:23that you can lose.
09:24I'm sorry.
09:25The opponents are good.
09:27And so every single day,
09:28every single weekend,
09:29every single game,
09:30I know perfectly how the opponents they are.
09:32And we can lose.
09:33You cannot win all the time.
09:34The Premier League,
09:35you cannot do that.
09:36And the club has to understand that.
09:38I understand the first.
09:39So I don't feel.
09:40I feel a little bit.
09:42Hmm?
09:43When in Newcastle,
09:44something I cannot control,
09:45they don't allow us to take a result.
09:47That make me feel.
09:48Hmm.
09:49But when the opening is better,
09:50shake the hands.
09:51Improve.
09:52You know?
09:53Improve.
09:54It's only I think.
09:55I'm not thinking I'm perfect or good
09:58or the players are good.
09:59I want to win all the time
10:00and do incredible, incredible things.
10:02It's 1-5, 4-5, something will happen.
10:04What happened?
10:05Ready.
10:06Forward.
10:07No happen again.
10:08This is the only main target.
10:105, score 7.
10:11Why the reason why I won 5?
10:13Why?
10:14Why?
10:15We have to do it longer.
10:17Longer.
10:18And we start to do it.
10:19We can see 4,
10:20we can see 5,
10:21we can see 6.
10:22And sometimes we are perfect,
10:24perfect.
10:25Leeds was 3-0 halftime,
10:264-0.
10:27One shooting target.
10:28Not even once.
10:29That is the team
10:30we have been for many years.
10:31But after score 2 times
10:33in the first action,
10:34a mistake,
10:35you're doing that,
10:36okay, avoid it.
10:37Always I want the team
10:39getting better and grow
10:40and grow and grow and better.
10:41That is life.
10:42It will be better
10:43in every aspect of our life
10:44it will be better
10:45step by step.
10:46This is what you have to do.
10:47You have to do.
10:48But sometimes,
10:49ah, my city lose.
10:50Yeah, and what happened?
10:51Yeah.
10:52This club was in Monroe
10:53for many times.
10:54In that position,
10:55they didn't have a chance
10:56to win the Premier League.
10:57Now we have for many years
10:58we are there.
10:59Okay, continue as long as possible.
11:00We will see at the end.
11:01If you win,
11:02I will be the first
11:03to call Michael
11:04and congratulate him.
11:05Like he has done in the past.
11:07The first.
11:08And like,
11:09congratulate here
11:10and Aaron's last season.
11:11So,
11:12do it.
11:13When I win,
11:14improve as a team
11:15and accept it.
11:16But if you understand
11:17that you lose a game
11:18and everything is,
11:19ah, disaster.
11:20Okay.
11:21If you believe
11:23that the sport
11:24is in that level,
11:25it's fine.
11:26That's all my poll, please.
11:32Hi Pep,
11:33just following on
11:34from what you're saying
11:35to Fred about the World Cup.
11:36How serious
11:37do you think
11:38England's chances are
11:39of winning it?
11:40England?
11:41A lot.
11:44If you see the quality
11:45of the manager,
11:46a lot.
11:47If you see the quality
11:48of the players,
11:49they have.
11:50The players that maybe
11:51will not go,
11:52be selected.
11:53The moment they believe it,
11:54they can do it.
11:56I think too much
11:57will convince them
11:58that they can do it.
11:59They're just,
12:00in all departments
12:01they are really good.
12:02Really, really, really good.
12:03With Gareth making
12:05the finals,
12:06semi-finals,
12:07semi-finals,
12:08semi-finals.
12:09They are close.
12:10Remember,
12:11it was like Spain.
12:12It was always there.
12:13The moment they break it
12:14and won it,
12:15they were able to do it.
12:16So.
12:17Yeah,
12:18but there seems to be
12:19that last step,
12:20like you say.
12:21What does it take
12:22to bridge that little gap?
12:23I'm not being manager
12:24for the national team
12:25and these tournaments
12:26are so special.
12:27It's a short competition.
12:29It's the tournament
12:31make tricky.
12:32Premier Leagues
12:33in long competitions
12:34you have to make mistakes
12:35in these competitions.
12:36Don't wait.
12:37One half bad afternoon,
12:40you are home.
12:41British Airlines
12:43come back.
12:44So,
12:46that is,
12:47I think that is the reality.
12:49So,
12:50but,
12:51I don't experience
12:52because I didn't leave
12:53as a manager,
12:54never there.
12:55But it's actually like
12:56Champions League,
12:57quarter-finals,
12:58semi-finals,
12:59tournaments,
13:00you have to be so perfect
13:01in many aspects.
13:02And for me,
13:03for me,
13:04the most of it,
13:05maybe I'm wrong,
13:06it's great.
13:07a real, real team.
13:08Because everyone is in
13:09Aston Villa's,
13:10Chelsea's,
13:11Arsenal's,
13:12City's,
13:13United's,
13:14Liverpool's.
13:15And all together,
13:16one and a half.
13:17They are able to create
13:18something unique,
13:19you are living something
13:20special,
13:21and that they create them,
13:22they create insight.
13:24I think that,
13:25more than the tactics,
13:26I think so,
13:27and more these kind of things.
13:28I think,
13:29in this tournament
13:30is really important.
13:31Thank you, guys.
13:33Ali.
Be the first to comment