- 5 minutes ago
Pep Guardiola refuses to be silenced on war as he previews Manchester City's trip to Liverpool
06/02/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
06/02/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everyone, hope you're well. We'll take a share of hands or questions please.
00:04Microphones on the other side of the room. We'll set an embargo partway through for 10.30pm on Saturday evening.
00:09We'll start with PLP please. Thank you.
00:13Hi Pep, just a quick check on the squad. Is Bernardo back for the game or something?
00:19Not yet. Tomorrow training.
00:22And you had Ruben Diaz on the bench midweek. Do you think he'll be possibly ready to start?
00:28He's back. We'll see. He's played minutes, but good news for us.
00:34No other new injuries?
00:36John made yesterday the first training session with the team. Yeah, step by step coming back.
00:43Obviously Anfield this weekend. Has Anfield perhaps been the hardest place for City to go in your time here?
00:51Yeah. It was the toughest opening and difficult place in the stadium.
00:56And especially, yeah, quality of the players, the managers. Yeah, been tough.
01:03Hi Pep. Have you been surprised at all that Liverpool have not quite, have not hit the standards they hit last season?
01:10Remain an exceptional team. Top class manager, exceptional team. No doubts.
01:14The moments are the moments. The seasons are the seasons. So, I think, reveal the squad.
01:22And it's not revealed the squad for one season for many, many years. So, always remains a good team.
01:28And just away from the game, it's now three years since the charges were brought against the club.
01:34But I'm frustrated that there's still no outcome in this matter.
01:37Not in my hands.
01:39Waiting the resolution.
01:43Hi Pep. I remember once you said that, especially in Anfield, you know the players that are hiding from the ball or showing up for a big game.
01:53Do you think that, considering that you have so many players that haven't experienced that, is trying to put on the team the biggest number of experienced players that you have available?
02:06No, I have an idea.
02:07I see that in the line-up.
02:10I'm trying to see how they played lately.
02:16What do you have to do? Adjust something.
02:20But not something.
02:21In all the biggest stages and big games, always need big personalities.
02:26I was just said many times, it's not about the skills.
02:28All the players in the first division, the Premier League, and the big leagues in the top clubs, skills are there.
02:35There's no, I never know one player that is not good enough to play in the big clubs.
02:39It's how you behave.
02:40I'm not saying play good, but how you are.
02:44I am who you are as a player.
02:45I do it here in the big, big stadiums at home, in the last stages in every competition, during competitions.
02:51That define the good players, that as much you have, define the good teams.
02:56It's more on the minds.
02:58No, yeah, on the minds.
03:00Of course, the mind controls the bodies, and your thoughts control everything, but not just about that.
03:08Hi Pep.
03:09On Tuesday, you spoke so openly and passionately about the images from war zones around the world and how much hurt that causes you.
03:20You've had widespread praise for that.
03:23Widespread praise.
03:25You've been praised for your words.
03:26But there's also been criticism where people, where there's been calls for you to focus on football and be careful with your language.
03:39Which language are you?
03:40What you spoke about on Tuesday about the conflicts and the images, the hurt that causes you.
03:51Because I didn't say anything, nothing special.
03:55I don't feel that.
03:57I think why should I not express what I feel just because I'm a manager.
04:04So, I'm not agree, but I respect absolutely all opinions.
04:12So, what I said basically is how many conflicts there are right now all around the globe, around the world.
04:19How many?
04:20Asking, how many?
04:23Yeah, lots, plenty.
04:23A lot, right?
04:24Condemn all of them.
04:27All of them.
04:28I don't put that selection is more important than the other one, or this country is more than the other one.
04:39No.
04:41If you don't understand my message, it's fine.
04:44I cannot say otherwise.
04:47So, when there are calls for you to just focus on football because you're a football manager, you'll still...
04:52Okay, you focus being in journalism as well.
04:54You cannot talk about economics because you are not a journalist, especially if you're in economics, right?
04:58You say, as if you're in football, don't talk about that.
05:00Don't talk about that.
05:01Don't talk about that.
05:03Yeah, that's why.
05:04You won't remain silent.
05:05That is what the world wants, right?
05:07Be silent.
05:07Don't say anything.
05:09I think it's completely the opposite.
05:10But, anyway, it's where it is.
05:15Hi, Pep.
05:17Arna Slott said this week that the biggest thing you can win is playing nice football,
05:23and ultimately that's worth more than trophies in the long term.
05:26You obviously are a manager who has won a lot of trophies.
05:30Your teams have played some objectively nice football.
05:33How do you assess the balance between the two in terms of importance for you as a manager?
05:39If you want to be a manager, it's better to win trophies.
05:42Otherwise, you don't have a chance to play nice football.
05:46So, I think everything is related because as much you win, you play good, you know,
05:51and everyone has – the most important, I don't know, is defending you where you believe your style,
05:56convince your players to try to do it in the way you believe it's the best for the players to have,
06:00the players in your soul you believe.
06:02I think this is the most important thing.
06:06Can I ask you about your team selection, particularly up front for the big game at Anfield?
06:10Obviously, in the week, Semenya and Mahmoud played very well as a pairing
06:14and obviously troubled Newcastle greatly.
06:16They've looked very bright.
06:18Erling Haaland was rested in midweek.
06:20Does he automatically come back in?
06:22What do you have to consider when thinking about your team selection in terms of the forward positions?
06:26Erling is the best striker in the world.
06:28So, he plays?
06:31I don't know.
06:32We'll say tomorrow.
06:34Always, I say Erling is the best.
06:39You're very welcome.
06:42You've won everything here in 10 years.
06:44You've reached four – no, you've won Carabao Cup four times, sorry.
06:48But the way you celebrated reaching the final on Wednesday,
06:50it was almost as if it was the first final you'd reached as a manager.
06:53Do you think you'll ever lose that will to win, that, I don't know, that joy in winning reaching finals,
06:59even after all this time as a manager?
07:02Maybe I'm getting old and I had the feeling the reaching finals is always more difficult.
07:06I had the feeling it's more difficult and more difficult and more difficult.
07:09And I know I take it for granted for many years.
07:11And I know how difficult it is.
07:13And, you know, I will leave until 22nd, I think, is the March, the final against Darsten.
07:19I said, I'm going to play – we are going to play another final.
07:23In that period, I'm going to leave with the joy that I'm going to play another final.
07:26Because it's so difficult.
07:29In modern sports, in any competitions, in any sports, I'm sorry to tell you,
07:33in any competition, in football, but in tennis and goals and whatever, in basketball,
07:37rich finals and rich trophies, you have to sweat, sweating, sweating, sweating a lot.
07:43So that's why I was – I know the opponent.
07:47They have four – one against one against James.
07:49So Newcastle remains an unbelievable team.
07:52The pace, the transition.
07:53When the second half and half time, I remember I was sitting and saw Wisa Murphy and Alanga.
07:58I said, no, they're so fast.
08:01You will see.
08:01And I will prove it.
08:02So I know how difficult they are.
08:03They play an incredible first time in Anfield.
08:08You know, but Anfield have been a special.
08:09They have an incredible chance at Newcastle in two actions, the transitions,
08:14the quality they have to Etiqui-Diqui or Virto.
08:17The other one, they come back, but they're drawing Paris Saint-Germain away in the Champions League.
08:21So it's an exceptional team.
08:23So that's why I'm really pleased to, in semifinals, reach the final.
08:26And that's why – why should not celebrate?
08:28I know – I'm learning from my period, don't celebrate just if we win or be incredible,
08:32depressive, either lose.
08:34And as in the process, you're in semifinals, you play good, you're in the final.
08:38That's for the moment, no?
08:39We are in this business.
08:42Because it's been – you're approaching sort of 20 years as a manager now,
08:45reaching finals every single year.
08:46You've reached Champions League finals.
08:47I think people would maybe say a Carabao Cup final is not the same as a Champions League final.
08:51So where does that desire, I don't know, that will – where does it come from?
08:56All respect for the Carabao Cup.
08:58Definitely Carabao Cup.
08:59It's not the Champions League final.
09:01Yeah, definitely.
09:0210 to 10.
09:02All respect.
09:03But once we play the competition because you have to play, yeah, do your best.
09:08You know, because I – previous seasons, except one maybe, but the previous season
09:12when we were out against Spurs and Newcastle in the first round, the Carabao Cup,
09:16we performed unbelievably with a lot of rotation, of care,
09:20but we played really good away both games, really, really, really good.
09:24That is what demands a team like that.
09:26The only year like you were, it was a little bit like season.
09:30Like we are not – all other nine seasons, including this one,
09:38we were a team, like we could recognize what we want to be.
09:43Hi.
09:44When you look at the Premier League from our side of the fence,
09:48it looks to me as though it's getting harder now to win games.
09:53It looks like it's harder for Liverpool, obviously.
09:55We've seen that.
09:56Arsenal are finding a different way to win than previously.
09:59And it looks from the outside like it's a little bit harder for you to win as well.
10:03This is the evolution of the way other teams are being coached, et cetera.
10:07Do you feel that?
10:08I think it's not just about us.
10:13But do you find it harder to win than before?
10:17Yeah.
10:17Maybe I was saying that to make 98 points or 90 points to win the Premier League
10:21is not hard enough.
10:22So I don't know, Ian, but I'm not agreeing with you.
10:25You do agree with me.
10:26You don't.
10:26So to win 100 points or 98 points or 96 or 95 points to win the Liverpool for Jurgen Klopp or go to, at that moment, for, you know,
10:38United for Ole or for Jose or Chelsea's for Tuchel or for Contes or for, I'm not saying it was not easy.
10:45I mean, the people believe how to do it a lot is for, ah, this is granted.
10:49You know, I remember the previous season in November, why you played the Premier League.
10:54It's been done.
10:55It's been done for Manchester City.
10:58So I don't believe that.
10:59So, of course, it's tough.
11:00Every season is tough.
11:01The managers are better.
11:02The players, the teams invest a lot.
11:05Not just, sorry to tell you, not just Manchester City.
11:09Insist on the spend net or net spend.
11:10I don't know the correct number, appropriate semantically to say.
11:15Just take a look.
11:17All the teams, you know, reinforce, reinforce, reinforce to be better.
11:21And, of course, every season is getting more difficult.
11:24But I think not just for us, for all the teams.
11:27In Madrid, back in December, when you beat Madrid, in the press conference afterwards,
11:33you said that your team was going to have to get to a higher level than that
11:38if they were to win things this season.
11:40And I said to you, do you think they can?
11:42And you said yes.
11:43We're two months on from that now.
11:45Do you see that improvement?
11:46Not yet.
11:47Do you see it?
11:47Top, top, no.
11:49Sorry?
11:50Top, top level, high, high level, no.
11:52No?
11:53No.
11:53We have moments, real moments, but not enough consistency to be there.
11:58But still, we are there.
11:59So, 14 games in the Premier League is an eternity, from my experience.
12:03It's a lot.
12:04And everything can happen.
12:06You know?
12:06In the other position, we are better in last season.
12:08Last season, we finished 23 in the Champions League.
12:10We are eight.
12:11Last season, first round, Carabao Cup, we are in the final.
12:13If your cup, we're still there.
12:14And last season, in the Premier League, we are miles away from Liverpool.
12:17So, we'll see what happens until the end.
12:21Because as I said, in the sport, it's just three players for the old generation, old era, old people.
12:25It was three players.
12:27And the other ones, even Gijo have experience, even their players have experience.
12:30There are a lot of things that we talk about.
12:32They are new, new, new, new, new in the new Premier League, in new stages.
12:36Indeed, I would love to make, tack, tack, one meeting, two meetings, everything click.
12:40No.
12:40Sometimes, you need more time.
12:44And finally, there is obviously going to be talk, there is talk about whether you will stay beyond the end of this season.
12:51I know you're not going to tell us what you are thinking.
12:54Do the people at this football club know what you are going to do at the end of this season?
12:58Have you told them what you're going to do?
13:00No, because I have one more year called.
13:02So, you'll see that year out then?
13:04The question of that, is it one month or two months ago that you were not here?
13:12I'll tell you again, so it's the same answer I answered two months ago.
13:18Hi, Pep.
13:19Just on there, Mark Gahey, did you think any more about whether you will appeal to the football in the final?
13:25No.
13:25I'm making a statement because I was happy, but I know it's going to the rules of the rules, and I understand.
13:30Is it the same?
13:31I understand why Antoine can play, and Mark, I don't play.
13:35There's a rule, but it's okay.
13:36Can be agreed and disagree, that is not the point.
13:38It's like I said, you can be agreed, we play good or bad, this is not the point.
13:42No play, no play, we play another one.
13:44And just on him, Pep, on Mark, he obviously nearly joined Liverpool in January.
13:49How impressed have you been since he joined you, both in training and in the game?
13:54I said after two, three days or four days, play good or bad, I don't care.
13:58So, it's a great, great, great, you smell it, a great sign for Man City for the next five, six, seven, eight years.
14:06Top, top.
14:08It's just not the skills, the mentality, professionalism, how he lives, many, many things to be a good, good central defender,
14:15a part of the skills that he has.
14:16Hi, Pep, just on Ryan Cherky, you've obviously got a lot of talented players, he's very talented technically,
14:24but he seems to have a bit of a kind of swagger about him, a bit of a personality.
14:29How important is that when you come to looking at players, and is it one of the reasons why you recruited him,
14:34that he has that kind of, got that personality, got that confidence?
14:37I completely agree, in terms of skills, personalities, everyone can see it every day by day, so it's top, top class.
14:47It's enough to sustain for many years, just with that, his question has to ask himself what he want to become,
14:55but everyone see it.
14:57In terms of the relationship he's got with the players, on the pitch and off the pitch, do you see that's developing quite well?
15:05Him?
15:06Yeah.
15:06Yeah.
15:07Have a good guy in relation with the mate to stop.
15:10Yeah.
15:12Sully Mbogger there for 10.30pm on Saturday evening.
15:14Somebody start, please.
15:18Hi, Pep.
15:20Last year, when you signed a new deal last season, you said part of the reason was because you didn't want to leave the team or the club,
15:25sort of in transition.
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