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Guardiola on City title race with Arsenal as gap narrows to four points
13/02/2026 embargoed section
CFGA, Manchester, UK
13/02/2026 embargoed section
CFGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00Speak about kind of this time of the season, how you arrive, you know, sort of February, latter stages, Champions
00:05League,
00:06obviously competing for all four trophies at the moment.
00:09Are you confident with this squad? I know it's a new squad.
00:11Are you confident that you will still be there at the end of the season, say in the title race?
00:15Or could it still fall away? Because they're a little bit more in the experience, this group.
00:19If we are fit all the squad, like we didn't have last season, and we didn't have this season for
00:23many months,
00:25in Okinaw State, I don't know what happened because sometimes it's a coin.
00:28But in the rest of the competition, we can be there, as much we are fit, yeah, other players.
00:33Otherwise, play maybe three days, four days, three days, four days, with a few players, you cannot compete with four
00:38competitions.
00:39And you said before Arsenal played, let's see what happens after this game.
00:42So they dropped two points yesterday evening.
00:45Are you, not happy, but four points that must give you encouragement, you can sort of really go for it?
00:51I would prefer to be in the position in Arsenal than in our position.
00:56I would prefer.
00:58If I would be in the position, the four points in front, for the second, the 20 games left, I
01:04will not be relaxed.
01:05Imagine being four points behind.
01:07I'm less relaxed.
01:09So, still, I would prefer to be in position in Arsenal than I am.
01:15Oh, yeah.
01:17Have you decided how many days off the players will be allowed next, because it could possibly be the last
01:23three midweek between now and the end of the season?
01:25After Newcastle, always will have a long week, yeah, but hopefully it can be the last one, the last two,
01:30but yeah, after Saturday, tomorrow, until Wednesday afternoon, everybody at home.
01:36And you've always treated the cup competitions with a lot of respect with the teams that you've picked.
01:42When you've been in this position before, have you found that staying in these competitions until the end of the
01:46season has helped the general running?
01:48Because I suppose the flip side of that is that you're going to have to play a lot more games,
01:51a lot more load on the players.
01:52But would you say that there's more of a benefit of having the players play really competitive games week in,
01:59week out, rather than a week in between, perhaps?
02:00From my experience, in one decade here, November, December, January, February in England is so tough in the Premier League,
02:06so tough.
02:06When you arrive in March, you are in competition, the sky is more blue.
02:12In that moment, it just depends how many players you are available to.
02:15You cannot, in March, in April, you are not every single.
02:20So even with that, you can be all the squad, or more or less one or two inches, it's normal,
02:25you know, but not seven, eight, nine players, you cannot do that.
02:28But in that position we have, in the knockout stage, even being fit, everyone, you can be out, yeah, of
02:33course.
02:33But you can compete.
02:36It's only I asked last season and this season.
02:38I was desperate to have my team back.
02:41And as much as you have players, and Jeremy come back, and Saiba come back, and John come back,
02:45and Koba is already, you know, start to be on the pitch training, when everybody can have, and after that,
02:52because every three days, four days in March, after being six, seven months playing, playing, playing,
02:57you need a fresh here and in the legs, and when you happen, after you can compete, better.
03:05Pep, since you came here, a lot of the academy players that have been knocking on the door of the
03:09first team
03:10have stayed with you rather than go on loan.
03:12Look at sort of Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, Nico O'Reilly.
03:18With Devine, McCastron, Steph Maffouni leaving to go on loan, is that sort of a change for you at all?
03:25No, it's just a change, they can learn to compete better than compete here with the second team,
03:29like play, as I said many times, without not competition.
03:34So that is the only reason.
03:35I would like to have Devine here, and Stefan, of course, but it's good for them to grow up.
03:41And the other players that were loan, I would like to have, but sometimes cannot, because they have a,
03:47you know, when you have Riyad in front, or Bernardos, or Rahims, or Leroy, or the other ones,
03:52and sometimes, and everybody fits, and sometimes it's a question of space.
03:56But I would love to have players stay here with me, or with us, in the state of Wiesel, or
04:02Leroy.
04:03And Svera Naipan has come back on loan to...
04:06Sorry?
04:07Svera Naipan has come back to train with the first team.
04:10Is he in contention to play at all tomorrow?
04:13What have you made of him in training?
04:14We will decide today.
04:16It's on the first team, I have to think about it.
04:18I don't want to be disconnected team.
04:19I don't want to...
04:20I learned from the time when you play this type of competition,
04:23in the Premier League, or Carabao Cup, or FA Cup,
04:27when you make a lot of things, you pretend,
04:29ah, this competition is not important, or whatever, in a league tour,
04:33and I don't like that.
04:34I want to be everybody, and still focus, focus, and focus.
04:38Hi, Pep.
04:38You talked about Kovacic being back in training.
04:41How useful do you think he could be to this team,
04:43especially with the way that, you know, it's all man-to-man,
04:45and you need to get past people under pressure?
04:48He must have been a real loss to not have him for the last six months.
04:51Absolutely, completely agree.
04:52Absolutely.
04:53I miss him a lot because his ability in the short passes,
04:57when I remember last season,
04:58when we played without proper wingers,
05:00like your colleague said,
05:02we played with a lot of players inside,
05:04with Bernardo, Rodri, him,
05:05this connection, the three, with Jeremy's or Fields,
05:08or whatever, that was magnificent,
05:10how they had the ability to break this one-against-one,
05:13dribble the opponent, and attack the next line.
05:15And Kovacic, I already miss him a lot,
05:18but last game he played was in Fulham, I think so,
05:22before the World Cup,
05:23to make a surgery, you know,
05:24to be that season fit,
05:26and unfortunately, it was not well,
05:28and now I spoke with him the last days
05:30and said he feels really, really good
05:32comparing between the first surgery and the second,
05:36and, yeah, hopefully he can help us
05:38in the last part of the season.
05:40How long do you think it will take for him
05:41to be at his best?
05:42Because obviously with Rodri,
05:43that's an ongoing thing,
05:44but he's been out for ages as well.
05:45I think to have continuity,
05:46game, game, three days, three days,
05:48will take time.
05:49As much you can have one day,
05:51one game, minutes,
05:52or one game in the beginning,
05:54after recovery and another one,
05:56as much you can select good minutes,
05:58Kovacic is a special player,
05:59special quality, mentality,
06:01another player at the biggest stage,
06:03just is so brave, so good.
06:06Yeah, first for his health, you know,
06:08for his life to play football again.
06:10That is what we want,
06:12but, yeah, Kovacic is an important player
06:16that we miss him, we miss him a lot.
06:19Pep, you said that you were going to give the players
06:21three days off next week.
06:24How important will that be,
06:25in your experience,
06:27giving players off this time?
06:28Very important, yeah.
06:30We are, when we give four days
06:32between games,
06:33we are another team,
06:34we have three days,
06:35we are,
06:36we arrive,
06:37especially with a lot of injuries,
06:39almost unsustainable.
06:40Last season was a big example of that,
06:42but giving,
06:43it's important to be fresh in your mind.
06:46I learned in this country,
06:47when you can give day off,
06:49they get day off,
06:49day off,
06:50the schedule is so tight.
06:52And that's why you have,
06:54people can travel with the families,
06:57different environment,
06:57just change a little bit,
06:58they come back after,
07:00with three days,
07:00prepare Newcastle game,
07:02and after Leeds,
07:03I think will be good for us.
07:05That doesn't mean,
07:05maybe we go,
07:06we play disaster,
07:07and maybe we lose the,
07:08the pipe that we have right now,
07:10maybe,
07:10I don't know,
07:11but I think everybody need it.
07:13Staff,
07:13backroom staff,
07:14everyone clean their minds,
07:16have been so,
07:17so demanding,
07:18always it is,
07:18especially with a lot of injuries,
07:20that we had in November,
07:21December,
07:22so it's really important to,
07:23to have this.
07:25That's why it was so,
07:26happy to qualify,
07:27for the Champions League,
07:28the first date,
07:29that's the main target,
07:31but especially to have this,
07:32last two weeks,
07:34like a little bit,
07:34we can breathe a little bit,
07:36and don't see each other,
07:37we are tired to see each other.
07:40Have you got any plans yourself,
07:41for your time off?
07:42Sorry?
07:43Have you got any plans for yourself,
07:44going away,
07:44anywhere,
07:45golfing?
07:46Listen,
07:46I get day off for me,
07:48for me.
07:50Of course,
07:50I have plans.
07:53Following on from Ben's question,
07:56as a manager,
07:58is part of your job,
08:00to get different cultures,
08:02and is it difficult,
08:03to get these different people,
08:05from different cultures,
08:06and countries,
08:07in your dressing room,
08:08to all kind of work together,
08:10and does the dressing room,
08:12benefit from the different,
08:15in what way?
08:16How nice it is.
08:18How nice it is.
08:21I have incredible Christian people,
08:25and other people are completely Muslim,
08:27and they love each other,
08:28they respect each other,
08:29they do the work each other.
08:32What is the problem?
08:34The problem is created for the bosses,
08:37and the president.
08:41You have to rely on them,
08:44we are in trouble.
08:46The civilization has to do it by ourselves.
08:48We have to rely on the guys,
08:50and they say,
08:50what do you have to do?
08:51The worst we have to fight?
08:54Problems.
08:55Big, big problems.
08:57Could you just ask,
08:58and Phil Foden as well,
08:59he was in your team,
09:00for a very long time,
09:01and then,
09:02after the Bodo game,
09:04he was on the bench a little bit.
09:06Has he had to kind of,
09:07earn his way back into your team?
09:11I said many times,
09:12I don't have zero,
09:14zero,
09:14zero doubts,
09:15but zero about the field.
09:17He has to recover himself good,
09:20and just focus,
09:20and play football,
09:21and go to fish.
09:23I love fishing,
09:24and that's it.
09:27When he is that,
09:30the field is back,
09:31and we'll be back.
09:32It's not 20 centuries ago,
09:35like was the best player,
09:36in the Premier League.
09:37It was around the corner.
09:39It was not many seasons ago.
09:42This is Phil Foden.
09:45Just to be relaxed in his mind,
09:47the joy,
09:48and smile,
09:49and happiness,
09:50and play,
09:50and play,
09:51and play.
09:51He will play every day.
09:53Not all the players,
09:55me neither.
09:55I don't like to play
09:56every single three days.
09:58He will play football every day.
10:00Every day.
10:01And when you have this gift,
10:04so it just to be,
10:05you know,
10:07relaxed,
10:07and do it.
10:08Last one again.
10:10Pep,
10:10I was with Kyle Robinson
10:12earlier this week,
10:13the manager of Tomorrow's was,
10:16and he was saying
10:17great things about you.
10:18He said that,
10:19too often,
10:21managers who come
10:22from foreign countries
10:24essentially don't respect
10:25what the FA Cup means
10:27to this country.
10:29He says that the FA Cup
10:31is part of our heritage.
10:32Is that something you feel?
10:34Absolutely.
10:36Listen,
10:37I prefer
10:39to play at home.
10:41But one of the most
10:42enjoyable remembers
10:43that I will have
10:44in this country
10:45when I play
10:45FA Cup away,
10:47in the League 1s
10:48or League 2s,
10:49and never,
10:49never miss that.
10:50Always we were incredible.
10:52That experience there,
10:53when you arrive in the stadium
10:55with a coach,
10:55and all the fans,
10:56who are you?
10:57Who are you?
10:59So,
11:00oh, God.
11:01You know,
11:02these kind of things
11:04and the vibes
11:05and the long balls
11:06and the other things.
11:07Honestly,
11:08I promise you,
11:09it will be one of the memories
11:10I will take
11:11for the rest of my life.
11:12I love the FA Cup.
11:14I love it.
11:14I love it.
11:15It was a part of it
11:16when it was a ball.
11:17But I prefer to play
11:18against Southport at home.
11:19Well, of course.
11:20I don't want to travel today
11:21against Southport.
11:24My apartment is in Southport,
11:25so we will not travel.
11:28But you understand
11:29what I mean.
11:29Yeah, of course.
11:29So I prefer to play at home.
11:31But the away games
11:32in the FA Cup
11:32is top.
11:34And just finally on this,
11:36do you really see,
11:37like, Carl,
11:38the fact that the FA Cup
11:40isn't so much romance
11:41as part of the British
11:43for the English football life?
11:45Yeah.
11:45I think after 10 years,
11:47I don't like a few things
11:48in this country,
11:49you know,
11:50for the way.
11:50But I'm not here to change it.
11:52But there are a lot of things
11:53I love,
11:54and this is one of the ones,
11:55you know.
11:56I remember that
11:57before all at Wembley.
11:59You know,
12:00when we won as a football player
12:02in the first Champions League,
12:02in 92,
12:03with Barcelona,
12:04this, you know,
12:05stadium,
12:05I remember the managers
12:07walking a long, long way,
12:09you know,
12:10with the players that...
12:12And this country,
12:13how we respect the traditions,
12:14it's not a country
12:16that can do that.
12:16Otherwise,
12:17we're getting rid of,
12:18you know,
12:19what we have for many years
12:20in other countries,
12:21to have it in mind,
12:22that it doesn't matter,
12:23it's old,
12:23it's old,
12:24it's old.
12:24This combination
12:25for the new things,
12:26but respect the old things,
12:28I love UK for that.
12:30I love it.
12:31Thank you, everyone.
12:32Okay.
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