- 9 minutes ago
Guardiola refuses to rule out Rodri moving to Madrid as Foden form a worry
03/04/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
03/04/2026
CFGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00Hi Pep, just going back to Rodri, Liam Rossinia has said today that he's dropped Fernandes,
00:07Enzo Fernandes, for basically saying stuff that's a little bit weaker than what Rodri
00:11said.
00:11Fernandes said, I quite like Madrid as a city, etc, etc, whereas Rodri said that Real Madrid
00:17is the biggest club in the world, it would be very difficult to turn them down and also
00:20having played for Atletico that would be an obstacle.
00:22So would you consider talking to him because he is one of the leaders of your team?
00:27No, no, what Chelsea has done is Chelsea, so there is no one player I would think that
00:33will turn around the chance to play, you know, Madrid and understand completely, he was born
00:38in Spain, so no, always my wish, my wish is that Rodri could stay long, as much longer as
00:45possible in this club and because he's an incredible player, a top player, but life for everyone
00:52is everyone, so I know he has proof for many, many years how attached and how close he is
01:00in this club, the contribution in this club has been massive.
01:04Now I had the feeling that the last one or two games, like he's really, really back for
01:09a long, long period and this is only I'm concerned.
01:12You always say you would never, you've always said in the past you would never stand in the
01:16way of any player who wants to leave your club, this club.
01:18Would that be the same for Rodri or do you make exception?
01:21Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.
01:24The organisation, the club is above for all of us and one player is not happy, they have
01:28to live, continue the same, always I think, he's happy and hopefully he can be happy, but
01:33he's not happy, just knock the door, the sports director accept an offer according to his incredible,
01:40incredible quality and after that he belongs to the club and himself.
01:44Okay, just one more, with regard to your own future, has the club, has Caldoon or anyone
01:48asked you for clarification with regard to whether you'll be here next season?
01:53I spoke about that in the past, yeah.
01:55So have they asked you?
01:57I spoke about that in the past many, many times.
02:00You're welcome.
02:01Hi, Pat.
02:01You mentioned some FA Cup statistics there, another one is no manager, no team has ever
02:07been to four finals consecutively.
02:10Do you sort of look at those sort of things now with pride or is that something when you've
02:14finished you'll look back and look through the history?
02:15I don't need to finish to how proud I am.
02:18Right.
02:18It's unbelievable.
02:20I don't know if in English football one team, I mean seven semifinals in a row and
02:25in this competition FA Cup or I know four Caravals in a row, four premiers in a row.
02:32I'm sorry, I'm so proud.
02:34So I don't need to finish and go to Maldives under the coconut to realize how incredible it
02:40is.
02:40I'm sorry.
02:42In the real time.
02:44And you also mentioned you have only won it twice.
02:47Is that a sense of disappointment when you look back at some of those finals and semifinals?
02:51I mean it's an incredible overall record.
02:54Because they didn't win.
02:55Yeah.
02:55But some of them I know we didn't win.
02:59I know perfectly why sometimes we didn't, more chance to didn't win.
03:04I know that.
03:04Did you say that?
03:05I would not say not.
03:07Okay.
03:07I know perfectly and they know it too.
03:12But to go back to Foden, many people said in 2024 that he was the greatest football
03:21possibly of his generation.
03:23And there has been a decline in his form.
03:26And there have been fitness problems.
03:28And you say you have zero concerns about him.
03:31But how do you get him back to where he was?
03:34Until November.
03:35Until November.
03:36Even alongside Erling Haaland was the massively important player with us.
03:39Erling and him was the only ones who make goals and assets in this club.
03:43It's not one century ago.
03:44It was in November.
03:46But I said with what I said before.
03:48I think it's just of the – it's not 32, 33 years old like you are incredible full experience.
03:54With 24, 25 still you are growing.
03:56Still you are developing as a football player.
04:00Always I thought about that.
04:02But always we won in a hurry.
04:04For example now in the friendly games with the national teams who lose a game,
04:08ah, it's a disaster.
04:09Everything has arrived.
04:10You go to the preseason.
04:11You lose a game.
04:12Oh, the manager must be sacked.
04:14The preseason.
04:16You know, must be sacked.
04:17So today the whole football is like that and he's the same player.
04:20I know that.
04:21But sometimes you have to realize, okay, now is that how to come up.
04:24It will be stronger.
04:25It depends on him.
04:26As quick as possible to realize, okay, I had to do better.
04:29I had to do – go to the simplicity and go to the – to do that.
04:33We'll come back because the talent is there.
04:35I've done it five, six years ago.
04:37It was the – the four-pound league in a row was the best player in England.
04:40The best player.
04:42We couldn't have win without him.
04:44But sometimes we drop a little bit, but he's aware of that.
04:47Okay.
04:48Take it like a – okay, like a challenge.
04:51It's normal.
04:51We'll be back.
04:52The problem is the – how it will be, we will never have done it.
04:55We will never be in that.
04:56Now it's – I don't know, but it's not the case.
04:59I know it's not your business to decide the England team, but if you had the choice,
05:04you would be taking Ford into America, I take it.
05:07Sorry?
05:08You would be taking Ford into –
05:09I know my business.
05:10Sorry?
05:11It's not my business.
05:12I know the appreciation of that.
05:14I don't want to make a Thomas.
05:16Sure.
05:16I know this kind of situation.
05:18They know perfectly.
05:19I know Phil perfectly.
05:21It was – how he's capable of.
05:25talking about players who have been massively important this season.
05:29Nico Gonzalez felt like he would be in the team all year and then he's not really played,
05:34not really started games over the last two months.
05:37Is that just a drop from him?
05:39Is it Roger and Bernardo?
05:40Roger and Bernardo.
05:41Yeah.
05:44You know, Cole Palma, how incredible a player he is?
05:47What a player.
05:50But was Riyad here?
05:51Was Bernardo, was Kevin in his prime?
05:53Was Gundo, was there in the travel season, for season.
05:56Sometimes it is.
05:57I remember just Nico Gonzalez playing, I think it was FA Cup, I think, alongside with Nico Riley
06:03in Newcastle to qualify.
06:05And they were both.
06:06Nico made one of the best performers of the season.
06:10But Rodri is Rodri.
06:12And sometimes you need minutes to become, you know, who he is.
06:15And now, you know, the play – Rodri, how he played in the final against Arsenal.
06:20And Bernardo both.
06:22So, it's just that.
06:23It's not – the people is difficult to understand.
06:25But like Kuzanov and Nico Gonzalez, they're a player that accept this position like I've
06:29never seen how he accept the situation and training harder and always is ready for five
06:35minutes, one minute.
06:37And it was a joy to have it in the squad.
06:40Can he do anything if it's just simply Rodri and Bernardo being –
06:45No, no.
06:45There's a thousand million games now.
06:47A little bit less.
06:48A thousand million games.
06:49So, the contribution from Nico has been – he has seen for himself.
06:53It's the best season I've done so far.
06:56Nico is just growing.
06:57He has a lot of things to improve.
06:59You know, mentally and how he's able to get the balls and break lines and look forward.
07:05And many things.
07:08And I think behind, I have to look at Rodri how he does.
07:12You know, sometimes we are so close.
07:16I've been the best midfield player in the world.
07:19So, I can improve too.
07:21Because he's so young.
07:21Like Phil, they are so young.
07:24And they have an incredible margin to improve.
07:26Three more with James Jack.
07:28Pep, just on Rodri again.
07:30You said earlier that you know the intentions of the club.
07:33And I think of him.
07:34He's obviously got 12 months left on his contract in the summer.
07:37Do you think he will sign?
07:40I know what the club wants.
07:41Yeah.
07:42Inform to me what they want for Rodri.
07:45Yeah.
07:46It's a stay, a stay and a stay.
07:47Do you think Rodri will?
07:48I think so.
07:50Yeah.
07:50I have a positive with that.
07:52But in the end, I don't know.
07:53Yeah.
07:54Just back on Phil as well.
07:57The team have had such serial success for so long.
08:01You've had these players doing it season after season after season at the highest level.
08:05And that's not normal.
08:06Most players can't do that.
08:09Phil's done that himself pretty much just the last 12, 18 months with the article bit in between.
08:16Do you think, do you think it's that period that he's in, he will emerge from it and you'll get
08:25back to being one of those players that every season you just see that level of time?
08:31I've done it.
08:32I think the worst season from Phil was the last one.
08:35But this one has been, as I say, November was really good.
08:37Sometimes for a different way to play.
08:39Because sometimes at the end the player has to compete for his mates.
08:43And these mates make a challenge to you when you bring outside and change new players and the moments they
08:49are better.
08:51And you have to do it.
08:52Cherokee have been amazing.
08:54He's played, you know.
08:55We play more or less in the position you have to challenge with Ryan, you know, to do that.
08:59But I don't know.
09:01I don't know.
09:02I have an incredible name.
09:03Wayne Rooney or, I don't know, players with this type of players have been 11, 11, 12, 30, 40, 50
09:09years all the time.
09:11Incredible, incredible.
09:12During 11 months, 50 players.
09:14I don't know.
09:15I don't know.
09:16You know.
09:17Maybe one season or half season was a little bit dropped.
09:20It's normal.
09:21Except I think Messi, Cristiano, like, is unbelievable.
09:24That's why they are another stature.
09:27Because they are, for 40, 50 years, everything, a season, 40, 50 goals.
09:32And, you know, the rest is some tangent with that.
09:36And I have to say, okay, they don't have to be worried, but they have to take it as a
09:40challenge.
09:41You know, okay, I'm not who I was.
09:43What do I have to do?
09:44What do I have to do?
09:45Because I am who I am.
09:47So it's not like I said before.
09:48It's not I was a disaster player, come for the academy, and he has proven how many titles I've filled.
09:55All the titles we won was that day.
09:57Five, six, one of the leagues.
09:58And I've been part important of that day.
09:59It's not because residual players are sometimes playing.
10:04It's completely opposite.
10:05But it happened.
10:06Okay, yeah.
10:07I have to challenge with my mates.
10:08They are good because they come from a board and said, okay, I want to put myself in the
10:12Premier League.
10:13I have to make a name.
10:15That is what about the teams that still are seven semifinals.
10:18In the semifinals, we play with the same opposite.
10:21We've seen the same squad.
10:22All the time the same players.
10:24No.
10:25David Silva's not here anymore in the first season.
10:27We've seen the fans or Vinny or Pablo or the players that help us to reach that level.
10:34And this is what I think it has to be.
10:38Just going back to the domestic cup competitions, what was your view on the FA Cup and the League
10:45Cup before you sort of came to England and started managing it at City?
10:50The FA Cup, like, well, special.
10:53Carabao Cup, not even before it was a League Cup with different names.
10:58So I remember Brian Kidd said to me, this competition, nobody cares.
11:02Nobody cares.
11:03Sir Alex will put the, you know, that.
11:06Okay.
11:07But when you have the squad, it's good.
11:09And when you win four in a row, Carabao Cup, or five in ten years, it's because you
11:12care.
11:13But I try, we try since I arrived to make this club and every game you have been played in
11:18the first season, like it's not important, had to be, you know, the culture to have to
11:24win.
11:24At least compete like, knowing that if you lose, shake hands and the opponent to improve.
11:33Otherwise, you would achieve 19 titles in nine years.
11:36You don't do it.
11:37Nineteen nine years?
11:38You don't do it.
11:39In the first season we did it once.
11:41You cannot.
11:42Every single game is important in every single competition.
11:46And that's proven.
11:46That is what defines that club.
11:49Tomorrow I have the chance, eight semifinals in a row in the FA Cup.
11:52Come on, guys.
11:52But not even in Spain, there are teams that can do that.
11:54Or in Italy or in Germany.
11:56They don't do that.
11:57They didn't do that.
11:58Always you have a bad afternoon.
12:00At 3 p.m. tomorrow, 12.
12:02Right?
12:023 p.m. Saturday, FA Cup, always you have a bad afternoon.
12:04Home and away, in different levels, Championship.
12:07Premier League Championship, League One, League Two.
12:10Not all the times in the years we played against teams in League Two at home.
12:14No.
12:15No, no, no, no.
12:16We play in different ways.
12:17Everyone is a draw.
12:18Sometimes lucky, sometimes unlucky.
12:21And always is there because of that club.
12:24And the staff, the backroom staff, always we are there to win that game.
12:28That is more important to win one Premier League.
12:30Much, much more important.
12:31Or win one Champions League.
12:32It's much, much more important.
12:34Because the bar is there.
12:41But is there something about these competitions that gives you a good feeling about English
12:46football?
12:47I love it.
12:48I said before.
12:49Take a coach and go away against League One, League Two.
12:54You know, like I know how important it is for them in these stadiums.
12:59The pitch in November, in December, in January, February is not good.
13:03And you know, long ball, second ball.
13:05That is a real, real, I think.
13:08A real, I think because it's, come on, Champions League is fascinating.
13:16You know, but you feel when you play that, you feel I am in England.
13:21I'm not, when you play Champions League, it's completely different.
13:23It's so nice.
13:24Don't misunderstand me.
13:25I would love to be there and Champions League give you the prestige that anyone can
13:29give it to you.
13:30But when you come here in England and you play FA Cup away, LA Cup, you feel now I am
13:35in this country like that competition belongs.
13:38And be respectful in this competition many, many years.
13:42That's really, really cool.
13:44Really.
13:46Just one last one on Phil.
13:47I know that he will want to go with England in the summer, but just from a purely physical
13:51perspective, he hasn't had a summer off since 2023.
13:54He's had the Club World Cup and the Euros and the Club World Cup.
13:57He said in the past that he's felt exhausted at different times.
14:00Do you think there could be a benefit for him to have a complete summer off, go away with
14:04his family, rest?
14:05I'm pretty sure he would love to go.
14:07I didn't talk to him, but I'm pretty sure he would love to go to England in the United
14:11States of America to play the World Cup.
14:13I'm pretty sure he would love to go there.
14:16These opportunities cannot be missed.
14:18If you have a chance to do it, play as good as possible to be selected because he's won
14:23every four years.
14:24You have to.
14:26Okay, thank you.
14:27Thank you, everyone.
14:27See you tomorrow.
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