Guardiola on Lionesses World cup and challenge of Newcastle after super cup success (full presser)

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Lionesses World cup final against Spain and challenge of Newcastle after super cup success

Transcript

00:00 Good afternoon.

00:01 Good afternoon, guys, same process as ever,

00:03 Max on either side, we'll set an embargo partway through for 10.30 this evening.

00:08 Somewhere to start, please?

00:10 Mike?

00:11 Mike Mane.

00:12 Hi, Pep, good afternoon.

00:14 Good afternoon.

00:15 I know you spoke about it a little bit on Wednesday after the game,

00:18 the quick recovery that you've got, are you ready to go tomorrow night?

00:22 Is the squad all fit?

00:24 Of course we are ready.

00:26 Of course.

00:30 At the end we need this type of challenges,

00:34 so when we won what we won, we had a team who everyone would have beat us.

00:39 And we need these difficulties for many, many reasons right now,

00:43 for the many important inches that we have,

00:46 the calendar to play with a short, short recovery.

00:51 This is a big challenge.

00:53 Short, short recovery, this is a challenge to prove ourselves again

00:58 if you are able to do a step forward.

01:01 It's never easy in a sport, and when you won what you won, we need that.

01:06 At the end we are at a disadvantage, but that is what it is.

01:11 That is a step to see the team again do it and try it and try it

01:15 and try it in the non-ideal situations.

01:18 So in football and in sport there are always problems

01:21 to overcome that define if you are a good team or not.

01:28 And I never do that, but we need our people more, more, more than ever,

01:34 especially this season, so we cannot be in the stadium just looking

01:39 how good we are because of what we have done, and tomorrow we need them.

01:44 8pm is a good time before to take a beer after the game

01:50 and we need, since the first minute until the end, the support

01:54 because we play against an extraordinary team.

01:58 They continue to do it really well since one or two seasons,

02:02 that they brought perfect players, suit perfect for the way they play.

02:07 See the game against Aston Villa, define perfectly who they are,

02:11 and where we don't arrive, hopefully our people can help us to get it.

02:16 I want to ask you a little bit about Newcastle, because so early on in the season

02:19 you had it almost last season as well at St James' Park,

02:22 how good a test is Newcastle to see where your squad is at right now?

02:26 It's a Champions League team. If you are a team you qualify for the Champions League

02:31 for the next season it's because you are a really, really good team.

02:34 And I think in a short time with the two co-workers from Saudi Arabia,

02:39 people in a short time they put the team there and they have the feeling

02:43 they are there to stay for a long, long, long time.

02:46 Nobody believed it last season, and look what happened.

02:49 They continue with this. Eddie Howe created a fantastic team for many reasons,

02:55 in transitions, in ball possession, in the build-up, in set-pieces and everything.

03:00 They control everything. It will be a massive, massive test for us.

03:04 But, yes, we are there for that.

03:07 How good is Cole Palmer and if he stays how much of a welcome will that be

03:18 in terms of Kevin's injury and helping the squad with what you've got

03:23 in terms of challenges this season?

03:25 Well, it's not necessary to ask me about how good it is, otherwise we would not be here.

03:30 Second, not need to score two goals in two finals to realise how good it is.

03:33 I don't define the player just for that.

03:36 Cole last season, or previous season, arrived at a moment that was extraordinary.

03:41 I remember the game in the FA Cup, he defined the game.

03:45 And after having an injury, another injury, another injury,

03:48 and could not be there, you know, and playing Man City is not easy.

03:51 When you have Riyad, you have Bernardo, you have a lot of players.

03:54 But, of course, right now it's important.

03:56 Last season our place in midfield was Kevin De Bruyne,

04:00 and I will be four or five months out.

04:02 We have Gundo, like he's not here anymore, so we have to adjust a few things.

04:08 We are not at our best, we are not at our top, that is normal.

04:14 We have to adjust a few things.

04:16 But the spirit is there, because we competed incredibly well against Arsenal.

04:21 We lost for the deflection.

04:23 In the final, except 10, 15 minutes, second half, we lost our control against Sevilla.

04:30 And the rest of the game we were there.

04:32 So I don't have doubts about that, but still we need time to adjust a few things.

04:38 The important players are not here, will not be here.

04:41 And John is out, and Bernardo is out, and Ruben, I don't know.

04:45 So, Josco arrived the first minute, didn't train much against us.

04:48 A lot of principals still didn't know it.

04:51 So, yeah, we need time, a little bit of time.

04:53 But in the meantime, we have to try to draw points.

04:56 And we are really pleased for the title we won.

05:00 For the first, we need just one to final the circle.

05:03 In wintertime, we have the final, the World Cup.

05:07 If we are able, all the clubs will have all the titles.

05:10 And this is a joy, a pleasure.

05:12 And tomorrow, yeah, Etihad is staring full.

05:16 Stay with us, please, because we need them.

05:18 Because we are not in our best, best moment.

05:20 So, especially in the bad moments, stay there.

05:23 We need their noise, their support.

05:25 And when they happen, they know.

05:26 It's the first time that we joined together after the FA Cup final

05:29 against United, after the Champions League final.

05:32 Against Inter Milan, after Sevilla won there.

05:34 It's the first time we will come back.

05:36 And hopefully we can celebrate together, enjoying the game.

05:41 And on Newcastle, you mentioned they're a Champions League team.

05:45 Are they a title contender?

05:47 And how good would it be to get a win tomorrow, hopefully,

05:51 to put your marker down again?

05:53 If they handle the three competitions this season,

05:55 the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Premier League,

05:58 if they handle it well, they can compete.

06:01 But it's completely different when you play one game a week

06:03 or when you play four games a week.

06:05 But if they are able to handle it, of course they're contenders.

06:08 Pep, can I ask you about the Women's World Cup,

06:12 obviously ahead of the final?

06:15 We've seen record attendances in the tournament so far.

06:18 Obviously there's a hope that that translates again to the WSL

06:21 in this country next year.

06:23 But I just wonder, what's been your observation of the growth

06:26 of the women's game over the last few years?

06:28 Very well is the greatest notice for the future women,

06:31 girls' generations for the football.

06:33 I think they arrived to stay.

06:35 What they have done since United States of America,

06:38 with many, many - Megan Rapinoe and other important figures there

06:44 demanding a position in the world football that they deserve to be.

06:47 So, to see the stadiums in Australia how full,

06:51 see the semi-finals, both Spain and especially Australia,

06:55 as a home team, a local team against England.

06:59 And it's so nice.

07:01 I can imagine all the 12, 13, 14, 15-year-old girls,

07:06 like they see now Russo or Lucy Brown or Hole,

07:12 and all the care, all the fantastic women, girls playing football.

07:18 Maybe they dream to be there.

07:20 And as much as the teenagers do sports, whatever it is,

07:23 it avoids many, many bad things in life.

07:26 So it's really, really, really good.

07:28 They make an incredible contribution for the future for the women's football.

07:31 Hopefully it will be a good final.

07:33 Hopefully we win the best.

07:35 And I will be there on Sunday morning at 10, I think it's 10, 11.

07:40 We will be there watching the final.

07:42 Can I ask who you'd be cheering for, England or Spain?

07:45 I support a few.

07:48 I have a Spanish, Aitana Bonmati is a football player.

07:53 I'm completely in love with her for the way they play.

07:56 I would say it's like the Iniesta, woman Iniesta.

08:01 So, playing Barcelona, Barcelona make an incredible impact

08:04 in the women's team in football.

08:07 Of course I have some connections with a lot of Barcelona.

08:12 You know what that means for me.

08:15 But at the same time, I'm in England.

08:17 I know a few, few girls who play here in Manchester City.

08:22 You know that they are in the final.

08:26 So, in the finals, I would love to serve the better team.

08:30 So, in the finals, I always like the better team he plays.

08:33 Hopefully not the unlucky, then certain things can make an influence in football.

08:37 It normally can happen.

08:39 But I'm pretty sure both teams, they play really good.

08:41 And it's impressive what England has done, I have to admit it.

08:44 What Serena has done with the team in the European Cup, I think last summer,

08:49 a home winning and now again a final.

08:53 That means the final, that you are consistent, you are there.

08:57 I'm very, personally I'm very, very, very pleased.

09:00 That is a step that hopefully the FIFA, the UEFA and all the federations

09:04 can support the humans.

09:06 The humans play.

09:07 Because it's nice, it's attractive to watch.

09:09 Because I see some actions, I say, "Wow, they play really good."

09:13 So, some of them, they are really, really good.

09:16 The controls, the passes, how they move.

09:19 How to have the strength, the power for genetic.

09:21 The women are stronger for the women.

09:24 Just for that detail.

09:25 But the rest, they play really, really good.

09:29 Hi Pep.

09:30 When you mentioned that the team needs some adjustments,

09:34 does that excite you?

09:36 Is that a problem or is it maybe the part of the job that demands more creativity?

09:42 No, it's not creativity.

09:43 Every year it depends.

09:44 What happened last season is completely different.

09:46 Even with the same players, last season, even Gundo Stey,

09:49 or Kevin Owinger, or everyone, maybe we should do some adjustments

09:53 because the people know you.

09:55 The people have to find the solutions like something that you have done.

09:58 And I'm pretty sure we have to do something differently.

10:01 What, right now, I don't know.

10:04 Because I will see the team, what we have, the moments.

10:07 The important thing is the spirit is there.

10:09 The guys are trained really well.

10:10 They compete.

10:12 And I know how happy they are.

10:15 You know, every day we arrive here in the training center.

10:19 We open the door and we see the four trophies in front of us.

10:23 And you see the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup,

10:26 and now the Super Cup.

10:28 Wow, say, how nice is that?

10:29 How difficult is that?

10:31 And we love it.

10:33 We love to watch it and we want to continue to compete.

10:37 And now we have a big, big problem, especially with this game,

10:40 but in general.

10:42 But that is what it is.

10:44 So I don't want to--I would love--

10:48 every manager would see the same in my position.

10:52 People went to sleep at 4 a.m. in Greece.

10:54 We play at 10, at 4 a.m.

10:56 Arrive, recovery with 35 degrees, 40 degrees in Greece,

11:00 come back, arrive here late, tomorrow is the previous game,

11:03 tomorrow game.

11:04 Today we cannot train.

11:05 I would train by today, everyone in the pool,

11:07 everyone in the table, massage, nothing.

11:09 We're not going to do anything.

11:11 Because we don't have time.

11:12 And we love one more day.

11:14 But, okay, we accept it.

11:15 This is the challenge.

11:16 Every manager would say the same.

11:18 Where is the challenge?

11:19 There is the problem, difficulty.

11:21 That's why we won.

11:22 Because we overcome all the time these kind of positions.

11:25 In wintertime, always we had less time to recover

11:28 between the games.

11:30 In the boxing days, not the problem.

11:33 We have to go there and try it.

11:35 The more physical team, the transition team in the Premier League

11:37 right now alongside Liverpool, Newcastle,

11:39 have to be incredibly careful in many things.

11:42 But this is what define the big teams,

11:46 how we're competing with the problems.

11:48 When everything is suited, everything is comfortable,

11:51 that is not the point.

11:52 The point is that, it's tomorrow.

11:54 That's why when we play in Newcastle, that cannot happen,

11:59 but we play at home.

12:01 And at home I want to see our crowd, a lot of noise.

12:05 We need them, we need them, more than ever.

12:08 Hi, Pep.

12:11 Did you say that Stones and Diaz are out tomorrow?

12:14 Stones, yeah, Ruben maybe will be fit.

12:17 John is out, yeah.

12:20 Sorry?

12:21 Is that a problem with John?

12:22 Muscular issue.

12:23 In the last training he felt not comfortable.

12:26 I don't know how long he'll be out.

12:28 [inaudible]

12:31 Hi, Pep.

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