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Guardiola on Haaland injury, Leicester, fan protests and the top 4 battle (Full Presser)
NicheSportMedia
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01/04/2025
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the serious injury to Erling Haaland, fans protests, the battle for top 4 and Champions League qualification as they prepare to face Leicester
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
Category
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Sports
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Hello Pep, obviously we received the news last night about Erling Haaland's injury,
00:07
I just wondered what your reaction was to it, obviously a huge disappointment
00:11
to lose such an important player at such a crucial part of the season.
00:18
Sometimes there are years that these kind of things happen,
00:21
happen all season, so I would say that could not be different at the end of the season.
00:26
But all the injuries that we had this season, so sorry for them and for Erling as well.
00:33
We could recover as quickly as possible and come back.
00:38
Obviously there are still tests ongoing, still conversations to take place,
00:42
but do you have any idea about how much of this season he might still be available for?
00:48
No, they told me the doctors between five and seven weeks,
00:53
so hopefully at the end of the season and in the World Cup he'll be ready.
00:57
Obviously it gives opportunity to other players,
01:00
Omar Mahmoud so far has only started one Premier League game
01:04
when Erling was injured for the Liverpool game,
01:07
he didn't seem to quite play as the proper number nine like Haaland plays,
01:12
is he capable of doing that?
01:14
We will find a solution for the players that we have,
01:19
different skills and qualities, but we will have another one.
01:26
Pep Erling, almost since he came to the club, has hardly been injured.
01:31
How much will he be missed in terms of the way that you play?
01:37
As I say, he's played in virtually every game.
01:40
We don't have another player with his skills or his specific qualities, we know that.
01:46
But we have to adapt.
01:48
Since many years we've played in different ways up front,
01:51
it depends on the quality of the players.
01:53
We're going to try to find a solution.
01:56
You speak a lot about the fans and the fans backing.
02:00
The fans are holding a protest tomorrow before the game
02:05
because they're not happy with the way that the ticketing has gone
02:10
and clearly they don't believe that the club is acting in the right way.
02:14
Have you got any sympathy for them?
02:17
Have you got anything to say to them?
02:20
Of course I have sympathy.
02:23
When the fans can express their good moments or bad moments,
02:26
their feelings, it's because the team and the club is alive.
02:30
So the worst is when you cannot express.
02:32
This is a club that the people can express and they will be in touch,
02:35
are in touch, were in touch, are in touch, will be in touch,
02:38
the fans and the club.
02:40
Only I can say that we need them.
02:42
Since the minute one, we need them.
02:44
We are playing for the next season to be together in the Champions League
02:48
and we need them.
02:51
The people can think about it, whatever they want,
02:54
but I know how tough Leicester is.
02:56
I'm impressed with how they played the last two games.
02:59
They played really well against Chelsea and Aston Villa.
03:03
They played really good in different ways.
03:05
They are using new patterns and they did really well.
03:07
That's all I'm concerned about and we need them.
03:09
We need them desperately to achieve our success
03:15
and to win the Champions League again.
03:25
The fans, again, if you don't mind,
03:27
they're playing to protest tomorrow.
03:29
You say there about how much you need them.
03:32
Have you got a message specifically to the fans
03:35
who want to make their voices heard
03:37
by staying outside the ground for the first nine minutes?
03:40
No, I know specifically.
03:42
I don't know.
03:43
But what I said before,
03:46
they can express freely what they want
03:50
and the club has its ways, its arguments and can express.
03:57
I think I prefer that than to be passive.
04:02
The club has to be active in many departments
04:05
and the decisions being made.
04:07
The club has to take it for the benefit of the club.
04:10
The club doesn't take it for granted.
04:12
The club doesn't take it for,
04:13
OK, this issue or whatever is going to happen when they want.
04:19
The people listen to both sides
04:22
and hopefully the people can be convinced.
04:26
Looking at the game tomorrow,
04:30
the league table as well,
04:31
you're in this battle to finish in the Champions League.
04:34
Every game is really important now.
04:37
Is this one of the closest battles you've been involved in
04:40
in the Premier League
04:41
when you consider the number of sides
04:43
that are in that race to finish in the top five?
04:46
Even going down to last weekend's opponents in Bournemouth,
04:49
four points behind you.
04:50
There's a lot of teams at this stage of the season
04:52
who will believe they can finish in the Champions League.
04:55
That's true.
04:57
But don't tell me about the toughest battles.
05:00
We had in the past much tougher than these ones.
05:04
When you have to win 60 or 70 games to win the Premier League,
05:07
don't tell me it's not difficult.
05:11
It was not a tough one.
05:12
That is different because in the past,
05:15
except the first season that we were together,
05:17
one season Liverpool was extremely strong
05:19
and we could not compete with them.
05:20
All the time we were there to fight for the Premier League
05:24
and this is the first time.
05:27
Alongside the first season when I was here,
05:30
nine years ago,
05:32
we fought to qualify for the Champions League.
05:34
We have nine games left,
05:36
we know exactly what we have to do,
05:37
five at home, four away.
05:39
We have to win our home games
05:41
and we are going to try.
05:43
More often than not, you've come through these challenges
05:45
by winning consecutive matches.
05:47
Have you seen signs from the players
05:50
that they can do that again this season,
05:52
finish out by winning consecutive matches?
05:58
I would like to say yes, but I don't know.
06:02
Because the previous seasons we have done it
06:05
and every season we were able to do it
06:07
and we have done it,
06:08
but this season we have not been consistent
06:09
to tell you it's going to happen.
06:11
So I don't know.
06:15
In terms of Erling's absence,
06:17
how much does it change the roles of other players?
06:20
For example, how many more need to step into the box now
06:23
to cover that void?
06:24
Less crosses?
06:25
Yeah, definitely.
06:27
We need players in other qualities
06:29
and we have to bring more players
06:30
with a sense of goal close to the box.
06:31
That's for sure.
06:32
Because, of course, Erling, his numbers again
06:35
have been exceptional
06:36
and he's our incredible threat for many things,
06:40
for the long balls,
06:44
for the sense of goal,
06:45
but we have to adjust for the other players.
06:49
Do you see that in training,
06:50
that they can click?
06:51
Because you've been playing with him for so long.
06:54
No, it's not about the training.
06:55
I know the players have the sense of goal
06:56
more than the other ones.
06:58
Everybody knows there are players
06:59
with a sense of goal more than the other players
07:04
and you have to try to bring them close to the box.
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