Guardiola congratulates Crystal Palace after Manchester City stunned in FA Cup final
17/05/2025
Wembley Stadium, London, UK
17/05/2025
Wembley Stadium, London, UK
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00:00Trophy. What were you thinking about that in this season, in that moment?
00:04Well, congratulations, Crystal Palace, for the first FA Cup.
00:08In his history, they played a good defensive game, and we controlled the transition,
00:14that the incredible threat, except the goal, and one more, and of course,
00:19difficult to control in the throw-ins, in the free kicks, and especially corners.
00:23But, yeah, we could not score in the last two games, so we played better than the Southampton game.
00:31We were more active. We were, I would say, really, really good in many, many things.
00:38We created a lot. We didn't score, and that's why we couldn't win.
00:44Pep, there were a couple of contentious moments. Firstly, Dean Henderson.
00:48Yeah, they asked me. So, asked to the referee in the BIR.
00:51Did you feel it should have been a sending-off?
00:52Ask to them.
00:54We didn't get the chance to speak to them, unfortunately.
00:56Me neither.
00:59Can I ask about Erling Haaland not taking the penalty?
01:02They decided on the pitch, so, I don't know. I didn't speak with them, I don't know.
01:13Pep, obviously, you seem to create enough chances to win two or three matches today.
01:18Sorry?
01:19It seemed like you created enough chances today to win two matches.
01:22With eleven plays in the penalty book, it's a sport. We create a lot.
01:26But you've only scored once in three games now. What can you put your finger on?
01:32Yeah. I think we fixed in the last month the problem that we had all the season defensively in scoring goals.
01:37But with the score, the opponent didn't score, we gave away a lot, a lot of goals, and in the last period we were so stable.
01:44We scored, we conceded five goals in nine games, so we are stable. We didn't create much, but lately we are not able. I'm not saying it's easy against Southampton, 11 players there, 11 players there.
01:59But we learned for many years, so we need good crosses, good people in the box.
02:04And I thought the game would be quite similar. I didn't expect as much, but I think it was quite similar for Southampton.
02:11And that we put more players in the box with proper wingers to win second to one, because Savinho in the first ten minutes, second half was brilliant, and Jeremy in the game was brilliant as always.
02:22And Omar and Erling in the box for the second ball, some clever actions from behind, from Nico arriving or caving.
02:28And we create, I don't know, it's much more in that position, you know, because they don't have time, always every, you know, goal kick and every action is take time, take time, they take out to the rhythm, and sometimes it's difficult to come back.
02:49But I think the chances were there in Southampton, no, especially second half, but the first half was not, but today, yeah, today was there.
02:55The chances were there, but we could not score. Sometimes football, it's happened.
03:00Simon.
03:01And you said that the players took the decision on the pitch on who should take the penalty.
03:05I remember a couple of years ago, Haaland handing a penalty over to Gundogan, and you weren't very happy.
03:10You said that he's your penalty taker and you want him to take the penalty kicks.
03:13Were you equally unhappy today, or were you happy to allow the players to decide?
03:17I thought I want to take it, but I didn't speak it.
03:20So there are questions in the meetings and there are things that are already for them, but...
03:25That moment for the freebies of penalties, especially, is how the feeling, you know, how you feel.
03:32And they decided, so Omar was ready to take it.
03:36I think Omar took a lot of time, you know, with the ball stopped, should be out, to take the ball and have to kick, you know,
03:44to not put more pressure on himself and also make a good save.
03:48You gave Claudio Echeverri the debut today, having never been on the bench before.
03:57What was the kind of, the thinking, the inspiration behind?
04:00My inspiration?
04:02I'm a talent manager.
04:03Was it a dream?
04:05Come true.
04:05I mean, you always say how difficult it is to be player.
04:11I want to be honest, I was not a bad decision to the way he played, the chances that he had.
04:16He had three chances in small spaces.
04:17I thought that, because I saw him in a training session since then, and that, listen, there is Kusanov, Victor, and him last four or five games always in the Tribune,
04:29and I don't like that.
04:30I know maybe it's special because if they're a cup, it should go to the other ones, but he's playing, moving really, really well in small, small spaces.
04:37He's so creative in that.
04:38And I thought during the game that, the last minute, so, you know, to find something with this type of games, when they defend it out in the box, this question,
04:47if I take the ball, I dribble one, make one two, shoot, and score a goal.
04:51So, another option is make a cross, cross, but that is, I think, Crystal Palace love it.
04:56And he had, he had the first shoot that normally is so clever there, and so precise, and after I have one or two more, like Nico have two more, and Kevin, the first half, and Erling, another one,
05:08so, the penalties, we had the chances, we had the chances, but unfortunately, we could not score.
05:14Hi Pep, can I ask about the decision to play Bernardo and Kevin as the holding midfielders, was that because Kovacic was injured?
05:21Yeah.
05:22Otherwise, Kovacic was injured, but he was injured.
05:25Do you think, injured, he doesn't feel good.
05:28Do you think that that ended up influencing the game in a, towards kind of helping Palace, that not having...
05:34Sorry?
05:34Do you think that that, having just one holding midfielder in Bernardo...
05:40I think, I think we didn't suffer, right?
05:44Defensively?
05:45I was thinking, oh, Kevin and Bernardo holding midfielders in the other one, but like, I expect a game in that way, I want Kevin in that position to deliver some balls.
05:53Unfortunately, we could not find him in the position that we wanted, but in the right side, is a defend deeper than Sar.
06:00That's why Nico, in the left side, we had more spaces to attack.
06:06But yeah, the game plan, it didn't work because he didn't win.
06:10But I think, in general, I don't have anything.
06:14Southampton, I had a bad, bad feeling.
06:16But today, of course, we are sad because we have FA Cup.
06:19FA Cup is, how nice is this Wembley and, you know, the anthem and the stadium, the two crowds, it's so beautiful, lovely day.
06:28So, we are here, we play to win, we play much, much better.
06:32For example, that game we play 5-2 at home, and much, much better than the last season when we lose against United.
06:39Today, we did everything, we don't concede absolutely few, we had the possession to create chances, we could create more, yeah, but it's not easy, I'd say that.
06:47It's not easy with 18 players there, and yeah, continue.
06:51Now, it's rest, recover quick for the last two finals that we have to next season play in Champions League.
06:56Do you think when Henderson stays on the pitch, it's almost destiny that he's going to save the penalty?
07:09Is that inevitable?
07:10Wow, I don't know.
07:11I didn't study about the destinies, about the universe and these kinds of things, so I don't know.
07:16I don't know is the reason why, but, listen, don't ask me about, ask the referee or the VAR, honestly.
07:28Can I ask, were you upset with, when you spoke to Henderson at the end, were you upset with their time wasting?
07:35Listen, he defend his position, we defend our position, it's not wasting.
07:40I understand in the last minutes, but since the one or two minutes he's British, you know, to the English football and how to play.
07:45I'm sorry, everyone can do whatever they want.
07:48We have to score goals.
07:49We didn't lose because Henderson was wasting.
07:51In the last minutes I understand that.
07:53But after it's true, they gave nine or ten minutes extra time, so at the end it's that, but it's a question of rhythm.
07:59It gets up for all the fans, you know, are there to let the 22 players play, play, play, play.
08:06So when you see Barcelona now, they're losing, attack, attack, attack, attack, and the other team attack, attack.
08:11The show is beautiful, you know.
08:14But I understand his position.
08:15When you defend, you want to get it, okay, it's a question of the referee, you know, it's not a question of mine.
08:20Because we don't have the rhythm that maybe you need, you know, again, again, again.
08:23And I understand when you're 92 minutes, 86, 87, you know, but I don't feel it.
08:30So my teams, I never try because I try to, you know, play the game like the people deserve to watch.
08:37That's all.
08:38Saying that, congratulations Henderson and Crystal Palace, because at the end they defend really, really well
08:43and we were not able to score a goal.
08:45Saturday, Margo, for 10.30 on Sunday evening.
08:47Martin, please.