Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gets defensive over player selection as City seal champions league football
25/05/2025
Craven Cottage, London, UK
25/05/2025
Craven Cottage, London, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00The season's come to an end now. I'm just wondering what you've learned from the season?
00:07I will tell you next season if you have learned something, because the experience you learn is fine, otherwise it doesn't...
00:16What can I say? It's a relief because today qualification for the Champions League is like winning a title, but it's a fact.
00:29And I know perfectly when you are in January, February, you had the feeling that this time you cannot win the Premier League or fight for the Premier League.
00:37There will be the tendency, the simple, like the player said, OK, like I don't play for the Premier League, I don't fight anymore.
00:43And in that moment happened, what happened in this club, many, many, in this country, many, many times.
00:47And after the winner of the Premier League, not even qualified for the Champions League, we could finish 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
00:54And you said to me, it's not true, it's true. And we never give up.
00:59Me the first, the staff and especially the players that even in the incredible difficulties go there, go there and finish third is really nice.
01:08It's not perfect, but we will be in Europe next season in the Champions League.
01:13So today is a, is a, for people maybe you don't believe, it is an absolutely happy, happy day for all of us.
01:22What would you put in terms of your challenges in England?
01:27Sometimes the challenges depends on difficulties, and this season has been a lot of difficulties.
01:31When you come up, we played an incredible FA Cup final, incredible, just to see the chances and everything you had.
01:38Football you lose, but we were there. And at the end we have defined the season even better, but you cannot win all the time.
01:44You cannot win all the time, but even knowing all the time, what is the damage? The damage is not finished 7, 8, 9, 10, and it's happened.
01:51Just look, take a look. The previous time, the previous winners, and we were there.
01:55And incredible problems that we know exactly what happened inside. And yeah, learn the lesson, like you said.
02:02But next season, no happen again, and I'm pretty sure next season will be better.
02:07What was the selection? The last two months, month, month and a half, I was five, six players at home every time.
02:19And now this time I decide for these guys. No more than that. I don't have anything.
02:25Of course, Jack has to play. That's the truth. Jack is a non-believe player that has to play football every three days, three days.
02:32And it didn't happen this season, last season neither. And they need to do it. With us or in another place?
02:39With us or in another place?
02:41I said with us or in another place, yeah. But that is a question of Jack, Edgen and the club.
02:46If he stays, we'll be fine. We'll fight like I thought since I arrived on day one to make the contribution,
02:52but not today is for something else. For example, in the FA Cup final, I'll rotate and Rico was not there,
02:59and Maka was not there, and Kusanov and Viktor and Echeverry were here, so it's the same.
03:05I tried to move the players like it was not, and today it was Jack. No more than that explanation.
03:11Ah, yes. Sorry. Still on Jack. You're all right.
03:14No, don't ask me about Jack. Please, ask me about Jack.
03:16You're not happy with him, and he's clearly not happy not to be playing.
03:19Who said I'm not happy with him?
03:21Well, you're not being selected.
03:22And? Who said? I said in my words I'm not happy with him.
03:26No, you've got a player.
03:27And? Yeah, I don't play the last games, neither play. He was in the bench,
03:30and Rico, for me, one of the favourite players I have, he was not selected, neither.
03:34Maka T played against Aston Villa was exceptional, and against another game he played against Vogue
03:39was exceptional, and today he was not selected, too.
03:41Why don't ask me about Maka T, for example? It's not about personal. I don't have any problems with the players.
03:46If you say I'm selected, we are in trouble. No trouble. We are not selected, we are in trouble.
03:51It's not about that. It's not about that. I have 24 players. I have to get rid of six players
03:56last game, today five, because Kovacic has sent off in the last game.
04:00Otherwise, I had six players at home, and I treat Jack like I think Jack.
04:04Now I think in Kusanov, I think in Viktor, I think in Maka T, I think all the players have not been.
04:09But it's not anything personal about Jack. Absolutely anything.
04:12I'm the person who fought to come here, and fought to stay here this season, the previous season.
04:17The one. The one that said, I want Jack with me. Yes or yes.
04:21So now it didn't come, because it didn't come, but not for something else.
04:25What happened in the future? Listen, it's a job from Hugo, from Chiqui, and from the agents.
04:30Not from me, because I'm going there.
04:33Next one.
04:34How important is it for what you want to do next season?
04:40A lot. For the club. A lot. A lot. A lot.
04:45And I think next season when we play the Champions League, we realise how tough it's qualified for the first state or the other one.
04:51But of course, we have to create a good team, good vibes, but we have time to do that.
04:56Now we have 10-15 days, a little bit off, not even 15, and after the World Cup, it's a privilege to be there.
05:02And with a good environment, good weather, we're going to compete in that competition.
05:08You said there was a season before that dropped to 10, 11, 12. Was there a point in the season where you would genuinely be concerned?
05:16Yeah.
05:17Yeah.
05:18And we pushed each other a lot, yeah.
05:20Do you remember when did you do that?
05:22No, no. January, February, still we didn't work well, but I think the last, except the first half against Northampton,
05:30that there was an incredibly low block, I didn't have players to win against one.
05:35The rest of the games we have behaved really, really good in the spirit that we had in the past.
05:40But, of course, we missed some things, but hopefully next season we can solve it.
05:46Yeah.
05:47Have you ever given a little bit of insight into the song search that you went through in November, December, January,
05:55by questioning yourself, to be able to give a little insight into what you like at that point?
06:00No, it's questioned myself at that period. Of course I questioned myself.
06:03I should do differently. For example, Maka and Niko and Riley didn't play much after they proved they could play,
06:10and the decision was not good, but mainly we didn't have the players that were on that level for injuries,
06:16another one we dropped a little bit, and we didn't have that maybe passion that we had all the time,
06:21and it's happened, and I tried, I didn't do it, but I said many times,
06:27you cannot win all the time, all the competitions you play, you play for.
06:31It's impossible. You cannot win on the Premier League of the season.
06:34But at the end, we are there. We finished third, and we could finish seven, eight, nine, ten. I know that.
06:39Look at the gap between, you know, the six. Look at Fulham or Vols when we play at home, and Brighton or Bournemouth.
06:49They are exceptional teams, exceptional. It's tough. And at the end, we were not good enough like the Premier League.
06:59Look who is the winner, Liverpool, with 83, 86 points. Before to win the Premier League, we had to win 95, 96, 97.
07:06Because it's the middle class rise a lot, and it's more difficult to win games, much, much, much more.
07:13And of course, we have to rise, increase our level for the next season. Otherwise, we will not compete to be until the end to fight for the titles.
07:21How much do you think you need, this one is fresh enough? Because I know you said, one time you need a bit of hurt.
07:31Listen, I have the feeling. The squad that we had that season, the beginning of the season, with Rodri, with Phil, with Ingers, always there are Ingers, right?
07:40So muscular, and today in the modern football, a lot. But this amount, amount of a lot, a lot, they have sometimes 14, 50 players available.
07:48In the toughest period of the year, I guess November, December, January, this country is terrible we have in that moment.
07:53When you have that, the squad is exceptional. So I don't have any doubts. If Rodri is there, and Phil there, and everybody there, the central defenders there, we have competed.
08:05The Champions have been better. I'm not saying winning because they deserve completely Liverpool to win, and Champions League, but we have been better, that's for sure.
08:14Ah, what's happening next season? The club is going to decide. So I give my suggestions, but in the end, the club decides what they're doing.
08:22But that is not the most important thing. The most important is how we create, again, our connection, our vibes between the players, between all of us,
08:30to go another game to prove, OK, we are a good team and we're competing everywhere. And this season, especially this month, we are not able to do it. We are miles and miles away.
08:40There is a perception that there could be an overhaul this summer. Do you see it that way? How tough does the club or the club make it?
08:52I don't have that feeling. I'm sorry. Maybe the club is a little bit different. We will see.
08:55I have 24 players and I see my players yesterday, the day before training. I said, oh my God, how good they are.
09:00So I don't have that feeling. But of course, new faces will come, especially in positions like we are a little weaker.
09:07But I don't think much. I don't think a lot. I don't think a lot because we have a good squad. They have contract.
09:12They will stay here and I don't want to have a man-a-man of players. So I remember the first season when we arrived, we qualified.
09:19Right here, we didn't win one title. Not like this season, we won the Community Shield. Like it was ten, nine, ten even plays and off contract.
09:27And we didn't accept except Yaya, Toure, the rest, we didn't extend. There you can make the changes.
09:35But today we have 23 players under contract. It's not as simple as that. That's why I don't have the feeling that it will come a lot of people.
09:45But we will see. The summer is long. World Cup. The players may visualize I'm not going to play. I want to leave. I'm not happy. I want to leave. I don't know.
09:52For that, I'm sorry, it's not now my business. I did my business, qualified for the Champions League for next year and the rest now belongs to the club.
10:00Last one?
10:01OK. Just with that in mind, do you feel, you talked about connection, do you feel you've got enough to challenge for the title next season?
10:12Or will it take a bit longer than that?
10:14I don't know. I never thought we won six Premier League in seven years. I never thought that we were able to do it. I'm going to win this.
10:21If you're expecting, I'm going to tell you now, next season I'm going to win the Premier League, you are wrong.
10:26But will it be better? It will be better, yeah. I will try.
10:31I'm sure you will. That's why you're paying a lot more money than I know. But I just wonder, when you look at these players and you say there's 22 great players, great squad, you sound very, very upbeat.
10:41So it makes me think that you think you can give Liverpool a run for their money next season?
10:46I don't know. For the money. For the money in Liverpool?
10:51It just means that you can challenge them.
10:53You can challenge them, sorry. I can challenge them. I don't know. We are miles away from them. So how many points are they in front of us? 14, 50 points, 60 points?
11:03So that is the reality. The reality. But I had the feeling the next season will be better. But I don't know how we react after the World Cup.
11:12We'll be exhausted without holidays this season for next season. That will be longer and longer. So I don't know. I don't know.
11:19But I had the feeling that as much you are fit, we will, yeah, we will try. We will be there. We will be closer, I would say. We will be closer.
11:29But at least at this, always we have done since I arrived, 80 plus, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90. This season I've done 71. 71 points.
11:39It's miles away. We have done our standards in the past. It happened for many reasons. I don't know exactly which ones.
11:45But next season now, you celebrate that and prepare the next one. Always football, sport, give you another chance, another challenge.
11:53And the challenge next season being there, if we prove ourselves and we are able to do.
11:57And the players have proved today, come here, beat that team and we did it.
12:01And that made me feel, still they have something inside, still they have pride, still they want to play against the best teams in Europe.
12:10You know that? And today they prove it. And that's why I'm really pleased.
12:16And thanks again for Kevin for his incredible contribution for this month, month and a half.
12:21We have to play all the games except today. The contribution to help us, you know, to win the Champions next season.
12:26Thank you guys. Good night.
12:27Good night.