In the upcoming Premier League match, Manchester City will take on West Ham United. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with West Ham.
Whenever it ends—six months, six years, whenever—you will…
Are you friends with him?
When you leave, do you have a say in who you want to succeed you?
No.
Will you leave the decision to…?
I am happy here. I want to stay here. What can I say? Ultimately, the decision lies with the club, myself, and results, because it always comes down to results… That’s it. The club will choose the most suitable person to continue this glorious period for Manchester City, you know.
But what can I say? I can’t keep talking about what’s going on there. There have been so, so many rumors over the past few years.
What can I say? I want to stay here. So that’s where my mind is at.
On Whether He Is Excited About the Team’s Current Stable Performances in Terms of Development
Are you excited about how they are starting to find consistent form in terms of the team’s development?
I am excited because there is room for improvement, and that’s what I love. There is room for me to get better, room to progress, to do things better. That’s the best outcome, the best possible outcome.
This is not complacency, nor is it… At the moment, I think we have a good judgment of what is happening. My staff have very good minds, capable of reading the situation and making it better.
So, we are currently third in the Premier League and fourth in the Champions League. That’s our current standing, with two games remaining. Keep winning in the Premier League, and we have reached the League Cup semi-finals again.
We will face the defending champions. That’s what motivates me. I got up early this morning, came here, and watched their game against Renfrew. The things they did well, the things they didn’t. Analyze the game, prepare for the next match against West Ham United, and use this as an opportunity to keep improving. That’s what it’s all about.
Is that enough to achieve the goals? I don’t know. I mean, if we don’t improve, I feel we still have gaps, and we won’t be able to win enough games.
You know, we won’t be able to lift any trophies. That’s the reality, and I am honest with myself. But the problem is not the desire—they don’t want to do it.
Even so, there are still areas where we need to improve.
On Whether the Team Has the Potential to Become Another Great Man City Side
But do you think this team has the potential to become another great Manchester City side?
We already have a lot of the ingredients, but there are other things needed to be champions. Because we have the experience, we deserve to be champions. But we are not there yet.
There are still some details we need to get right, but we haven’t done so.
On Whether Talk of His Future Bothers Him
Your focus and motivation are on the team and the team’s preparation. So, when people talk about your future—yesterday, today—does it bother you?
No. I know my job. I know exactly what my job is and where I stand right now.
I have always been here. I come to these press conferences every few days, and you can ask me—ask me anytime, my answer is always the same. Last season was really, really tough.
I didn’t give up. I stayed the whole time. From what I can see, this season is much better than last season in many ways, but I am still here. It depends on how I feel.
I feel good right now. That’s why I want to keep going here. Situations can change.
Maybe. I don’t know, but that’s not how I feel at the moment. I want to keep going with the players for as long as possible, for as long as I can.
On Whether He Texted Hugo or Others to Ask If They Want to Push Him Out
So you didn’t text Hugo or anyone else to ask if they are trying to push you out or anything like that?
I don’t need to text Hugo. I see him every day. We have coffee together every single day.
Maybe we will be busy in the January transfer window, but I see him daily. But I have said the club has to be prepared, just like it was with Txiki, because I am a bit of an eccentric person. Maybe I will wake up one morning and say, I’m leaving.
Goodbye, goodbye. So they have to be prepared, but that’s not the case right now.
On Whether Helping Players Improve Is One of His Motivations
I guess you’re saying you’re enjoying everything right now, and there’s still a lot of room for the team to improve. You mentioned wanting to specifically help the players develop. Is that also one of your motivations?
Absolutely.
Do you want to see these players improve?
Absolutely. The new coaching staff motivates me. The new players also motivate me. If I worked with the same players for 10 years, I would get bored of them. You can’t imagine how bored they would get of me.
So, new players have come in, but they all joined in the last transfer window, and we had a lot of problems last season. In terms of injuries, many people had issues. That makes me feel like I want to help them. How? How can we progress?
Integrate into the team. We are doing things differently from the past. So these things… It’s always the same—same tactics, same players, same people, everything the same. In the end, if that’s the case, you can’t stay here for 10 years.
No chance. I always need challenges, right? To take on challenges.
I always need something. Passion comes from many other reasons. You know what? Part of it is about trophies—I fight for trophies. In the end, when it comes to trophies, I would say I have won everything. You know what I mean?
I think you have to find something new that still makes me feel like I love doing this. Do you understand?
