Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reacts to their 0-0 draw with Inter Milan in the opening game of their UEFA Champions League campaign
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
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00:00Evening, guys, same process as yesterday,
00:02please, we'll take some questions in English
00:04and then we'll take some from Italian media.
00:06Somewhere to start, please?
00:07Yeah, Jamie.
00:17Hi, Pep, two questions if I may.
00:19What did you think about the performance?
00:21And also, firstly, is Kevin De Bruyne going to be all right for Arsenal?
00:24I don't know, I didn't speak with the doctors yet.
00:27As I said tonight, maybe tomorrow.
00:29I will have more info tomorrow.
00:34We face a really, really difficult team,
00:37champions from Italy during the last two or three years,
00:41top-class team, physical,
00:43all departments have a good build-up with Sommar and Bastoni,
00:47and all the players, and transition,
00:49especially in the first half, being alone,
00:51with no pressure to the ball, you lose the ball,
00:53and when that happens against that team, they kill you.
00:55But I'm really, really satisfied for the game we played,
01:01and defending how they defend, they are masters of that,
01:04so deep, they help each other unbelievably.
01:07So you cannot expect to create a lot of chances,
01:09but the chance we created in the first half,
01:11one from Bernardo, and especially in the second half,
01:14so, so clear.
01:15In this type of game, the difference is that
01:17we play much better than the two years ago,
01:19the final against them in the Champions League.
01:24Yeah, I like everything on my team today, everything,
01:28and yeah, a little bit, you know, we prefer to win,
01:32but, yeah, still seven games, we'll see what happens.
01:35Simon?
01:36Hi Pep, just on Kevin and Savino,
01:39do you know what they came off with,
01:42what problems they had?
01:44No, I wanna, the reason why I wanna,
01:48against a team that defend 5-3-2,
01:50and every time the ball is one side,
01:52five players go there,
01:54they cannot contact with Rodri in that position,
01:55they allow you to go in that situations,
01:57and you have to turn the ball quick,
02:00and we need especially players in the small spaces,
02:03they move, Enrico, Phil and Gundo,
02:06they are the best that we have in that positions,
02:08in the pocket, in small spaces,
02:10for the Phil turn and shoot,
02:13and the two crosses that Gundo was there,
02:17the other players don't have this,
02:18have another qualities,
02:20and the way they defend,
02:22I was thinking after 35-40 minutes,
02:25I said, I wanna make this substitution
02:27after what happened with Kevin,
02:28and the doctor said to me,
02:30he was not ready to play,
02:32but I was thinking to change already anyway,
02:34in the halftime.
02:35Simon?
02:36Pep, you changed at halftime on Saturday as well,
02:40is that?
02:41It's a new version of Pep, yeah.
02:44I was criticized because with six substitution,
02:46five or six, six?
02:48Six substitutions, I didn't make substitutions,
02:50now I make substitutions at halftime,
02:52and Arsenal, we do it the same.
02:54But is that an indication that it's getting harder
02:58to pick the right team, almost?
03:01No, it's just, sometimes I don't like it,
03:04I have weapons in the reason why was what I said before,
03:09so we need it against this structure,
03:105-3-2 with the two strikers,
03:13Toremi and Thuram,
03:15and after Lautaro, go with Rodri,
03:17they don't allow you to find these pocket spaces,
03:20but always we can find it.
03:22And that's why I need to play in different specifics,
03:26and that's all.
03:29Rob?
03:30You wouldn't usually play a top team
03:32like Inter this early in the competition,
03:34is this a type of performance that lets you know
03:38that this group is ready to challenge again for the trophy?
03:41I know it's a long way to go.
03:42No, it's a long way to go.
03:44You know me for many years,
03:45I want to talk about the trophies at all,
03:47so we know how tough it is,
03:49but we play better than I said,
03:51I had the feeling,
03:52of course the Champions League,
03:54the emotion is completely different,
03:56it's in the first game at home,
03:57it's completely at home than Istanbul,
03:58so you have a certain advantage to play at home,
04:02but they defend really, really well,
04:04so I admire a lot the teams that have the ability
04:06to defend well.
04:08The transitions we can see the ball,
04:09because we lose the ball being alone,
04:11and that is impossible to defend,
04:13but we defend really well,
04:14we can see the clear chances with Lautaro maybe,
04:16in the transition,
04:17but not much more than that.
04:20And against Inter and Milan,
04:22I know how good they are,
04:23because you know,
04:24Varela is an exceptional player,
04:26and Kacan Aloglu,
04:27and they're a top, top class team,
04:30top, top team,
04:31so I know how difficult it is,
04:32we behave really well,
04:33so we would have preferred to win,
04:36but I don't have any regrets,
04:38so I like a lot everything what we have done today,
04:40tonight, everything.
04:42John.
04:43And Pep, do you think that Sunday's match against Arsenal
04:47will provide similar sort of challenges
04:49to the ones that you've had tonight?
04:51I don't know, I don't know,
04:52the idea for Mikel is going to play,
04:54I've had to read it and adapt it,
04:56but it's another unbelievable team,
05:01they defend really well,
05:02they don't concede chances,
05:03they don't concede goals,
05:04they are really good in many aspects,
05:06they control everything,
05:07so it was the biggest challenge,
05:09title contenders,
05:10the last two seasons,
05:11they are there,
05:12and they will be there for many years,
05:13because they created that depth squad,
05:16a young team,
05:20so it's another good test,
05:21but we are in September,
05:23so I like to see the team,
05:24many things we are better than in the past,
05:27we are reading better than in the past,
05:30what we have done,
05:31but yeah, we'll see what happens on Sunday
05:34and the next games.
05:35Last one, Angus for James at the back, please.
05:37Pep, obviously a really intense game tonight,
05:41and you've got another one on Sunday,
05:45it's a really intense week,
05:46very early in the season,
05:47and a lot of your big players
05:50actually haven't had much football,
05:51Foden's not made the start yet,
05:53it was Rodri's first start tonight,
05:54you might possibly without Kevin,
05:56Gundogan, Walker,
05:57Stones have only made one start,
05:59are you a little bit concerned
06:01it's potentially too intense,
06:05too early,
06:06or that you could go into that game
06:08a little bit undercooked?
06:09Maybe, but this is what it is,
06:12I don't control the schedule,
06:13the calendar,
06:14and we had to play Champions League draw,
06:18Inter at home,
06:19and now Arsenal was there,
06:21so no complaints at all,
06:24so it's what it is,
06:26players behave really well so far this season,
06:29since the Community Shield,
06:30we had a lot of problems in that game,
06:32but in Premier League,
06:33we behave really good,
06:35and today again,
06:37we play to win,
06:38we make a good performance,
06:41and yeah,
06:43we'd love to win,
06:44create more and more chances,
06:45but I give a lot of credit for the Open,
06:47and the Open is an exceptional team,
06:48I knew it two years ago,
06:49and when I faced them,
06:50Italian teams are so difficult,
06:53but yeah,
06:54we concede,
06:54and they create chances in the transition,
06:56some actions that they link with the striker,
06:58set the ball,
06:59and run the opposite side,
07:00there are masters to do this,
07:02they win one or twice in the game,
07:04but,
07:05so,
07:06yeah,
07:07it was good,
07:08in that level,
07:09in that period of the level,
07:10we cannot expect to make a good performance,
07:12so,
07:13I didn't expect it,
07:14the players know it,
07:15and they run,
07:16and they fight,
07:17and we create enough chances to,
07:19yeah,
07:20to be close to the win.
07:21Let's take a few Italian guys,
07:22Davide.
07:24Hi Pep,
07:26you complimented Inter,
07:28what do you think is the most important thing
07:30that Inter did to deserve this draw?
07:33It's a question for Simone,
07:36I know my consideration
07:38with that team is very high,
07:40I admire very much what they do,
07:43because I know that they have to defend 11 players behind,
07:47they know how to do it,
07:48they help each other,
07:48and then the transition is very fast,
07:52but when they play in Italy,
07:54when the other teams defend behind,
07:56they have the ability to make beautiful entrances,
07:58with six players,
07:59the wingers,
08:01two forwards,
08:02and two wingers with Valera,
08:06Mkhitaryan,
08:07Zilinski,
08:07or Fratesi,
08:09or whatever.
08:10So,
08:12yeah,
08:13I like how they play,
08:17for that reason,
08:18I have a great consideration for my team,
08:20for our team,
08:21because we know who we played against,
08:23and when we are able to do what we did,
08:29yeah,
08:29I'm very happy.
08:32Good evening coach,
08:33can I ask a small variation on the subject?
08:37For about a couple of years,
08:39in Italy,
08:39it's been said that Pep Guardiola
08:41did everything he could to try and bring Bastoni to City.
08:44I wanted to know if that's true,
08:46if it's true.
08:48And then,
08:50it's not true?
08:51It's not true.
08:51And then the last one,
08:52I wanted to ask you,
08:53why,
08:54if the reason is tactical,
08:55why does Holland,
08:56against Inter,
08:58always suffer a little,
08:59find little space?
09:00Is the reason tactical,
09:02or is it because he always has this man on him?
09:05A man on him?
09:05No,
09:06especially one.
09:07One?
09:08Especially.
09:08Oh,
09:09I see six on him.
09:11Six.
09:12Three,
09:13and three in front.
09:15That's what I see.
09:17It's difficult for everyone.
09:18You put any player,
09:20any player today,
09:20any player in the world,
09:23who plays there,
09:23with three,
09:24with,
09:26Bissek,
09:27Cervi,
09:27and Bastoni,
09:28five metres,
09:30with Cianloglu,
09:31Varela,
09:32and Zelinski.
09:33How can you help him?
09:35To put more players in there,
09:37what we did,
09:38with Gundogan,
09:39two balls he had,
09:40with Phil Foden in front of the goalkeeper,
09:43or transition,
09:44but transition has more legs than us.
09:46Physicality is stronger.
09:50The only way is,
09:50well,
09:51next to Erling,
09:52more players.
09:53And we had four there.
09:55So I didn't expect,
09:56look,
09:56when Inter defend this way,
09:58in any team,
09:58I don't expect to have
10:0025 balls and goals.
10:03It's impossible.
10:03They're very good.
10:05I give more credit to them,
10:07how they defend,
10:07than to us,
10:08who didn't do well.
10:10No, they do.
10:11But we had it.
10:12If you think about it,
10:13we had it.
10:14It's clear,
10:15in front.
10:16Unfortunately,
10:17we didn't do it.
10:17Somer was an exceptional goalkeeper.
10:20It happens.
10:21So,
10:22you started for them,
10:23you started for us,
10:24and let's see what happens.
10:27In the middle, please.
10:28Hi, coach.
10:30You talk about
10:31a Manchester City
10:32better than the final
10:34two years ago.
10:35How has Inter changed?
10:38It's true that football
10:41is round,
10:42but what did you miss today?
10:45Maybe you couldn't find
10:46that trick that would have
10:47allowed you to win the game.
10:49We did everything to win.
10:52We had more balls and goals
10:53than in the final,
10:53but the final is different.
10:55You can't compare it.
10:56The emotion,
10:57everything is different.
11:00We play at home.
11:01This game in Milan
11:03would have been different.
11:04They would have been
11:06perhaps more...
11:07you know,
11:10more forward than I am.
11:11But I have to say that
11:13they wanted to do it
11:14because they listened to the bench.
11:15Get closer,
11:16get closer to play,
11:17get closer to play.
11:18They do it.
11:19They control everything.
11:21Champions of Italy.
11:22Come on.
11:23When this happens,
11:25it's a great respect.
11:28I just have to say that
11:29I liked my team.
11:30We did that
11:31in this season of the year,
11:33with September and October.
11:34We're not at the top yet,
11:36but we did a good race
11:38considering how Inter are.
11:41Last question, please, Gareth.
11:43An extra question,
11:44let's put it that way.
11:45Many years ago,
11:46after Inter's treble,
11:48it was said that you were
11:49very close to coaching Inter.
11:51Me?
11:53Yes, it was said.
11:54As a player or as a coach?
11:55As a coach.
11:56After...
11:57After where?
11:59After Inter's treble?
12:02When Inter changed sides?
12:03When Inter changed sides,
12:04I went to Inter.
12:05After Inter's treble?
12:06No, no.
12:07Never, never.
12:08I don't know.
12:09In Spain and Italy,
12:10there were many goals.
12:12Would we ever have the honour
12:13of seeing the Italian champions?
12:14That was the question.
12:15I like Italy very much,
12:18but I'm very happy here.
12:20The English song is amazing.
12:24You have a lot of fun here.
12:27The tranquillity that a coach
12:29can find nowhere else in the world.
12:31The club is very strong,
12:37so I feel very, very good here.
12:42Welcome back to Italy.