Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland's new contract taking him till 2034, possibly transfers and the challenge of Ipswich on Sunday
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
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00:00Good afternoon, guys, hope you're well.
00:07Same process as ever, mics on either side,
00:09please be mindful that it's an open section that's a bit bigger
00:11because of Sunday's embargo.
00:13We'll set that embargo towards the end for 10.30pm on Saturday evening.
00:15That was Stuart, please.
00:17Pep, can I just start by asking you about Erling?
00:19Do you think he could set records in the Premier League over the next decade
00:24that might never be beaten?
00:28If you continue with the numbers since he arrived, yeah.
00:32It will depend on the team, it will depend on him as well.
00:36But it's exceptional news for all of us, for the club.
00:41When one player decides to sign this type of contract,
00:45never had done before, it's because he wants to show how desperate he wants to be here.
00:53All the agents and players always say,
00:56sign one or two or three-year contracts, next one, next one.
01:00Because ten years, many things can happen.
01:03That means a proof of confidence and trust for that club.
01:07Do you think he can improve? He's done a lot already.
01:10Can he improve, can he get better as a player in the course of the contract?
01:13The contract itself will not make him improve.
01:16It's himself or his desire, of course he can improve.
01:19All of us can improve.
01:21Just on another striker you're going to face this weekend,
01:23Liam Delap, who you know well, obviously.
01:27Do you expect him to do as well as he has done so far for Ipswich in the Premier League?
01:32He's doing really well.
01:34Many players who come up for this academy,
01:37they are settled perfectly in the Premier League.
01:40When he was here, we thought he was a typical striker for the Premier League,
01:45and he's doing really well.
01:47We are happy for him.
01:51Pep, you've mentioned about the length of contract.
01:54It is a big show of faith by Erling,
01:58given we obviously know about the charges,
02:02and we know what people are saying that might happen to the club if that goes wrong.
02:07That is a big statement by Erling,
02:10and everybody to commit to something when we know...
02:13Absolutely, it's what I said.
02:15It's the trust for the club to Erling,
02:18because you never know what can happen in the next year.
02:22But the club knows perfectly how professional he is,
02:24his commitment in every single game and every single day
02:29to show his talent.
02:31And of course for him, because in 10 years,
02:34you never know what's going to happen.
02:36It's a long, long time.
02:38In a short career, you always have to say,
02:41OK, we'll see what happens.
02:44And he proved what he wanted,
02:49and the trust, as I said before,
02:51the trust with the club.
02:53You're a manager, it's your job to get more out of players.
02:57What can he improve on?
03:00Many things.
03:04Of course, the club and the team,
03:07myself as a manager, we have to create an environment,
03:10create a lot of moments that he can intervene in
03:14when he's unstoppable.
03:17Because that is the best.
03:20And we have to, of course,
03:22in the relation and more than that,
03:24understand the game in general,
03:27what happens during the game,
03:29what are the decisions you have to take,
03:31you have to make.
03:35But I think he's so young, still young,
03:38and I'm pretty sure he's mature,
03:40that playing games and games and games
03:42is going to happen naturally.
03:45Pep, obviously you work with Erling Haaland every day.
03:49What motivates him?
03:51Is it trophies, is it personally to get better,
03:53is it milestones like goals?
03:55What do you see?
03:56I don't know.
03:57I didn't speak to him about what is your motivation.
03:59I think it's winning the next game.
04:01His motivation is to score goals.
04:03I know he helps us a lot being there
04:05and to score goals.
04:08Yeah, I think when...
04:11I don't have the feeling that he's a guy
04:13with the contract to say,
04:15OK, now I have this, I'm going to take a nap.
04:18I don't think it's going to happen.
04:20I think he loves to play
04:22and he's a huge competitor.
04:25But at the same time, the good moments
04:27and the bad moments have the ability
04:29to get rid of immediately.
04:31His mindset is really good to forget
04:33what happened in the good and the bad
04:35and think in the next.
04:37You also have been a player
04:39and now you're a long-time manager here.
04:41Have you ever known of a player
04:43commit their future to a club
04:45for anything like this length of time?
04:47Have you seen a player extend 10 years' contract?
04:49What has to go into a player's thinking?
04:51Because you've been a player too.
04:53You've been in a dressing room.
04:55I think he came from Norway.
04:57I think maybe the weather here
04:59is better than he was born.
05:03And he settled perfectly.
05:06What happened is that he loves the club
05:08and the people he's around.
05:10He loves the Premier League.
05:12He loves to be here with his wife
05:14and now his father.
05:16So I think he visualised
05:18that there is no better place
05:20that I could be right now
05:22in the next 10 years, I would say.
05:24And that's why he and his family
05:26decided to do this step.
05:28You weren't tempted by 10 years yourself
05:30when you extended earlier in the season?
05:32Sorry?
05:35Next season I will do 10 years
05:37if they are still here.
05:39He has to beat me.
05:43Is Erling fit for Sunday?
05:45Because we saw him go down
05:47on his haunches a bit
05:49during the second half at Brentford.
05:51Just wondered if he's fit to start.
05:53We'll see.
05:55Yesterday was day off.
05:57We're not going to train.
05:59We'll see.
06:01Some players finish with some problems
06:03Just one on Phil Foden.
06:05He scored twice in midweek.
06:07Obviously he struggled a little bit
06:09with fitness and form and illness this season.
06:11How close are City fans now
06:13to seeing him back to his very best?
06:15It's not bad what he's doing,
06:17I would say, lately.
06:19Phil, his mood, when he smiles
06:21and he arrives and talks
06:23and whatever, we have to be calm.
06:25In the first part of the year
06:27I was a little bit more concerned.
06:29Some niggles.
06:32His condition was a little bit more down.
06:34Apart from many, many...
06:36He's still a young player
06:38but he's already experienced many things
06:40in many years and sometimes
06:42you need to breathe
06:44and to come back.
06:46As much as, like I said,
06:48in this mood that happened
06:50in the last three weeks,
06:52his natural talent will do the rest.
06:56You always say when it comes to
06:58contract negotiations with players
07:01and transfers that you leave it to Chiqui.
07:03What was your reaction
07:05when he told you that
07:07Erling was going to sign for 10 years?
07:09I said, can you repeat?
07:13And he said to me,
07:15I said, sure?
07:17I said, yes.
07:19So, good news.
07:21That means...
07:23That means a lot.
07:25I know there's been no
07:27transfers announced yet
07:29but there's obviously work going on
07:31in the background at the moment.
07:33Players going for medicals, etc.
07:35You've always said that you've been
07:37really appreciative of the support
07:39that the board's given you
07:41when you've been in tough times.
07:43Is that, again, another show
07:45that they are still backing you
07:47in this position?
07:49They have shown it.
07:51They have shown it,
07:53not because they...
07:55Listen, when the players come
07:58here, being with
08:00his mates, with his manager
08:02or in other ones,
08:04it's a process for the club.
08:06The club has to decide.
08:08We have to change some players
08:10or the managers or whatever.
08:12These players are able to do it
08:14and that's why they decide.
08:16So, the trust always has been there
08:18and I think the last two months,
08:20month and a half,
08:22in other environments,
08:24I wouldn't be here.
08:27That's for sure.
08:29Always have been there.
08:31A normal contract extension
08:33probably would be important
08:35to that one individual player
08:37but there wouldn't be any wider impact.
08:39But because it's Erling,
08:41because of his status in world football,
08:43the length of the deal,
08:45is it the kind of news that has an impact
08:47on the rest of the dressing room?
08:49Players who maybe are looking to come here
08:51because there has been a little bit of uncertainty.
08:53Do you think it's the kind of thing
08:55that Erling does?
08:57For sure.
08:59Now the club, myself and everyone
09:01have to make the right environment
09:03for him to express every game,
09:05every three days, every week,
09:07the best of him.
09:09So, the players have to deliver the actions.
09:11With Kevin in his prime,
09:13Erling would be better
09:15and we would finish business
09:17in these actions.
09:19That is what we need
09:21and I'm pretty sure now in the club
09:24Hi Pep,
09:26Erling said he had a chat with you
09:28before deciding on his contract.
09:30Did you give him any advice beforehand?
09:32Before?
09:34When he was making his decision to sign the contract.
09:38I don't remember.
09:40I think he chatted with me
09:42when it was already done.
09:44After that we congratulated each other
09:48because he's making me
09:50a better manager,
09:53a better staff, that's for sure.
09:55He's helping me.
09:57The 10-year contract,
09:59was that the club's idea or Erling's idea?
10:01How did it come to that figure?
10:03Sorry?
10:05How was it decided that it was 10 years?
10:07It's such a big contract
10:09and you don't see them before.
10:11Was it the club or Erling who decided that?
10:13Who decided? I think both.
10:15So if the club will not agree
10:17to offer this type of deal,
10:19he will not do it.
10:21I'm completely pretty sure
10:23that I will live my 10 years of my life
10:25until I'm 34 years old
10:27and when I finish at 34 in this club
10:29he will not sign.
10:31I think both parties are happy
10:33and they did it.
10:41So moving on from who decided,
10:43why is it so long from the club's point of view?
10:45Because it is a long contract.
10:47I don't know.
10:50But you must know from the club's point of view
10:52why Chiqui and Ferran
10:54or whoever decided the 10 years.
10:56For example,
10:58the Mbappe deal, he goes to Real Madrid for free.
11:00Was it maybe to protect
11:02the value of this player?
11:04You don't want to see him walking away for free
11:06with his previous contract?
11:08I don't know the reason.
11:10I didn't ask.
11:12Because I think what happened in this kind of situation
11:14he feels it.
11:16He feels that it's the best
11:19and my career playing in this club
11:21is no more difficult than that.
11:23And of course he's a special player.
11:25To find a player like Erling
11:27is so difficult.
11:29To find strikers in that level.
11:31Once we have it, why don't we make the effort
11:33to keep him?
11:35The club made, I'm pretty sure,
11:37a huge effort to have him
11:39and they decided.
11:41I'm not saying he's as good as Messi
11:43but in this generation is he almost like the Lionel Messi?
11:45Nobody is like Messi.
11:48He's a different type of player.
11:50Of course the level of numbers, the score goals
11:52is a level.
11:54Anyone who is like Leo.
11:56Leo has been
11:58like Cristiano I would say.
12:00Both have been 14, 15 years
12:02scoring
12:04amount of goals every season
12:06arriving in the last stages and everyone.
12:08Erling is a different type of player.
12:10Everybody knows it.
12:12But in terms of numbers, score goals
12:14they are similar.
12:16I don't know in that age
12:18Erling has right now
12:20Leo or Cristiano
12:22how many goals he scores
12:24but it doesn't matter.
12:26All three, for example,
12:28maybe Mbappé as well.
12:30They have an unbelievable number
12:32so all of them are top
12:34but Leo can play in different positions
12:36and can produce
12:38many things for his mates.
12:40Leo is incomparable
12:42and I think Cristiano
12:45they are so close.
12:51Hi Pep.
12:53You have two Norwegians
12:55in your club.
12:57How is it to work with them?
12:59Two Norwegians?
13:01Yes, really good.
13:03Really good.
13:05Well educated.
13:07Lovely guys.
13:09Yeah, really good.
13:11Really good.
13:14Is it far away from getting back to the pitch?
13:16No, I don't think so.
13:18Still has a little bit doubts
13:20because it's a long time
13:22but as much as you make
13:24at training sessions
13:26by training sessions
13:28you'll be fine.