- 6 months ago
Guardiola on AI, refereeing corners and Palace integrity
12/05/2026 embargoed
CFGA, Manchester, UK
12/05/2026 embargoed
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:03Hi, Pep. I think there was a game against Palace last season and afterwards Oliver Glasner was
00:09talking about high-intensity sprints because the part of his style is to have a lot of sprints
00:15and intensity. And I think at that time City were at the bottom of the table for sprints
00:21last season. Going into this season, a few months ago there was City have run the most
00:26and there was a big increase in sprints. But you were saying running too much maybe.
00:33So coming into this season, was that something you really wanted to improve, the energy compared
00:38to last season? But then with so much running, did you then have to say there's actually like
00:44a right level? You shouldn't run too much, you have to find the right balance.
00:49No, no. Running a lot is so important. That doesn't make you win games maybe and doesn't
00:57play good. But be the levels that you had that season, avoid to make it ridiculous. And what
01:06you have to try to do, don't be embarrassed yourself. And when you run in that ways, you
01:12never be embarrassed. And that's happened. And the levels are required, you have to do it,
01:16at minimum that. And after we see what we have to do with the ball, we have to do the
01:20patterns
01:20and be more effective and effective. That is what you have to, how is it to do? That's
01:25why I said, when I said the expression that the season had been exceptional, exceptional,
01:30have been really, really good for that reason. So we cannot regret anything in that term.
01:34So we had to do many, many good things. A completely different question. I don't know
01:39if you saw this a couple of days ago, the La Liga Twitter account, they posted an AI video
01:43of Barcelona greats like Cruyff was on it, Ronaldinho, Messi, you were on it. What do you think
01:51about AI and the fact that as a famous person, anybody could make a video of you?
01:57I'm sorry, I'm sorry. The word not to scare because in the world happened many, many
02:00other disaster things that think about that. But I saw in GTP on the other one, some statements
02:05and comments on Twitter, the other one, I never done. So I remember a month ago, I said,
02:10Pep chose the best 11 of his career. I never done that. I never do it, did it, and I'll
02:17do it, and I will never do it. We'll have much respect for all the players I had. And
02:20oh, Pep said that, and the people are sad to say, oh, Pep, they choose these players and
02:23the other players. And of course, I'm concerned because they put words in the people like it's
02:31even a public figure. It doesn't matter the subject. And said the statement that you have
02:35done, how you control that. But that is the danger, you know, the fake news and the incredible
02:40linked things that it's not happened, that the chat GDP, you had to make an exam or had
02:46to do something, you go there, they do it for you, you don't have to work here. And I don't
02:50know what's going to happen in the future, to be honest, I don't know.
02:53Is that something you talk to your children about, I guess?
02:56Sorry? Is that something you'll talk to your children about, to make sure that they still
03:00use their heads? My children are adults, again. They have a boyfriend and girlfriend, so they
03:09are adults enough. But of course, it's completely the subject that we had in the past, because
03:14in social media said, and today, you know, put your faces there. I said, I didn't do this
03:20interview. So, yeah, it's where it is. Hi, Pep. The end of this season is 10 years that you've
03:29been at City. I wanted to ask about the change that you've gone through at the club in terms
03:34of kind of the playing style, because the principles are the same, but each of the different versions
03:42of your team have had kind of different ways to play. How much has that been driven by you?
03:48Oh, it would be so boring to do it in 10 years, the same touring sessions, the same way you
03:51had
03:51to play against the same different opponents. It would be so boring. So boring. If I had to do
03:57the game plan every day, the same, and they play five in the back, no? Crystal Palace,
04:03more zonal, so the opponents, they don't play five in the back sometimes, so it's different.
04:06So it would be so boring. I had to change. No, no, I don't want to do the same. And
04:10especially
04:10because the players are different 10 years ago. I don't have company now. Companies that play
04:15in the semi-finals, the Champions League, so we are not the same. How much of it is also driven
04:22by
04:22kind of what the opposition do to try and stop you? How much is you having to adapt to what
04:29other
04:29teams have done to adapt to you? We are a stoppable team, so that's why they have to adapt.
04:35No, sometimes, yeah, adapt, yeah, of course. The managers are different, the way they play.
04:40When I arrived 10 years ago, it was different than managers. I don't know, when I'm eldest one, no.
04:46I don't know. Most of the language service, and the managers still am. So they change a lot.
04:51A lot of managers change, and that's why the new ones and new ideas, most of them are new ones,
04:58new generations, incredible well-prepared, and the technology that changes a lot.
05:06Yeah, you have to adapt. And it's nice. It's really, really cool in that terms.
05:12There's some tiredness among the players, I'm sure, but with just a few games left in the season,
05:18is it where everyone's kind of sticking their hand up and saying,
05:21I want to play every game? Sorry?
05:24Is every player kind of just pushing through that tiredness for the final few weeks of the season?
05:30No, it's not tiredness. It's just the last games of the season. And, yeah, it's one week and a few
05:39days,
05:39so a lot of games in this time, and the next one is Crystal Palace.
05:44And I know you sort of, you never want the players to get too up or too down, really,
05:50but there's an FA Cup final, Premier League still going, kind of it. How much excitement is there?
05:58It's the same like it was weeks ago, so it's tomorrow eight with our people and our fans.
06:05It's the previous last game in the season that he had this year,
06:08and I always be prepared with the fresh and with the mentality to win the game and go there.
06:15This is what they have to do.
06:18Hi, Pep. Jeremy Doak, who's finishing the season really strongly.
06:22He's still only, what, 23? Presumably, is there a lot more to come from him?
06:27What are the sort of limits on him and how far he can progress?
06:31I think not just finish. I think all the season has been really good.
06:34Really, really good. And the limits in him. The players want to be better, will be better.
06:41The players live all his life being trained to be a better player and prepare the bodies and mindset
06:47to be better, will be better. Depends on him. Players always belong to them, how we want to become.
06:55And I know you said you sort of relaxed about Crystal Palace and their team selection for these two games
07:00against you and Arsenal, but we've seen a lot of this the last couple of weeks.
07:03Aston Villa and Forrest both made a lot of changes before their last semi-final.
07:07Villa lost at home to Tottenham after eight changes, I think.
07:10Is this something the Premier League, without talking about Palace specifically,
07:13but as a general principle, is it something the Premier League has to be aware of?
07:16The danger at this stage of the season that teams might put out what would be construed as weakened teams?
07:22Leave the managers do what they have to do. As much less the Premier League is involved in all the
07:27decisions,
07:28it will be better for all of us. So leave the managers do what they have to do. So, no
07:37problem.
07:39I've obviously been without Rodri for a few weeks. Are you able to sort of explain what goes through your
07:44mind
07:44when you're setting up the team when he's not available, someone that's sort of powerful
07:48and can read the game like nobody else in that position on his own?
07:53How does that impact how you select players in sort of other positions sort of tactically?
07:59Rodri, as I said many times, I've been almost one year and a half without him,
08:03and he's the best player in his position when he's fit. The team feels better with him,
08:11but we had now Kovac coming back and Nico and Salah helped us a lot.
08:15And sometimes you require this type of players or this type of things in some players to do what you
08:22have to do.
08:25And we have, yeah, Bernardo Berni played last game. It was exceptional, but really, really exceptional.
08:31The game we played against Brentford, him, and yeah, really pleased with that.
08:40Because you could obviously play Rodri as a solitary six on his own, but without him you'd probably have to
08:47play two.
08:48So does that have a knock-on impact on sort of further up the pitch?
08:53Yeah, sometimes we play two. Some players in the market will be just one, sometimes they rotate.
08:58It depends. But of course, we have a really good player there in that position.
09:06Last season, Rodri was not there, but I said many times, it was not just him.
09:11People believe it's him. No, because this season has been three-quarters of the season without him.
09:15Look how good it has been. So it was many, many other reasons, nothing there were,
09:20especially we have many, many inches in other subjects. But of course, the team is better with him.
09:26That is an obvious, obvious reason. But when you are not there, we cannot sit and wait.
09:31It is coming back, you have to move on, and we have done it. And that is really good.
09:37Palace have been good from set pieces this season. This season in particular,
09:42have you had to change your preparations for games in terms of the opposition set pieces
09:47and how they are refereed in and around the goal?
09:52Yeah.
09:54In particular, the referees. Are you saying that you have to engage more?
10:04It has been set. Everything has been set.
10:08Do you think that is a good thing?
10:10Crystal Palace. The rest has been set. It is a question for the referees.
10:19Is there a chance Roderick could miss the World Cup?
10:22No.
10:23Okay, thank you.
10:24You're welcome.
10:26Well, yeah, there is a chance if De La Fuente don't select him.
10:30That is a chance. But I think we will take caring for him to be in the World Cup.
10:39Hi Pep. A lot of pundits seem to think that when Arsenal won on Saturday,
10:42Sunday, that that was the end of it. You've got to still believe there is a chance?
10:47We play tomorrow at 8, yeah. And we go to Bournemouth.
10:50Yeah.
10:51Yeah. In the last game in Aston Villa here, we do it too.
10:54How important is it to take it to the last day?
10:57The important is tomorrow.
10:58Yeah.
10:59We will see what happens to the next one.
11:03So, always I learned when you lose the focus, you are in dangerous situations.
11:08So, and always I think that only we can do when we have to do it better.
11:14That is only in control.
11:16So, and we lost the two finals in the FA Cup because the referees didn't do the job that you
11:26should do.
11:27Even the BAR. The two finals in the FA Cup.
11:30And when that happens, it's because we have to do better.
11:33Not for the referees in the BAR. I never trust anything since I arrived a long time ago.
11:39Always I learned that you have to do it better. Do it better.
11:42If you are in that position, you better because we have to blame ourselves.
11:44That is what you have to do because that is a coin.
11:49And you have to do better, better for yourself.
11:51And that is Crystal Palace and focus and focus and focus.
11:53Of course, it's not in our hands in that particular Premier League and the other one.
11:58And always I said the players when I arrived here was in Barcelona by Munich guys.
12:02So, do it, do it, do it, do it better.
12:05Because the other one is a job for the, you know, for the statements or institutions that rules and, and,
12:13and, and,
12:15and the competition.
12:16Just a quick one, Pep on Nathan Aker.
12:19He's hardly played this season, but you've brought him in for some big games and he's done great, hasn't he?
12:24Listen, Nathan is maybe sometimes not realistic in physicality, but there is a few players more reliable when they play
12:30like him.
12:31What the job has to do in terms of what he has to do with the ball or without the
12:35ball.
12:36In terms of focus, Nathan is one of the best I ever, I ever faced.
12:39It's just unbelievable.
12:41The problem is sometimes when it's every three days, three days, three days, he struggles.
12:44But look at the final Carabao Cup or semi-finals or last game, for example, against Renford.
12:49Like it's completely shade and how they attack him behind the space and the pace and they do it.
12:57Wow.
12:57Nathan is, a part of that is one of the most incredible teammates for the manager, teammates for his teammates.
13:05Like I have an incredible sign from Bournemouth, incredible sign for this Turner.
13:09We play the final Champions League in Istanbul, so that means how reliable he is.
13:14Top, top guy and top player.
13:15Do you think he might want to move on in the summer, Pep?
13:17Because you are...
13:18I have contract, I think, one more year, right?
13:19You've got one more year.
13:20I wish he'd stay with us.
13:21I wish he'd stay with us, but I don't know what's going to happen.
13:25Thank you, everyone.