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Tag: Guardiola

  • Guardiola confirms Aguero close to joining La Liga club

    Guardiola confirms Aguero close to joining La Liga club

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admits striker Sergio Aguero is close to signing for Barcelona.

    The Argentine is out of contract in the summer, and had already announced his departure from City at the end of this season.

    The 32-year-old scored a total of 260 goals in 389 games for the club over the past decade.

    “Maybe I reveal a secret,” Guardiola told the BBC’s Match of the Day.

    “Maybe he is close to agreeing a deal for the club of my heart – for Barcelona.

    “He is going to be playing alongside the best player of all time, Messi.”

    Guardiola added: “I’m pretty sure he is going to enjoy. And maybe Barcelona are stronger and stronger with him on the pitch.”

  • Guardiola reflects on Man City’s journey after reaching Champions League final

    Guardiola reflects on Man City’s journey after reaching Champions League final

    Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s ultimate target is now in sight after guiding the club to their first UEFA Champions League final.

    Manchester City produced a stunning performance against Paris St-Germain (PSG) on Tuesday to book their place in European club football’s showpiece event in Istanbul on May 29.

    Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as Manchester City won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to complete a 4-1 aggregate triumph in their semi-final.

    Reaching the final has been a chief aim of the club ever since their take-over by Sheikh Mansour began their accelerated ascent to the game’s top table in 2008.

    Guardiola has overseen the past five years of that journey, winning seven other trophies along the way, and he feels the club’s trajectory is now clear for all to see.

    “I think reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League helps us to make the bigger picture,” said the Manchester City manager.

    The Spaniard’s past success in the competition with FC Barcelona made him a target for the club years before he was finally appointed in 2016.

    “What we have done in these four years is incredible, in terms of the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cups, every competition we have played. But reaching the final helps us to understand what we have done.

    “Reaching the final in this competition is so difficult. It’s the toughest because of quality of opponents, the composure you have to have, the suffering in toughest moments.

    “We did it, we made an incredible Champions League season. We deserve to be there and we are going to play the final.”

    PSG were weakened by the absence of star striker Kylian Mbappe from their starting line-up due to injury.

    But they still hit Manchester City with a barrage of pressure as they looked to overturn their first-leg deficit.

    Yet Manchester City withstood everything on a pitch unexpectedly covered in ice after a heavy hailstorm before kick-off.

    They snatched the lead through Mahrez on 11 minutes after a quick break initiated by Ederson and then doubled their advantage through the same player just after the hour.

    The Algerian was grabbing his third goal of the tie.

    PSG then crumbled, with Angel Di Maria sent off and three other players booked in a petulant, ill-disciplined finale.

    Defender Kyle Walker felt victory was the least Manchester City deserved for an outstanding performance in what has been an extraordinary season for the club.

    The Carabao Cup was won last month and the Premier League title is set to follow, possibly this weekend.

    Walker said: “We still need to finish the job in Istanbul, but it is the icing on the cake so far this season.

    “Obviously we have an important game at the weekend against Chelsea, but we need to enjoy this moment. It doesn’t come around often.

    “I can assure you that, I have been trying a number of years to get to the final. We have finally got there and it is full credit to everyone.

    “I think this club needed this final, the players needed this final.

    “I’ve said it numerous times, with the amount of talent we have got in the dressing room, for us not to be in the Champions League final is a disappointment every year.

    “For us to finally get there is fantastic and it’s down to all the hard work, not just from the players but everyone surrounding the club.

    “We’ve finally got there and hopefully we can do Manchester City proud.”

  • Man City will suffer against extraordinary PSG – Guardiola

    Man City will suffer against extraordinary PSG – Guardiola

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola expects to “suffer” against PSG tomorrow night in their Champions League semifinal.

    City hold a 2-1 lead after an impressive performance and result in Paris last week as Guardiola’s side look to reach the Champions League final for the first time.

    “Emotions means you can’t predict a game, but it can be completely different to what you expect,” Guardiola said, at his pre-match press conference on Monday.

    “You can’t play 90 minutes like we played the second half. It’s not going to happen, it will be tough, we will suffer. I’m sure we will react well and impose. It comes from inside, visualise what we have to do.

    “It’s not different from what we’ve done over the last eight months, we don’t demand anything special. It’s real tough, the Premier League is the same level as PSG, you always play difficult games in the Champions League too.

    “To do what we’ve done this season, in the bad moments stay calm, take the ball, try to regain our momentum and try to win the game. How big will be our good moments will be the difference. After that belongs to the players, the desire to do something nice for us, to make a step forward, to individually say we will win the game.”

    On PSG, Guardiola continued: “They are an extraordinary team, everybody knows it.

    “They can create something nobody expects to win. Of course I look at their qualities, but it’s fresh what they leave on the pitch. At the same time we know how good we can be.

    “Tomorrow at 8pm we have to be there and do it again. It’s not complicated.”

  • Again! Guardiola supports Messi to remain with Barca

    Again! Guardiola supports Messi to remain with Barca

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reaffirmed hopes of Lionel Messi playing out his career with Barcelona.

    Off contract in June, Messi has been linked with City and PSG this season.

    But Guardiola told TV3: “I hope he can finish his career at Barça. Messi will not find a better home than Barça. The only thing to do, as our dear professor said, is to go back to the origins, to save the cause of things, which makes Barça special in many areas in the way they play.

    “The future of Messi? We know how to do it. The founding thing is already done. All you have to do is dust it off, put oil on it, nails … and start over. There is no better club to do it.”

  • I don’t need apology from board – Guardiola

    I don’t need apology from board – Guardiola

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he doesn’t need an apology from the club’s hierarchy over the failed European Super League.

    The Catalan said the saga was now a ‘closed chapter’ after all six English teams withdrew from the competition.

    Chief executive Ferran Soriano did apologise to fans on Wednesday, but Guardiola says such expressions aren’t necessary.

    “I know the guys and they don’t need to apologise,” said Guardiola of Manchester City leadership after the 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday.

    “My chairman and CEO, I know who they are, this is most important. … It’s a closed chapter, it’s over.”

  • City ready for Chelsea despite Champions League drama – Guardiola

    City ready for Chelsea despite Champions League drama – Guardiola

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has no concerns about his side playing their FA Cup semi-final so shortly after their emotional Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.

    City reached the European semi-finals for only the second time in their history and for the first time under Guardiola with their midweek victory in Germany.

    Just three days later, they face Chelsea at Wembley a”It is much, much, much easier – imagine playing that game after not qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals, it would be tougher,” Guardiola said when asked about playing two big games in a week.

    “I would love to have more days to enjoy our qualification, recover better for the game, but the schedule is the schedule and when you are a contender in all the competitions you have this schedule.

    “The guys are training well and tomorrow they are going to face one of the best teams in Europe and try to do a good performance to reach the final.”s they aim to keep their historic quadruple bid on track.

  • Why Mourinho superior to Guardiola – Ferreira

    Why Mourinho superior to Guardiola – Ferreira

    Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira says Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola should move to Porto.

    Ferreira insists Guardiola needs to prove himself at a lower ranked team.

    “I would like Guardiola to say ‘no, now I’m going to coach Porto, I’m going to Portugal to be European champion’,” Ferreira told ESPN Brasil.

    Despite these statements, the Palmeiras coach acknowledges that Guardiola is one of his references.

    “I admire him deeply,” he said.

    But Ferreira stays with Jose Mourinho ahead Guardiola: “It is one thing to reach clubs that spend a fortune to build final squads, and quite another is not to have that opportunity. In that sense, Mourinho won at Porto, at Inter fifty years after the last Champions League. For me he is a reference, if I see him, I bow to him.

    “I never spoke personally with Mourinho, we only exchanged a message. For me, he is a great reference in Portuguese football, it was he who opened the door to everyone. For my part, there will always be great admiration.”

  • Pep Guardiola speaks on Sancho’s Man City exit

    Pep Guardiola speaks on Sancho’s Man City exit

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists there’s no regrets losing Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund.

    Sancho will face his old club next month after City and BVB were drawn in the Champions League quarterfinals.

    Guardiola remarked: “I’m not sorry. If he is happy, then I am happy.

    “It was Jadon’s own decision. He is doing a great job at Borussia, all that remains is to congratulate him. He is an exceptional footballer. We wanted him to stay at Manchester City, but he wanted to leave, so we decided not to keep him.

    “I wish him all the best, except for the game against our team.”

  • Man City have no clear identity – Ancelotti

    Man City have no clear identity – Ancelotti

    Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti says Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have “no clear identity”, with that considered to be a positive for the Premier League leaders as they chase a historic quadruple.

    The Toffees will be looking to end that bid on Saturday when they host the Citizens in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

    City have been sweeping aside all before them at home and abroad, with experienced Italian tactician Ancelotti fully aware that he faces the toughest challenge in trying to pick holes in a rival that is almost impossible to predict.

    Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain coach Ancelotti told reporters: “I would like to talk about Manchester City. Manchester City are a fantastic team but they have no clear identity.

    “Sometimes they build up with three, sometimes with two, sometimes their right back goes to play as a holding midfielder.

    “They have clear principles. That is the difference.

    “Sometimes they don’t play with a centre-forward, they play with a No 10 as a centre-forward, so the identity of Manchester City is not clear. If they had a clear identity you would be more able to manage their shape, but the fact is they change their shape.

    “What doesn’t change is their principles of keeping the ball, having possession and to show the quality they have. The principles never change.”

    Goal

  • I speak to Guardiola, Wenger whenever I can – Henry

    I speak to Guardiola, Wenger whenever I can – Henry

    Arsenal legend Thierry Henry admits he is always in touch with former managers Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola.

    Henry had the privilege of playing under Wenger at Arsenal and under Guardiola at Barca.

    The Frenchman recently stepped down as coach of CF Montreal due to family reasons.

    Henry told FourFourTwo: “Whenever I see a coach, I always speak to them. Obviously, I speak to Pep, and I speak to Arsene whenever I can reach him. We speak because when I was a player and he was a coach, I was chewing his ear out. Now as a coach I want to know things.

    “Arsene triggered my brain – I needed that at the time.

    “I needed to be more confident, to realise what type of player I was and what I could do. I started to ask myself the right questions. I always blamed others, but I began to blame myself first.

    “I started to see how I could help others instead of saying to others, ‘Hey, you need to help me’.”

    Henry also stated he would love to one day manage Barcelona or Arsenal.