Pep Talk: “We should not think too much about the advantage we have..... it is these great teams, as well as Barcelona or Bayern... that could change that”

Pep Guardiola granted a rare exclusive interview to DAZN Global. In it, he hit so many topics.

Let’s dive in-

Pep Guardiola on replacing David Silva:

“Signing anybody with his way of playing and his quality is very difficult, especially replacing his competitiveness, not only his quality. His quality is unique and special, his ability to move in confined spaces...”

“What has surprised me the most knowing him in these four years together is his immense competitiveness when he plays.”

Pep Guardiola on potenially winning the UCL with Man City:

“I don’t know what I’m going to feel when it hasn’t happened yet. I tried it the first year, in the second, in the third and in the fourth. If I am involved in it, I’m trying to win it...”

“If I don’t win it, I will have failed but the important thing is to try. I’ve won it because I’ve had incredible clubs and incredible players, and I want to keep winning.”

“We should not think too much about the advantage we have. We know what an advantage it is. If there is a team that can turn it around, it is these great teams, as well as Barcelona or Bayern...”

“They know these competitions and how to play them. We are not going to make tactical changes to surprise Real Madrid - they know what we do. The only objective I have in the coming weeks is that the players come to the pitch to play football...”

“...without our people, to defend when they have to defend, to jump, to run, to encourage each other. Things are more simple. A team only has to have this. This is that I want to my team have.”

Pep Guardiola on Liverpool-

“The toughest opponent I’ve ever faced in my career is this Liverpool from last year and this one. If you let yourself be dominated, they lock you in the area and you can’t escape. When you dominate them, they run into space like no one else...”

“They are very fast going backwards. They are very strong strategically. Their players have great mental strength. [Klopp] is the rival who has made me think about how to beat him the most.”

It’s a long interview and in Spanish and those were some highlights. You can check it all out here.

Next week is officially Champions League week so keep it here for a look at the game, preview and more.