Pep Talk: “The tradition from Boxing Day is massively important.”

Pep Guardiola is back and his press conference ahead of the Leicester match was refreshing. He spoke about Boxing Day’s importance, taking care of the players, injuries, the Foxes and much more!

Let’s dive in-

“The tradition from Boxing Day is massively important. It’s one of the characteristics of this league and why it is special in this period. It won’t change because it’s tradition,”

“The problem is the fixture calendar, 365 days a year with the international duties and huge competitions with a lot of games - this is the problem that must be solved.

“Of course, the welfare of the players and people should be most important. But this is the only country who don’t accept five substitutions, just three. Why?

“It’s much better for everyone, for these amount of games year by year in the competitions, but the Premier League or the clubs decide no.

“So that’s why what they decide for Manchester City, for myself, it will be okay. No discussions anymore.”

“Now we start training this afternoon and we will see. Every day we do tests. Maybe they arrive positive, or backroom staff.

“I cannot answer you now, but hopefully as much as possible we are ready for the game on Sunday.”

“Leicester remain Leicester,” he said. “They have a top-quality manager with exceptional players in all departments.

“Seasons have high and low periods. The club work well in many senses.

“Recruitment. But sometimes anything can happen, but they have the same value I give to them. They are exceptional from Kasper Schmeichel to Jamie Vardy.”

“It’s everywhere. I see newspapers online. Cases rise. Restaurants cancel dinners.

“It’s everywhere. What we want is to play the Premier League fairly. If there are cases, of course games should be cancelled.

“But I know how the meetings work, everyone looks out for themselves.”

“We are not going to bring in a striker,” he said at his press conference ahead of City’s game against Leicester.

“I hear it was very close but I have not heard from my club that it is already done, nothing official.

“They are negotiating. When the club confirm, it’s done, but Txiki didn’t say to me it’s done.”

Pep made a lot of sense in today’s press availability. Hopefully City’s good form continues.