A classy farewell gesture and choosing a new captain – Every Word from Pep Guardiola’s Fulham preview press conference | OneFootball

Manchester City will close out their 2024/25 Premier League season with a visit to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

While there will be no major silverware for Pep Guardiola and his players this campaign, their competitive requirement has gone right down to the final day with qualification for the UEFA Champions League remaining in doubt.

After defeating Bournemouth 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night to bounce back from their FA Cup Final defeat to Crystal Palace, City need just one point to bag themselves a top-five finish in the Premier League and a spot at the top of European football next season.

Defeat to Marco Silva’s side will leave a nervous wait for Manchester City’s players at the full-time whistle, to find out whether they will be competing in Europe’s premier club competition or challenging for Tottenham’s UEFA Europa League title.

Speaking during the embargoed section of Pep Guardiola’s pre-match press conference, the Catalan coach discussed a number of subjects including the positive spin on the season that could come as a result of Champions League qualification, and the vote for a new captain.

Following the release of the second-half of Pep Guardiola’s pre-match press conference, here is every single word from the Manchester City manager ahead of the final game of the 2024/25 Premier League season!

On what UEFA Champions League qualification in a disappointing season says about Manchester City

“I’m disappointed, you know perfectly my opinion of that. It’s just, ‘Guys we have one game away, 95 minutes, and we have to take a result to go there [into the Champions League]’.

“And after, the analysis of the season we have done during the process and in the end we will be more careful what happens, what we believe is going to happen, anticipate the decisions, what we have to do for the best future for the club.

“And it’s easy to take it, being a champion or not champion, but if you don’t qualify, we will survive. We will move forward, we will go there, and we will take decisions that we have to take. And the club, I’m pretty sure, is thinking and taking for the best.”

On whether qualification for the UEFA Champions League would make it overall a successful year for the club

“I would, listen, about putting a name or adjective on the season, we can take it after. I know the season has been not good, but of course, always it can be worse, right? Just focus on what we have to do to win the game.

“After that in the press conference, when we wake up, we travel there and we talk and we can see how the season has been, and what we have to do to get better. At the end, the question is not about you can fail, you cannot be good, you could be better.

“It’s OK, it’s what it is, what you have to do to be better. This is, even in the good moments, bad moments, always the target, you fall down, OK stand up again, do it again and do it again. The big teams are always like that, it’s how you stand up every time, when the situation is maybe not perfect, ideal. And this is what we have to do.”

On sticking to your convictions despite calls for a change of style or selecting another player

“If they show me playing a certain way, I’m going to take the result, a point, or three points, and I will do it! So when I change the principles, I change the principles, then it means I want to sit back and I want to make a transition, or another way we’re going to play.

“I take the points, I will do it. I promise you, I will do it. But I don’t know if it’s the way. I think the best way to take a point is going to take three points to win the game. So we have to expect to defend for 95 minutes to take a result and just focus on the result.

“You have to play thinking what you have to do on the pitch to beat them, not just thinking on the result. And if in the last minute you have to defend the result because it happens, of course, if they play better, we have to defend, there’s no chance.

“But of course you have to try to play to score and win games.”

On never sending a team out from the start to defend

“No, no it’s not going to happen. If it happened it’s because we are playing bad that game and the opponent is much better than us. And after we don’t have an alternative.

“It happened a few times this season, like we want to do it, it didn’t work, then you have to defend because of course when you have the ball and they run, you have to run backwards. But not for many ideas. The best way to get a result is to try to play to win the game.”

On whether that is a key thing for a manager; to have the courage and convictions and belief

“The manager is good if you win, if you don’t win, the decision is bad, it’s wrong. So if you make any plan and you win, ah that’s really, really, really good. We are judged for the results, not for the way we want to approach.

“I thought after many, many years that it could be like that, but it’s not like that. The manager is good if they win, if they don’t win they have problems.”

On whether he will let Manchester City’s players decide on the club’s next captain again next season

“I have to reflect, I have to think about it, yeah.”

On whether he will tell someone to be the penalty taker for clarity

“No, no penalties on the pitch is, everybody knows who is normally the taker, it was before Sergio [Aguero], before another one and after there are feelings on the pitch. Respect the decision they take.

“They play, I don’t play and I never said many times, thousand million times, I never as a manager won a game, never ever. I never took a penalty, I never saved a penalty, never ever. So it belongs to them and when they decide to take it, it’s fine, we decide to take the free-kick, it’s fine, we can suggest, we can make a pattern, but they play.

“I’m not going to win against Fulham, I’m not going to lose against Fulham. I’m there to support them, to give, ‘OK we’re going to do that’, but they play. All the success we had belongs to them, absolutely.

“Of course but I’m here every three days talking my ideas or talking about these beautiful questions you ask me, I answer, that’s nice, but I’m not, I’m not, it’s not that I don’t take responsibility.

“With all the managers sitting here, they know when they are losing, we’ll be under scrutiny, so we know that, but I never, I never won a title, I never, I never kick a ball and it’s simple, so it belongs to them, that business belongs to them and I want to encourage them to take responsibility to take it.

“It’s better, after you have more satisfaction and I don’t take away my responsibility on that at all, but football, penalties, actions belongs absolutely to them.”

On whether he could choose the next Manchester City captain

“No, no, no, no, no, no, I don’t say that. I’m thinking I’m going to do in the future, yeah, but I didn’t take the decision, you will know it, you are a smart journalist and you will know behind the scenes.

“So we will do it, we have time, so it’s not important at all. We have a really, really good captains right now, really, really good ones.”

Following the conclusion of the press conference, Pep Guardiola interuppted to ensure that a moment of appreciation would be given to the club’s long-standing press officer during the Catalan’s time at the Etihad Stadium thus far.

Pep: “Oh, Alex is his last day here [at Manchester City]. You can make an applause please! Some words, come on Alex, some words for the audience. Let’s go Alex!”

Alex: “Thank you.”

Pep: “Ahhh! He doesn’t keep the pressure. Alex say something nice to your colleagues, come on. Let’s go.”

Alex: “I wasn’t prepared. Yeah, can I take you all out one by one. Thank you very much, it’s been 10 years…”

Pep: “Tell the offer… It’s so much good the offer!”

Alex: “I mean…”

Pep: “You cannot reject it!”

Alex: “I can’t talk about things like that… No, it’s been the best, it’s been the best, I’ve had the best time and I’m very, very grateful for all of your support, but sitting next to you [Pep Guardiola] has been amazing, so thank you.”