Man City ended the Premier League season in third place with 71 points, only three behind Arsenal. Coach Pep Guardiola treated this result like a title win, especially after a hard season when the team almost missed out on qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
In his press comments, the Spanish manager said he felt very happy with how the season finished. Now, he is focusing on next season, where the Sky Blues face big challenges from champions Liverpool and other strong teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, and even Man United. United promised their fans a better project under their new coach Amorim.
Guardiola started by talking about getting a place in the Champions League. He said, “Finishing third feels great. It’s not perfect, but we’ll play in the Champions League next season, and that makes me really happy for all of us.” He also said, “It feels good, because qualifying for the Champions League is like winning the title. That’s how it is.”
Pep said again that he believes next season will be much better. He added, “I really believe next season will improve in every way.” He continued, “Do we need big changes? I don’t think so. Sorry, maybe we’ll make small changes, but I’ve got 24 players and I think they’re all great.”
Guardiola also spoke about the summer transfer window. He said, “Of course, new players will join, mainly in spots where we look a bit weak. But I’m not too worried about that. We’ve got a good team, they all have valid contracts, and they want to stay. So I’m not planning many changes.”
Guardiola: Players’ futures are not my job
The coach kept talking about next season and what his team might look like. He said, “We’ve got 23 players under contract. That’s not easy to change, so I don’t expect to bring in lots of new players. But we’ll see. The summer is long and we’ve got the Club World Cup. Some players might decide to leave if they think they won’t play much.”
Guardiola also stressed how important the Champions League is. He said, “I don’t know what the players will do in the summer. That’s not my job. My biggest goal was to qualify for the Champions League. The rest is up to the club.” He added, “We’re not at the same level as Liverpool, and that’s the truth. But I feel like we’ll do better next season.”
When he spoke about the Club World Cup, Pep said, “I don’t know how we’ll feel after the Club World Cup. If we feel tired and don’t get a break before the new season, the Premier League will be harder. But no matter how we feel, we’ll try our best, be ready on time, and fight for the title.”
Reporters asked Pep many times why Jack Grealish didn’t play against Fulham. He answered, “I left him out because I chose to. Who said I’m not happy with him? He’s one of my favourite players, and I didn’t leave him out for personal reasons. I don’t have problems with any players.” He finished by saying, “If he stays or leaves, that’s up to him, his agent, and the club. If he stays, everything will be fine.”
