Manchester City is back in official competition: this Saturday they will play the Community Shield final against Liverpool, at the start of the 2022/2023 season of English football. And 24 hours after that duel, his coach, Pep Guardiola, spoke on ESPN in a rich chat with reporter Miguel Simón.

In addition to talking about the challenge of starting a new cycle at the helm of the latest Premier League champion, Guardiola spoke more deeply about the arrival of Julián Álvarez to his squad.

“We are adapting to the calendar. The players will prepare very well for the World Cup. We will have to manage who is well and also who is not. There are no excuses,” said the Spaniard, who is clear that it will be a different year from everyone on the road. of the World Cup at the end of the year.

“The player lives for the day, the world post can influence him”, warned Pep.

In a speech with an Argentine accent, Simón asked Guardiola about Kun Agüero and his retirement from professional football. “It is impossible to replace him. Beyond the numbers, he has left a legacy here at Manchester City. He is sick of golf, we played together once. Now he can play a lot and he will improve”, celebrated Guardiola. . And he encouraged him in his new role as a football commentator: “I’m glad he plays sports. Who better than someone who has been there to talk about sports,” Pep told ESPN.

“Julian has already adapted”

On his pre-season tour, Guardiola had already expressed his satisfaction with having Julián Álvarez at the start of the season. But now he’s been able to expand on his concepts and praised the former River, whom he envisions on the pitch sharing the attack with Erling Haaland.

“We were not wrong with Julián. He is a team player. He has a goal, he has the goal between his eyebrows. It is an extraordinary purchase. We will use the work of (Marcelo) Gallardo and hope we can add something to his game. well, he has already adapted “, underlined the coach.

And he added: “Julian came from a great team, claiming to win and win. That’s River, as well as Boca. This is inoculated in the player’s head. We also bought that.”

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich player also talked about the possibilities of seeing Julián sharing the attack with Haaland: “If we play with a narrower winger, I see it complementary to Haaland. If we play with open wings, not so much.” .

“Julian has already adapted. The one who is good adapts in two half afternoons. The one who is a rascal is a rascal in Argentina or England”, remarked Pep, a football fan like few others.

Pep said he regretted Bielsa’s departure from Leeds. “I know he would have carried the team forward. What he has achieved is beyond any title. People love him, they put the streets with his name on him,” he said.

And finally, when asked by Miguel Simón which three personalities from the world of sports he would like to share a dinner with, Guardiola replied without hesitation: “Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Gregg Popovich”. Although later he added, with a smile: “If Manu Ginóbili puts the restaurant, we add it”.