Pep Guardiola Talks Yaya Toure, Jose Mourinho, More in Manchester City Presser

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stressed the importance of proving himself in the Premier League in his first press conference since taking over at the club.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was asked about a host of topics by the assembled media on Friday, including veteran midfielder Yaya Toure, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho and youngster Raheem Sterling. But the illustrious coach said it’s vital he shows he’s able to manage in what’ll be an unforgiving landscape, per the City Twitter feed:

The appointment of Guardiola has been greeted with a lot of excitement. He comes with an immaculate reputation and a defined style of football, one that will require City to make some significant changes.

Naturally, that’s triggered plenty of speculation when it comes to signings. However, the 45-year-old noted the important role club stalwarts, like Toure and captain Vincent Kompany, have to play, per Daniel Taylor of the Guardian:

“I have known Yaya for a long time,” he said, per Squawka News, having worked together previously at Barcelona. “He’s a huge talent.”

The City boss also touched upon how important it is for the captain to get fit again, per James Ducker of the Times:

Another topic Guardiola was pressed on is his rivalry with Mourinho. The former’s time with Barcelona overlapped with the latter’s stint at Real Madrid, and there were plenty of spiky exchanges during that spell, with both men striving to lead their team to the summit of the Spanish game.

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When Mourinho addressed the press on Tuesday, he sought to play down the significance of the rivalry, and Guardiola did the same when asked about the Portuguese, per Ducker:

The City manager also had some words of praise for Mourinho, as well as Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Chelsea’s Antonio Conte, all managers he feels have pushed him to make improvements:

Sterling was another figure that Guardiola spoke about in detail. The 21-year-old has been subject to plenty of ire in recent weeks after he turned in some poor performances for England at the UEFA European Championships.

Despite the criticism, Guardiola stated he’s excited to work with Sterling next season and inferred the £49 million transfer fee may be affecting the way in which he plays:

The unique traits of the English game are also something Guardiola admitted he was looking forward to sampling, even if it meant he was going to be without a full festive period.

“I never played on a Boxing Day,” he conceded, per BBC Sport. “I have never been to a stadium where it is windy and freezing and the pitch is not good.”

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And can he reproduce the bewitching brand of football that’s been on show at the Allianz Arena and Camp Nou during his spells as manager? “That's why I'm here,” was his response.

It’s an ethos he outlined pretty succinctly, too:

Guardiola did admit that he was “nervous” during the press conference, and that’s something that was clear in the way he answered some of the questions. Still, once the hard work starts, the steely determination and clear thinking he’s showed as a player and a manager will shine through. 

There will be new obstacles for Guardiola to conquer—a new culture, different styles, inclement conditions and an ageing squad—but he’s shown enough acumen and adaptability so far in his career as a coach to suggest he’s capable. Should he bring success to the Etihad Stadium, he’ll find himself with very little left to prove from a managerial standpoint.