The Club World Cup is about to begin this summer, and Manchester City coach Guardiola was interviewed by FIFA's official website before the Club World Cup.
How much do you look forward to leading Manchester City to this summer’s Club Cup?
This is an honor. This means we have performed well in the Champions League and in the domestic league over the past few seasons. This is a brand new event for us and I am looking forward to it very much.
You will have the opportunity to contact Manchester City fans in the United States, how important is this for the club?
This is really great. We have played preseason in Asia and in the United States. You can see that there are many fans in the stands wearing Manchester City's blue jerseys. Of course, our fan base has been growing over the past 10 years because people love watching our games and they ask for autographs with our players. This makes us very proud.
You will play against teams from different continents, do you like this?
Even in the Premier League, there are different coaches, different football cultures, and different game styles. Of course, you may face teams from Oceania, Asia, South America during the Club World Cup… with different expectations, different types of players and football culture. it's great.
You have won many trophies at Manchester City. What does it mean to you if you can win the Club World Cup?
That would be great, we will not deny that. But there are 31 other teams who also have the same dream. Usually when I start an event—like the Premier League, I never start thinking “We can win, we have to win.” You need to move forward step by step.
You have trained many young players in your career, such as Messi and Foden in recent years. What makes these special talents emerge at a very young age?
Their mentality. Technology always exists, maybe some players have better skills than others, but the difference is their mentality and how eager they are. This is what the greatest player has, and the others don't. This is the truth. This mentality may come from their parents, either through education, or their childhood coaches, or their teammates. There are many factors that can help them find this mentality.
How did you cultivate such talents?
I was influenced by some of my coaches, especially my mentor Cruyff. He helped me open my mind and helped me imagine my own way of playing. I'm pretty sure I might have had a hard time becoming a coach without Cruyff's impact on my player career.
You have lived in the United States for a while. What was that experience?
Yes, after leaving Barcelona, our whole family came to the United States for a year to rest. We lived in New York at the time and everyone knew it was a special city. You can definitely be busy there.
Who is the American athlete you admire the most?
I would say it was Jordan and Tiger Woods. They are two idols and they have transformed the global sports world.