Below is an excerpt from Pep Guardiola and Ruben Dias’ press conference ahead of Manchester City’s visit to the Allianz Stadium on 11 December 2024, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 CET.
“Juventus are Juventus. They are the most successful club in Italy, a team with a rich history and they deserve all our respect. Thiago Motta is doing very well, he’s providing a clear plan and direction to this group of players, and a complicated match awaits us. Juventus changed a lot over summer and it’s normal that it takes some time to reap the rewards of the summer’s work on the pitch. My first year in Manchester was a year of adjustment, we didn’t win any trophies, but then you all know how it went in the following seasons. It takes time to achieve the desired results. As for us, after practically nine years at the top, it’s normal that there are tougher periods, but we’ll get back to our best, I’m sure.”
“It is a very important week for us because tomorrow (Wednesday 11 December) we will face Juventus in the Champions League and at the weekend we will play the derby against Manchester United. Obviously now we are only focused on the first of the two challenges which will be very complicated and there are precious points at stake. We are going through a difficult period, but we must make the best of this situation to grow collectively, individually and as a team, showing our true value. Going to Juventus, we will face a fearsome team, who play good football. [Francisco] Conceicao? He probably surprised those who didn’t know much about him. I’ve been aware of his quality for a long time, so I wasn’t surprised by his performances. Francisco is a great player, but tomorrow we will focus not only on individuals, but on Juventus as a whole. We will have to put in a very good performance to achieve a positive result.”
Belgium
