"I love to attack"
Munich - He was hailed as the Messiah. Around 250 members of the media from all over the world attended Pep Guardiola’s official introduction at the Allianz Arena to hear his first words as FC Bayern Munich head coach.
This first public appearance gave the journalists in attendance a taste of working with the 42-year-old Spaniard: the former FC Barcelona tactician Guardiola usually doesn’t give individual interviews, but rather speaks to the media at press conferences.
The club, the players, the system and his expectations - bundesliga.com summarises the main points from Guardiola’s press conferences so far.
Pep Guardiola on…
…his appointment as FC Bayern boss: ”I see it as a gift. I want to thank Bayern Munich for this opportunity to become their coach. It’s a big challenge. If Bayern Munich come calling, it is a huge honour. I hope to stay here for a very, very long time.”
…pressure: ”That isn’t a problem for me. That’s why I’m a coach. There is always pressure at big clubs. And at big clubs, you’re given very little time. You have to work well from the start and win people over. It’s not the best place to start losing.”
…his football understanding: ”The players are the ones who influence the ball, not the coach. The fans come to the stadium to see our players. I don’t want to change things just for the sake of it.”
…his system: ”My system is very simple: Run, run, run with and without the ball, eleven players attack and eleven defend. I don’t like it when the opposition has the ball. I want to have the ball. And we want to score more goals. I love to attack! That it how I think football should be played.”
…strikers: ”We can play with proper strikers or with 'false' strikers. The system I choose also depends on the players’ physical condition."
…his players: ”Barcelona’s players are different to Bayern’s. I have to fully adapt to my players and their qualities. But I have noticed that Bayern have very, very, very, very, very intelligent players. They have reached the Champions League final in three of the last four seasons - need I say more?”
…his predecessor Jupp Heynckes: ”I have huge respect for his work. It is a great honour to be his successor and I want to try to maintain the high standards of my predecessor."
… Bayern's youth players: ”I have been told very positive things about the club’s youth system. We want to get many young players involved with the first team."
…the victory against his former club Barcelona in the Uli Hoeneß Cup: ”That was a special match for me. I have been a Barcelona player and coach my whole life. I am satisfied, there’s nothing to complain about right now. Barcelona weren’t at full strength, but the win was important for our confidence, for our rhythm."
…the Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund: ”We lost 4-2, but I don’t think Dortmund were that much better than us. Overall, I am satisfied with our performance and attitude, but we were playing against a strong team. Now we have ten days to prepare for our opening Bundesliga game. We will learn from our mistakes."
