Pep Guardiola was in a buoyant mood as he addressed the press in the build-up to Saturday's Champions League final in Istanbul.
Manchester City's squad trained ahead of the upcoming Champions League Final on Saturday, and it was time for the players to talk to the media, along with Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola will be looking to complete a successful season with the final piece of the jigsaw against Inter Milan and bringing the Champions League trophy back to the Etihad Stadium.
This could be the best chance City has of winning the tournament, something Guardiola knows all about, but Inter won't be a pushover as they look to show they can perform against the best the Premier League has to offer.
(Photo by IMAGO / News Images)
For City, this was the first media day focused on the Champions League, with another scheduled once they arrive in Istanbul.
"I don't know. I can't speak for the players; some were there, some weren't. It's a different situation," Guardiola responded when asked about the 2021 final defeat against Chelsea.
"Two years ago isn't long, and of course, we want to finish differently, but we have to know exactly what we have to do.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (right) and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel on the touchline during the Premier League match (IMAGO / PA Images)
"In terms of approach, what to do with and without the ball. It's about what you do in 90 minutes; we accept what the people say, no problem at all."
Using motivation from that defeat in Porto didn't seem top of Guardiola's list as he continued to explain.
"One week ago, we won the FA Cup.
"Last time [Champions League final in 2021], we had lost twice to Chelsea, and we had doubts coming against Thomas Tuchel's side. Chelsea had incredibly good patterns to play and punish us."
Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, speaks with Thierry Henry at the City Football Academy, Manchester. (IMAGO / Sportimage)
"I'm more than calm, I'm so grateful for what the players have done, but finals are so different. What we do in the next days is understand the game we have to play," Guardiola explained briefly, explaining the approach to playing the Serie A side.
"It will be a game of a lot of difficulties. It's not easy to attack the defensive system they [Inter] use. We have to have a lot of rhythm and patience.
"The right tempo is the most important thing in these types of games. The more the game you go through, anxious becomes a problem.
Head coach Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan during a training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul. (IMAGO / Gonzales Photo)
"They [Inter Milan] are used to dominating the games in Italy, and they have a lot of good patterns, so we have to defend really well.
"It's a final against a top team, and we have to do it. We are confident, [and] optimistic, but I can not deny the qualities of the opponent."