Pep tells stars to switch off
PEP GUARDIOLA wants his Manchester City players to take a break for 48 hours – to be ready for a “oncein-a-lifetime” crack at the Treble.
Guardiola will give his stars two days off after the final Premier League game of the season at Brentford with strict orders to forget about football.
City take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final next Saturday then face Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
If City are to match United’s historic feat from 1999, Guardiola insisted it is vital his players “disconnect” from football before returning to training.
He said: “In my experience the best way to play important finals is to be disconnected as much as possible.
“Before, when I started, it was, ‘I have to prepare for the final, I have to make a lot of videos’. Now it’s completely the opposite.
“Even our physios, doctors and chefs, they work incredibly hard in this period. They don’t have time off. They also need to disconnect.
“So go out with your families, if the sun is shining, play golf, do whatever you want and get the quality in to prepare for the finals.
“The players know – everybody knows – what position we’re in.
“It comes maybe once or twice in a lifetime?”
Guardiola said La Liga must learn from the Premier League in terms of tackling racism, after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr (above) was subjected to appalling abuse at Valencia.
Asked if La Liga should look to the Premier League, the City boss said: “They should. Here they are so strict. But I know a little bit about Spain and I’m not really optimistic.”