PEP’S BIG TURN-OFF
He’ll give stars post-Prem break
PEP GUARDIOLA wants his Manchester City players to switch off for 48 hours after tomorrow – to be ready for a oncein-a-lifetime crack at the Treble.
Guardiola will give his players two days off after the final Premier League game of the season at Brentford – with strict orders to forget about football before the final push.
City face Manchester United in the FA Cup final next weekend, then take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final, where they hope they will be one win from the Treble.
If City are to match United’s historic feat from 1999, Guardiola said it is vital his players disconnect from football before returning to training for the countdown to the two finals.
“In my experience the best way to play important finals is to be disconnected as much as possible,” said Guardiola.
“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.
“If we had played one game a week for the last month, maybe I wouldn’t give the players two days off, but at the moment we need to disconnect.
“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.”
He added: “The players know – everybody knows – what position we’re in. It comes maybe once or twice in a lifetime.
“Being champions in the Premier League, three games before the end and with two finals to play, that doesn’t come every season. You have to relax, enjoy it and do your best, because no one can be sure if we will be in that position again.
“I will go and spend time with my family. I don’t forget about football, but as much as I’m not with the players here, I’m disconnected.”
Guardiola said La Liga must learn from the Premier League in terms of tackling racism, after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was subjected to appalling abuse against Valencia.
Asked if La Liga should look to the Premier League, Guardiola said: “They should. Here they are so strict. They know what they have to do. The problem is that there is racism everywhere. Not just for gender, but for colour, for attitudes.
“Hopefully it can be one step to getting better in Spain but I’m not optimistic. I know a little bit about the country and I’m not really optimistic.
“There are a lot of black people stepping forward to defend what they should not have to defend.”