MANCHESTER CITY v LIVERPOOL My daughter beat cancer ... she’s my inspiration
SPECIAL? I’M EXCEPTIONAL BOASTS PEP
PEP GUARDIOLA has claimed his winning record as a manager makes him the “The Exceptional One” – even though he could end up empty handed in his debut season at Manchester City.
The Spaniard was expected to whisk City to the next level after being drafted in from Bayern Munich last summer.
But after crashing out of the Champions League last 16 against Monaco and trailing runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea by 13points, Guardiola’s hopes of landing a big prize in his first season have gone.
That’s drawn criticism of his style and tactics. But as City face Liverpool in a crucial top-four battle today, he has made an impassioned defence of his work insisting no one in football grafts harder than him – and he never promised he would win titles.
“Other important managers in the world sometimes don’t win titles in a season. That is the normal situation all around the world.
“The exception is my career. I’m sorry, but that is the exceptional,” said serial winner Guardiola.
“Of course we want to win titles, everybody wants to win titles and we fight and play for that.
“When that doesn’t happen, you improve and try to come back the next season and win the titles again, that is the point. The bosses, the chairmen and directors of sport are going to decide the life of this club. If we don’t win titles, they judge me and if the results are not good they are going to say, ‘bye bye’.
“But I never said City are going to win one title, I never said I was going to win the Treble, I never said I was going to win the Double. I never said that.
“I never said that in my first day at Barcelona, sitting there. I promised a lot of work. Few guys can beat me at that. I work. I am so proud of that.
Attack
“I have to have the pleasure to do the job the way I want, not anything else. That’s why the second half in Monaco showed me that when you attack more and you’re more aggressive, you concede fewer goals.
“But at the top level, the mistakes you make, wow, the teams are really good.
“Teams spend a lot of money, not just Manchester City. A lot of money, all the teams around the world.
“Yes, we spent a lot of money but other teams around the world spend £80million, £100m for one player – not just the team.
“Next season Chelsea, Tottenham, United are going to buy. City, Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich – all the teams.
“But we are still here, we are trying to win games to qualify for the Champions League and we still have the semi-finals of the FA Cup.” WHEN THE going gets tough for Willy Caballero, there is always one person who gives him the motivation to stand and fight.
It’s not Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, nor is it good friend and fellow Argentinian Pablo Zabaleta but someone much closer to home – inspirational teenage daughter Guillermina.
As a three-year-old, Guillermina was diagnosed with a rare retinal cancer, affecting both her eyes, and Caballero was forced to put his career on hold while doctors battled to save her sight.
Sadly, she lost an eye, but doctors managed to save the other and, more than a decade later, she’s just like any other teenage girl – and Caballero couldn’t be more proud.
So when he’s dropped, criticised or under pressure in English football, the Argentina keeper puts it all into perspective. to play in these types of teams when you are young and, as a keeper, it is even more difficult.
“When I moved, I had to start in the second division at Elche and, in Spain, that is really difficult as you might be playing well and having great performances, but nobody watched us.
“So, for my family, it was really difficult to adapt in another country and t hen my daughter was sick and our world t urned upside down. happy now, we are safe and we are enjoying our days in Manchester.
“Guillermina is happy, and that is the most important thing.
“Before, she was like my wife Lucia, who is not interested in football, but now Guillermina is enjoying it more. She is 14 and she is asking me everything about football and is more interested. “I think, as she is getting older, s she is enjoying it m more.
“She’s been asking me about offside and didn’t understand, so I explained ... 11 or 12 times!
“Life is the most important. Always. League Cup Final against Liverpool two years ago.
And, as Jurgen Klopp’s stars arrive at the Etihad for a crunch battle today, Caballero will remember his most memorable day in football when he saved penalties from Lucas, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana.
Caballero added: “It was an emotional day because Guillermina was there with our other daughter Itanna.
“In the past, I earned a lot of trophies with Boca and the national team, but this was the first time I had achieved something big for my family and to save three penalties made it very special.
“It was a difficult time for me because, a few days earlier, we lost 5-1 in the FA Cup at Chelsea and it was a really bad day for me.
“There was big pressure on Manuel Pellegrini to change the keeper and play Joe Hart.
“But when he told me that I would be playing at Wembley because I played in all the other games, it made me feel even stronger.
“It was really emotional, on the pitch and in the hours after the game.
“The night before I was thinking my family deserve this kind of opportunity – to be happy.
“And it finished the best way possible.”