- Title: Guardiola wishes new Arsenal boss Arteta well
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, TALKING ABOUT MIKEL ARTETA REPLACEMENT, SAYING: JOURNALIST: "Obviously with Mikel (Arteta) gone, how will you fill that vacancy?" GUARDIOLA: "No we stay with the same people that were here. So, no right now we don't add any other person to help us. We can do it with the people we (have) here." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, TALKING ABOUT MIKEL ARTETA, SAYING: "So, no he (Arteta) decide to move there. You know when you have a dream you cannot stop it. So, you have to follow your dreams. And of course Arsenal was an important part of his career as a football player. Come back at home is important for him and one of the best teams in England. And of course I wish him all the best. So, the results, I'm pretty sure he's going to do an excellent job." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, TALKING ABOUT MANAGER SACKINGS IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE, SAYING: "Well before it happen, this kind of thing happened all around the world except this country (England). Always they have the theory in this country that managers can be longer. But, today there are a lot of business you know the clubs, the owners, you know play for a lot of revenue and money. And when the situation is not going well the people are more impatient right now. You have to get results quick and sustain it. If you don't win you can be sacked. And it happens (at) all the clubs. Nobody escape of that. And yeah it is what it is. It's our life." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, TALKING ABOUT LEICESTER CITY, SAYING: "But they play the same, except (Harry) Maguire the other team is the same and a lot of quality up front, in the middle. Back, they are solid and they play so good in the counter-attack. They play so good in positional game. They control all departments of the game. So, it's a fantastic team and it was last season. When after the game (last season in the Premier League) it was my feeling though, next season (they'll be) fighting for the top four and it's happened. So, yeah fantastic team." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON LEAGUE POSITION, SAYING: "It's a lot of games to play so, the distance that we have now, the teams in front or behind can change in a few weeks. Especially in this period. So, we start to approach the game tomorrow the best as possible and do what you have to do."
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 14:47
- Keywords: Arsenal Leicester City Manchester City Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola Premier League
- Location: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAS6QM7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has wished his now former assistant Mikel Arteta well following his appointment as Arsenal boss on a 3-1/2 year contract on Friday (December 20).
Arteta, who made 149 appearances for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016 before joining City's coaching staff as Guardiola's assistant, replaces fellow Spaniard Unai Emery at the Emirates Stadium.
Guardiola confirmed that Arteta's role would not be filled for the time being and that he could not stop his former assistant's dream of rejoining a club that played such a significant role in his career as a player.
Guardiola added that he was sure Arteta would do an excellent job before weighing in on the high rate of manager sacking in the Premier League, something that does not surprise the City manager.
With Saturday's (December 21) important Premier League clash against second-placed Leicester City in mind, Guardiola praised his opponents and said that their own current position in the league can easily change in a matter of weeks, especially over the busy festive period.
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