Tuchel returns to England a few months after his dismissal from Chelsea, but he does not want to talk about that stage. He has enough to prepare for the tie against City: “A gift of life,” he assured in the prelude to the first clash at the Etihad, which promises strong emotions. The German does not believe that winning the Champions League against Guardiola two years ago will benefit him in any concrete way, but he said that he is clear that Bayern will go all out.
Haaland: “His numbers are extraordinary. He has a brutal competitive hunger. However, City is much more than Haaland. Only through collective effort can it be stopped. Guardiola was missing a player like him and now he has a unique profile on the pitch. It’s not going to be easy to counter him.”
His relationship with Guardiola: “He was kind to receive me. I studied his Barcelona a lot and he shared his ideas with me, for which I am grateful. We have a lot of respect for each other. We always talk professionally.”
City’s style: “It has nothing to do with PSG. It is a different tie. I know we are going to suffer but we also have to take advantage of our moments. We are up against one of the best teams in the world right now. I don’t care that they consider us the undercovers of this crossing”.
The 2021 Champions League: “Maybe my players believe a little more in what I tell them after winning in Porto. However, trust has to be earned on a daily basis, especially when you walk into a locker room out of the blue. I have not mentioned that final because I preferred to focus exclusively on tomorrow’s game. I wish I had had more time to prepare everything, but it has not been possible”.
The game system: “I am not going to say who is going to play tomorrow, but I want my players to have the personality to play for the Etihad. Kimmich and Goretzka want to take responsibility and I like it. We cannot leave everything to the transition. We are not going to be left behind.”
His time at Chelsea: “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I can’t be more motivated for this tie. It is pure pleasure to be in Manchester. A gift of life that I have to take advantage of”.
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