8 | Mateo Kovacic - 2023/24

[super_city_si]

Great interview. Particularly liked these two Q&As - shows he knows his finishing isn't the best and that'll be worked on. If he can use his game intelligence to get into the same positions that Gundogan did, we'll be laughing.

Shows why you don't judge a player based on what he's done elsewhere/does in the first few months because from day 1 at the club you're learning new things under Guardiola. And knowing when to actually act on those (runs into the box/space etc.) will come with time and experience with the players around you.

Yes, the comment about calmness/patience immediately stuck out. We miss the control that brings when he doesnt play

 

[Ignominious]

Part of big Kova interview in Cro papers. Its long, so will translate only Man city parts.


So, Kovacic - Manchester City, nine months later?

- What can I say but that I am completely delighted! From the first contact, from the first day at the club, I felt that I had entered a special football reality. I have been in big clubs before, I have great experiences, but now in MC, possibly because I am more mature, I recognize a different top structure. Every day, I am delighted with something new in the functioning of the club, in the fantastic conditions of the camp, in the detailed organization of everything that has to do with the team, the players. The people in the club, from the employees to the players and coaches to those who run the operations and the club, that's what makes a special difference. I can only repeat myself, I am delighted and happy to have been given the opportunity to choose Manchester City for the most important stage of my career.

Someone would say that it is not the most favorable to come to a club that has just won "everything alive", and there is nothing more than "that"?

- I didn't think in that sense for a single moment. And when I became a part of the MC, I realized that here no one is burdened by what they won, no one relaxed and was satisfied with a historic hat-trick of trophies, moreover, it seems that everyone is even hungrier. By winning all last year's trophies, it's as if the burden of expectations fell off everyone's back, and now they want to confirm those levels with the same enthusiasm.


Can you define the difference in anything compared to your years at Chelsea, where you were also European champion?

- They are big clubs, but let's say in MC you immediately feel the maximum stability. In five years at Chelsea, I changed four coaches, and whether you want it or not, the team will feel it as instability. In City, I was impressed by how everyone works in the same direction, the same goal, clear settings and approach. But everything is organized to perfection, it's up to the player to focus on the field, work and how to contribute to the progress of the team.

We can say that you have top teammates. How were you received?

- From the first time I entered the dressing room, I was received in such a way that they immediately gave me the impression that I belonged to that group for ten years. It is an understatement to say that I am delighted with how friendly and positive they are. I knew that they were top players, for whom the results speak for themselves. But, living with them every day, I got to know their great personalities. They are simple and good people, and as a group they are an example of what we players call klapa. Togetherness, honestly, not as a pose. That's why they managed to win everything. It's fantastic for me to be a member of that group, and I thank them for their trust and respect.

You probably clicked more with someone, besides Guardiola?

- I can say that I clicked with everyone. All the boys are really nice, from Bernard Silva, Nunes, through Walker, Grealish, Rodri, De Bruyne, Haaland, Foden, Ake and all the others. Maybe I already have a special relationship with Silva, and when we met as rivals we knew how to talk and mutual respect was felt. Now that I've gotten to know him even better, he's an even nicer guy. He likes to joke, as do Joško, Nunes, we laugh. I also have a great relationship with De Bruyne, because Kevin, apart from being a great player, is also a cool guy, our wives hang out.

I assume you and your wife were skeptical about Manchester's famous rain story, even though London isn't a sunny place either?

- Ha, ha, rain is common on the island. I have to say, and this is particularly important to me, that the family has coped brilliantly in Manchester, also because the club and the environment, people and relationships are as I said before. It was very important to me that my wife and son adapt immediately, and the club was maximal in that sense as well. By the way, we found the house in Wilmslow, 18 kilometers north of the city, where there are a lot of players. It's great for us, lots of greenery, comfort, walking and peace, it takes me about 35 minutes to get to the camp. I said, everything is arranged tip-top and it is only up to me to justify on the field and in my behavior the trust of such a club and fans.

The fact that the world's best expert insisted on your arrival is a kind of recognition trophy for your football?

- I don't know how to say it so it doesn't come across as imposing, but well, the truth always protects. All the great things that I had heard about Guardiola before, I now experienced it all at first hand and ten times over. As a player, you have to experience it in order to understand the dimension of that expertise and special approach. Everything that he told me, interpreted, announced before his arrival, is exactly how it is happening. No less, no more. And that is sensational in every sense. Don't get me wrong, but I'm really impressed.

You're not the first to say that. Can you explain it a little more concretely to us lay observers?

- Ha, there is not much philosophy here, on the contrary. I think that the simplicity of his interpretations of how to achieve what he strives for is a large part of the cause of this success. Guardiola is thorough, we do precisely defined things, he indicates how we can achieve something and always has a plan B or C to set up if plan A doesn't work. That's why we quickly adapt to the situation on the field, because we always have a solution for emergency situations during the game. Guardiola predicts everything and it's fascinating to me how even during the game I recognize the trends that he announced and prepared us for.

They say that he is very demanding, does this mean that, for example, his meetings before the game are "difficult", long...

- My experiences are completely different. He is intensive in his explanation, very clear about what we need to do, but also concise. He wants us to have full focus on what he is pointing to and I notice how he successfully maintains this.

The impression is that you have improved as a player?

- In my opinion, there is no doubt that I am better than before I came. I felt the biggest improvement in calmness on the ball and in the game in general. Before, I used to be too restless, a bit impatient, lose my position. Guardiola insists that we stay calm and keep possession, not spill the ball with some quick passes. It was this game, clearly profiled, with the fundamental determination to guard the ball and patiently build an attack, and then at the right moment direct between the lines or into the final vertical pass, probably contributed to me calming down and acting more easily.

Guardiola has pointed out on several occasions that you contributed to some winning matches in this way, for example against Luton, Copenhagen, Newcastle...

- He asks me for it and I must admit, I feel great satisfaction and additional motivation when he tells me that I have done what he asked for well. You know, when you watch a coach who has won everything, and that on several occasions, so every training, match, every day, in fact, he shows such passion, zeal for new ideas, new confirmations, then that enthusiasm constantly fills you with new energy and motivates you .

Were there doubts about your position in the beginning?

- In the initial phase, he put me at ten. Then he noticed that I feel more comfortable as a six, especially in a pair, because then I have the option to join the offensive as an eight. The coach wants them to clearly stick to their positions, but he tells me that when the space between the lines opens up, I should immediately attack him. Whether I want to go one-on-one or enter the penalty area from another plan, I need to determine the dynamics of the action. Timing is key and Guardiola shows me a lot about how to do it.

Gündogan did this very well when he was in MC. You are faster than him, you just need to get into the habit of using your motor skills and technical skills, and to believe more in your finishing?

- I am working on it and I have to say that I feel that it is easier to achieve and acquire this habit in this game organization in MC. I have fantastic teammates, when I have the ball I always have 2-3 solutions. Offensively, we have classes that solve things, but it is certain that I will strive more and more for what the coach is looking for. He gave me peace of mind, I am not burdened by a mistake, it strengthens my self-confidence and that is why I act more and more persuasively to myself.

So is Guardiola the best coach you have had among almost 20 in your career?

- From each coach, at different times, you learn something. Thank God I had really excellent experts. I had a very good time with Sarri, and I am especially and logically connected to Tuchel, with whom I made an important step forward, we also won the Champions League. But Guardiola impressed me the most and I understand why many consider him the best coach in the world, perhaps even in the history of football.

You know he's the kind of guy that no matter how much he likes a player, how much he respects him, he'll put him on the bench if he's not in optimal shape. And that whoever does not fit into his doctrine of leadership and group life will not survive, regardless of contracts...

- That's why I freely say what I think about his work. If I'm not at the level he expects, the bench will follow and that's the fair relationship I talked about before. Ambitions are great, there are conditions for them to be achieved, and that's why it's okay to always expect the maximum from us. The coach doesn't like big rosters, that's why he rotates and doses the performances, keeping the players in shape for as long as possible. It is in the brutal rhythm that we have salvation, and it is also great for the group because all the players feel part of the project

That is excellent insight in to why players are attracted to the club and how the club functions in an optimal way. Unsurprisingly, it also reflects extremely well on Kovacic as a person and a player.

 

[vanchi]

Part of big Kova interview in Cro papers. Its long, so will translate only Man city parts.


So, Kovacic - Manchester City, nine months later?

- What can I say but that I am completely delighted! From the first contact, from the first day at the club, I felt that I had entered a special football reality. I have been in big clubs before, I have great experiences, but now in MC, possibly because I am more mature, I recognize a different top structure. Every day, I am delighted with something new in the functioning of the club, in the fantastic conditions of the camp, in the detailed organization of everything that has to do with the team, the players. The people in the club, from the employees to the players and coaches to those who run the operations and the club, that's what makes a special difference. I can only repeat myself, I am delighted and happy to have been given the opportunity to choose Manchester City for the most important stage of my career.

Someone would say that it is not the most favorable to come to a club that has just won "everything alive", and there is nothing more than "that"?

- I didn't think in that sense for a single moment. And when I became a part of the MC, I realized that here no one is burdened by what they won, no one relaxed and was satisfied with a historic hat-trick of trophies, moreover, it seems that everyone is even hungrier. By winning all last year's trophies, it's as if the burden of expectations fell off everyone's back, and now they want to confirm those levels with the same enthusiasm.


Can you define the difference in anything compared to your years at Chelsea, where you were also European champion?

- They are big clubs, but let's say in MC you immediately feel the maximum stability. In five years at Chelsea, I changed four coaches, and whether you want it or not, the team will feel it as instability. In City, I was impressed by how everyone works in the same direction, the same goal, clear settings and approach. But everything is organized to perfection, it's up to the player to focus on the field, work and how to contribute to the progress of the team.

We can say that you have top teammates. How were you received?

- From the first time I entered the dressing room, I was received in such a way that they immediately gave me the impression that I belonged to that group for ten years. It is an understatement to say that I am delighted with how friendly and positive they are. I knew that they were top players, for whom the results speak for themselves. But, living with them every day, I got to know their great personalities. They are simple and good people, and as a group they are an example of what we players call klapa. Togetherness, honestly, not as a pose. That's why they managed to win everything. It's fantastic for me to be a member of that group, and I thank them for their trust and respect.

You probably clicked more with someone, besides Guardiola?

- I can say that I clicked with everyone. All the boys are really nice, from Bernard Silva, Nunes, through Walker, Grealish, Rodri, De Bruyne, Haaland, Foden, Ake and all the others. Maybe I already have a special relationship with Silva, and when we met as rivals we knew how to talk and mutual respect was felt. Now that I've gotten to know him even better, he's an even nicer guy. He likes to joke, as do Joško, Nunes, we laugh. I also have a great relationship with De Bruyne, because Kevin, apart from being a great player, is also a cool guy, our wives hang out.

I assume you and your wife were skeptical about Manchester's famous rain story, even though London isn't a sunny place either?

- Ha, ha, rain is common on the island. I have to say, and this is particularly important to me, that the family has coped brilliantly in Manchester, also because the club and the environment, people and relationships are as I said before. It was very important to me that my wife and son adapt immediately, and the club was maximal in that sense as well. By the way, we found the house in Wilmslow, 18 kilometers north of the city, where there are a lot of players. It's great for us, lots of greenery, comfort, walking and peace, it takes me about 35 minutes to get to the camp. I said, everything is arranged tip-top and it is only up to me to justify on the field and in my behavior the trust of such a club and fans.

The fact that the world's best expert insisted on your arrival is a kind of recognition trophy for your football?

- I don't know how to say it so it doesn't come across as imposing, but well, the truth always protects. All the great things that I had heard about Guardiola before, I now experienced it all at first hand and ten times over. As a player, you have to experience it in order to understand the dimension of that expertise and special approach. Everything that he told me, interpreted, announced before his arrival, is exactly how it is happening. No less, no more. And that is sensational in every sense. Don't get me wrong, but I'm really impressed.

You're not the first to say that. Can you explain it a little more concretely to us lay observers?

- Ha, there is not much philosophy here, on the contrary. I think that the simplicity of his interpretations of how to achieve what he strives for is a large part of the cause of this success. Guardiola is thorough, we do precisely defined things, he indicates how we can achieve something and always has a plan B or C to set up if plan A doesn't work. That's why we quickly adapt to the situation on the field, because we always have a solution for emergency situations during the game. Guardiola predicts everything and it's fascinating to me how even during the game I recognize the trends that he announced and prepared us for.

They say that he is very demanding, does this mean that, for example, his meetings before the game are "difficult", long...

- My experiences are completely different. He is intensive in his explanation, very clear about what we need to do, but also concise. He wants us to have full focus on what he is pointing to and I notice how he successfully maintains this.

The impression is that you have improved as a player?

- In my opinion, there is no doubt that I am better than before I came. I felt the biggest improvement in calmness on the ball and in the game in general. Before, I used to be too restless, a bit impatient, lose my position. Guardiola insists that we stay calm and keep possession, not spill the ball with some quick passes. It was this game, clearly profiled, with the fundamental determination to guard the ball and patiently build an attack, and then at the right moment direct between the lines or into the final vertical pass, probably contributed to me calming down and acting more easily.

Guardiola has pointed out on several occasions that you contributed to some winning matches in this way, for example against Luton, Copenhagen, Newcastle...

- He asks me for it and I must admit, I feel great satisfaction and additional motivation when he tells me that I have done what he asked for well. You know, when you watch a coach who has won everything, and that on several occasions, so every training, match, every day, in fact, he shows such passion, zeal for new ideas, new confirmations, then that enthusiasm constantly fills you with new energy and motivates you .

Were there doubts about your position in the beginning?

- In the initial phase, he put me at ten. Then he noticed that I feel more comfortable as a six, especially in a pair, because then I have the option to join the offensive as an eight. The coach wants them to clearly stick to their positions, but he tells me that when the space between the lines opens up, I should immediately attack him. Whether I want to go one-on-one or enter the penalty area from another plan, I need to determine the dynamics of the action. Timing is key and Guardiola shows me a lot about how to do it.

Gündogan did this very well when he was in MC. You are faster than him, you just need to get into the habit of using your motor skills and technical skills, and to believe more in your finishing?

- I am working on it and I have to say that I feel that it is easier to achieve and acquire this habit in this game organization in MC. I have fantastic teammates, when I have the ball I always have 2-3 solutions. Offensively, we have classes that solve things, but it is certain that I will strive more and more for what the coach is looking for. He gave me peace of mind, I am not burdened by a mistake, it strengthens my self-confidence and that is why I act more and more persuasively to myself.

So is Guardiola the best coach you have had among almost 20 in your career?

- From each coach, at different times, you learn something. Thank God I had really excellent experts. I had a very good time with Sarri, and I am especially and logically connected to Tuchel, with whom I made an important step forward, we also won the Champions League. But Guardiola impressed me the most and I understand why many consider him the best coach in the world, perhaps even in the history of football.

You know he's the kind of guy that no matter how much he likes a player, how much he respects him, he'll put him on the bench if he's not in optimal shape. And that whoever does not fit into his doctrine of leadership and group life will not survive, regardless of contracts...

- That's why I freely say what I think about his work. If I'm not at the level he expects, the bench will follow and that's the fair relationship I talked about before. Ambitions are great, there are conditions for them to be achieved, and that's why it's okay to always expect the maximum from us. The coach doesn't like big rosters, that's why he rotates and doses the performances, keeping the players in shape for as long as possible. It is in the brutal rhythm that we have salvation, and it is also great for the group because all the players feel part of the project

do you remember where it was published?

 

[vanchi]

Great interview. Particularly liked these two Q&As - shows he knows his finishing isn't the best and that'll be worked on. If he can use his game intelligence to get into the same positions that Gundogan did, we'll be laughing.

Shows why you don't judge a player based on what he's done elsewhere/does in the first few months because from day 1 at the club you're learning new things under Guardiola. And knowing when to actually act on those (runs into the box/space etc.) will come with time and experience with the players around you.

of course he knows his finishing sucks lol, he also talked about it after signing. 2 goals already and the season’s not over! :D

 

[pajdo]

do you remember where it was published?

jutarnji, sportske novosti

 

[Crooked_rain]

Everyone's saying Kovacic doesn't have Gundogan's instincts for goal, which is true.

But, do you know who does have Gundogan's instincts in the final third and is able get forward loads more whenever Kovacic plays?

View attachment 110705

Gundo only developed those instincts after a few years with us. His goal stats were pretty low for a few seasons. Maybe a few more than Kova but nothing to write home about either. The most he got in all competitions in his first four seasons was 6. It's also dropped off quite a bit since he's gone to Barca, only 5 in all competitions so far.

Maybe that indicates Gundo hasn't necessarily got a natural eye for goal, it took him 4 years to really start scoring regularly for us and it's dropped off since leaving. Maybe it's more a case of gaining a great understanding in how we play that made him a better goalscorer than he naturally is.

Kova is no spring chicken but I think he still has the time and ability to start chipping in with a few more goals the more regular he plays.

 

[1Basti]

After the burglary at Grealish/Cancelo home idk if it`s smart to speak so freely where he lives.

 

[It'sBlue93:20]

I’m really liking Kovacic but if an offer came in from Saudi clubs at £40m mark would you sell to make way for Joao Neves or Kimmich.

 

[blueparrot]

I’m really liking Kovacic but if an offer came in from Saudi clubs at £40m mark would you sell to make way for Joao Neves or Kimmich.

Bit on the fence with it, but force me to answer and I’d say no.

 

[applejuice]

Strange one to start today. Mateo was poor vs Arsenal last game and he was largely lukewarm to the best when facing Arsenal in his Chelsea days. On the other side Bernado has been proven times after times very efficient facing Arsneal midfield. Don't understand why start Mateo in no 8 position instead of Bernado - who started most of the big games in the midfield after Gundo departure.

BTW I think that Mateo did help to gain control when he came on vs Anfield but it should be more contributed to the withdraw of Alvarez.