Savinho reveals Guardiola's message to dressing room after disappointing season

Manchester City endured a disappointing 2024-25 campaign but Pep Guardiola has told his stars that the FIFA Club World Cup is a chance for them to start putting things right

Pep Guardiola has told his players they are starting afresh with the Club World Cup this summer. That has been a very clear message from the Manchester City boss who wants to leave last season’s disappointments in the past and focus on getting back to the top.

The Club World Cup is actually bolted onto the end of the 2024/25 calendar but that year was one of City’s worst for many years as they finished the campaign empty-handed. They surrendered their Premier League title, lost the FA Cup final and had an early exit from the Champions League as well as being besieged by injuries.

There is a clear determination to leave that season behind them and focus on the future which is to try and put themselves back on top of the world.

City have largely ruled the Premier League since Guardiola took charge, they won the previous incarnation of the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2023.

This new-look competition probably does not view City as the favourites as they might have been in the recent past and that is why Guardiola is channelling his positive thought and energy on getting them back there.

That has been delivered in team talks and also with nearly £300m spent in 2025 for a new-look City line-up with the likes of Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish likely to follow Kevin de Bruyne out of the exit door.

City’s Brazil winger Savinho, 21, who is set to face Abu Dhabi side Al Ain in their second game in the US in Atlanta in the early hours of Monday in UK time, said: “This is very much the new season for us. Last season is over, we can’t change anything about that now. We’re completely focused on this one. We’ve got to learn from the mistakes we made last season and also forget about it a bit.

“I’m really happy that we were able to bring in four such quality reinforcements. They’re training really well and integrating into a group that is really settled so that is good to see. I’m looking forward to getting onto the pitch with them.”

Savinho was a bright spot in City’s season as the 21-year-old joined in 2024 for £30m and his pace, goals and energy really put him on the map.

The season overall was a frustrating one for City but Savinho says it was a big learning curve for him despite the setbacks.

Savinho said: “I certainly learnt a lot and I felt like I evolved a lot as the season went on. That’s thanks to Pep, my team mates and the coaches as well. But I’m looking to improve even more this season. To get more goals, more assists and be able to help the team.

“I’m so happy here. We put in some marvellous work and marvellous preparation. I’m really happy to be here and my team mates, the coaches are really excited about the tournament. We put in the hard yards, we’ve prepared well and we’re really ready for tomorrow’s game.”

Nico Gonzalez was one of the big January signings as he joined for £50m and was seen as a vital arrival to help plug the gap left by Rodri who missed virtually all the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

That was a huge blow and issue for City’s season but Rodri is coming back and Gonzalez says he is learning from the Spain midfielder. He said: “He has been back a couple of months, he is an amazing player and really good in everything that can be good in a midfielder.

“I am trying to learn the most I can and I think I am starting to watch him at his best level. I am seeing things that I haven’t seen in a lot of midfielders.”