The Manchester City manager praised Barça's talent and, when comparing [Lamine Yamal] to Messi, he stated: "Fifteen years of consistency, that's the hardest thing."
Pep Guardiola, during his vacation in Catalonia ahead of the Club World Cup, sponsored the launch of the 'Monarka Clinic' in Barcelona—a clinic specialized in integrative treatments for improving physical, mental, and emotional health—and addressed the media after the ceremonial event. The Santpedor-born coach avoided commenting on the possible signing of Joan Garcia by Barça, noting, "He's an Espanyol player," and praised Lamine Yamal: "He's in the best place," he said.
He stayed neutral on the Ballon d'Or: "Whoever wins will have deserved it, and we'll congratulate them. Definitely not from City, given the season we've had," he noted. When asked about Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé, he commented, "Both are very good. Dembélé was already showing a lot, and Luis [Enrique] has placed him in the perfect position. It's great when homegrown players emerge; it benefits the spectacle."
Pep stated that "alongside Barça, PSG has been the best team of the season" and expressed being "happy" for Luis Enrique.
After Koeman criticized the Club World Cup (which City will play in), Pep commented, "Once there, we'll take it with a smile and prepare for next season. For a long time, federations and those in charge have been adding more and more games." He added, making his meaning clear, "Coaches complain, but those in charge decide, and we all play. The day we don't want to go, we won't go."
On City's season, he explained, "We've had many injuries. I've won two trebles, and we arrived [at this point] with everyone." He also reflected: "It's impossible to win every competition you play. When you win six of seven Premiers and a Champions League, you know you'll fall sooner or later. In other years, I found the key; this year, not. We had the disappointment of the Cup, but being in the Champions League lessened the blow. Not winning will help us understand the difficulty. We'll do better next year."
Regarding Lamine Yamal and the comparison to Leo Messi, he said: "He's in the best place to achieve his goals. I could talk about how I felt when I coached Leo, and I'd like to coach [Yamal], but that won't happen. Let him build his career, and we'll assess it in the end. Hopefully, it's as long and successful as Leo's, but performing every three days for 15 years is a tough task. He has to prove it, but consistency is the hardest thing. If they compare him to Leo, well, he has to be. What he promises is extraordinary; even a blind person can see that."