The impact of Pep Guardiola’s team talks on Manchester City’s Treble success last season has been revealed in a new Netflix documentary.
Guardiola managed to inspire City to glory, while the documentary also provides an insight into how he questioned his players during difficult moments.
Throughout the season, leading up to the Champions League final success against Inter Milan, Guardiola used his team talks to get the best out of his side.
Here’s a look at five of Guardiola’s most notable team talks from last season.
The Netflix documentary Together: Treble winners is available to stream from 8am on April 2.
The impact of Pep Guardiola’s team talks on Man City’s treble success has been revealed
![A new documentary charting City's path to glory has given a glimpse into their dressing room](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138491-13261487-A_new_Netflix_documentary-m-23_1712040156859.jpg)
A new documentary charting City’s path to glory has given a glimpse into their dressing room
![Mail Sport has taken a look at five of Guardiola's most notable team talks from last season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138565-13261487-image-m-26_1712040224357.jpg)
Mail Sport has taken a look at five of Guardiola’s most notable team talks from last season
Your browser does not support iframes.
NOVEMBER 5
MAN CITY 2-1 FULHAM
FULL TIME
Joao Cancelo would start just three more games for City after a straight card on 26 minutes for barging over Harry Wilson inside the box. Julian Alvarez had given the champions a lead but Cancelo’s sending off allowed Andreas Pereira to equalise from the spot.
A man light, City were superb on the day and snatched victory late on with an Erling Haaland penalty. Guardiola was visibly moved afterwards and almost reduced to tears when addressing the team.
‘How many years together, guys?’ he said. ‘This stadium was filled with so much emotion. I love you so much but guys… it’s not for the victory itself, you know that? It’s how we play for 70 minutes, 10 against 11.
‘It might be one of the happiest days I have here because this is the reason why we are here, the emotion.’
But he added a warning following Cancelo’s incident: ‘For the Champions League, learn from this. We cannot make the mistakes, it’s impossible. Impossible.’
It’s fair to say they took heed. And did so without the Portuguese full back, who left for Bayern Munich two months later.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/08/83138701-13261487-image-a-44_1712041216952.jpg)
Guardiola’s sent a warning to his side after a narrow victory over Fulham in November 2022
![Guardiola said City must learn from Joao Cancelo's red, and the defender soon left on loan](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/01/23/83127683-0-image-a-45_1712011298606.jpg)
Guardiola said City must learn from Joao Cancelo’s red, and the defender soon left on loan
JANUARY 11
SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 MAN CITY
FULL TIME
It probably goes down as the most abject display of Guardiola’s reign, a 2-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup against a side doomed to relegation in the Premier League. Even worse than losing at League One Wigan in the FA Cup. City didn’t have a shot on target all night and Guardiola’s response in the immediate aftermath was explosive.
‘Tell me an explanation for today,’ he said while prowling around the St Mary’s dressing room. ‘Tell me. Do you think it’s normal? The way you performed? The problem is something happens in the game and everyone, their head’s down. No one does something. Honestly, do you think it’s normal for this club what we’ve done today?
‘For the guys who travel, who don’t have money to pay their heating at home, to come here to follow us. And we perform in this way? Do you think it’s normal?’
Guardiola stopped for a couple of seconds.
‘Wow. My team is not like that. We’ll be in trouble. We’ll be in trouble. I don’t accept that.’
The manager then started wagging his finger at a room full of stunned silence. And he still went on, beginning to mimic a prima donna.
‘Oh we start bad. Yeah, we start bad. It can happen. But how do you react? You have 80 minutes left to play. “Ah they scored a goal, ah a second one.” Oh it (the ball) is here. No, there. It’s here.’
He mocked his players’ desire by wandering aimlessly before then becoming increasingly animated.
![Guardiola questioned the desire of his players after City's Carabao Cup loss to Southampton](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/01/23/83127825-0-image-a-48_1712011579308.jpg)
Guardiola questioned the desire of his players after City’s Carabao Cup loss to Southampton
![Guardiola slammed his stars for putting on that display in front of their travelling supporters](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138489-13261487-image-a-36_1712040585626.jpg)
Guardiola slammed his stars for putting on that display in front of their travelling supporters
‘You want to play? You want the ball? You wanna move? You wanna fight? You wanna (fight) each other? As a brother?
‘Down to earth everyone, guys. Down to earth. Work harder. Work better. Be humble, be ambitious, otherwise…’
And there is a four-second pause.
‘…the academy is ready. In less than two and a half days we go to Old Trafford. They’ve had 10 years waiting to kill us. Ten years.
‘Are you prepared? Do you prepare well? Because now they have something that today you show me we don’t have. They have hunger. They are starving. We are not. Today you show me, the young ones and the senior ones, the new ones and the old ones, you don’t want (it).
‘You. Are. Not. Hungry.’
There is another dramatic pause, this time for 12 seconds, as he stares into the eyes of all of them.
‘Maybe I was confused.’
He storms out.
End scene.
JANUARY 19
MAN CITY 4-2 TOTTENHAM
HALF TIME (WITH SCORE AT 0-2)
It was the night widely accepted as a turning point in the season, when Guardiola used media duties to rip into his players afterwards. He labelled them the ‘happy flowers team’ – effectively suggesting that they were glad to take easy plaudits but not do the dirty work.
Just a week on from the Southampton debacle, they had then lost at Old Trafford and went in at the break against Spurs two goals down. Teenager Rico Lewis had been kicked to bits by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Guardiola had been aghast that none of the City XI had stuck up for the youngster – using that as a case study as to why they were floundering.
‘There’s something inside you find that we are missing,’ Guardiola barked. ‘All of you. We’re missing something inside. Where is your passion? Where is your energy? That (energy that) says, “my friends I am going to survive”? You’ve proven that you don’t want to win the Premier League. Absolutely.’
Going over to Lewis, making only his third league start, Guardiola said: ‘You have a guy at 18 years old who has more passion and energy to do it.’
City blitzed Spurs with four second-half goals. Lewis looks back on the night bashfully.
![Guardiola's motivational tactics were on full flow at half-time of City's crunch clash with Tottenham in January 2023. They were 2-0 down at the break before roaring back to win 4-2](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138563-13261487-image-m-35_1712040506189.jpg)
Guardiola’s motivational tactics were on full flow at half-time of City’s crunch clash with Tottenham in January 2023. They were 2-0 down at the break before roaring back to win 4-2
![Guardiola called upon the other City players to show as much passion as youngster Rico Lewis](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/00/83128295-0-image-a-65_1712012509353.jpg)
Guardiola called upon the other City players to show as much passion as youngster Rico Lewis
FEBRUARY 12
MAN CITY 3-1 ASTON VILLA
PRE-MATCH
There had always been split opinions on whether the Premier League’s unprecedented raft of charges for alleged financial breaches handed down in February had a galvanising effect on the squad or not.
While it might not have impacted the players, they were definitely made to feel it by their manager, who had delivered one of his all-time media briefings a day before this victory, sealed inside the first 45 minutes. He undoubtedly used the news to his advantage at a time when Arsenal were red-hot favourites to win the title.
Guardiola sometimes gathers the team and backroom staff into a huddle in City’s circular home dressing room. This was one of those occasions and Guardiola wore a crazed look in his eye.
‘I want my warriors,’ he said menacingly. ‘Support me unconditionally. I want this Premier League more than ever. Everything we have won, has been on the pitch, always. I love the club. I love you too. Let’s go.’
![Guardiola encouraged his team to be 'warriors' after the club were hit with 115 charges](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/01/23/83122783-0-image-a-47_1712011455357.jpg)
Guardiola encouraged his team to be ‘warriors’ after the club were hit with 115 charges
![Guardiola developed a siege mentality with his team talk after City were hit with 115 charges](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138561-13261487-image-a-38_1712040693297.jpg)
Guardiola developed a siege mentality with his team talk after City were hit with 115 charges
![The City manager's team talk had the desired effect as his side managed to run out 3-1 winners](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/00/83128407-0-The_City_manager_s_team_talk_had_the_desired_effect_as_his_side_-a-3_1712012724696.jpg)
The City manager’s team talk had the desired effect as his side managed to run out 3-1 winners
JUNE 9
TEAM HOTEL, ISTANBUL
NIGHT BEFORE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL – MAN CITY 1-0 INTER MILAN
Guardiola kept it fairly simple in the build-up to their first Champions League triumph. Sous chef Jorge Gutierrez was called up two nights before the big one, with Guardiola thanking him for his service to the team through the season.
‘As a cook, you are a genius,’ he told Gutierrez, who didn’t seem to know where to look.
‘How many times we’re ungrateful for the fact you take care of us? You cook and we leave. And sometimes we don’t even say thank you.
![Ahead of the Champions League final, Guardiola made his team talk all about sous chef Jorge Gutierrez, with the City boss focusing on the collective and thanking him for his work](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/07/83138485-13261487-image-a-39_1712040806153.jpg)
Ahead of the Champions League final, Guardiola made his team talk all about sous chef Jorge Gutierrez, with the City boss focusing on the collective and thanking him for his work
![It worked out to good effect, with City going onto lift the trophy after beating Inter Milan 1-0](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/01/23/83127783-0-image-a-46_1712011409102.jpg)
It worked out to good effect, with City going onto lift the trophy after beating Inter Milan 1-0
‘This is why we’re in the final, for these little details and for all of you who take care of us.’
It looks smart in hindsight, making the week about the collective. And then after briefing on tactics, Guardiola relied on raw emotion to nail his message as the Treble beckoned.
‘Be yourself. Do the best version of you. Tomorrow we play for immortality. We’ll become legends. For centuries, centuries, centuries. People will remember you.’
The Netflix documentary Together: Treble winners is available to stream from 8am on April 2