“It is a great opportunity for us to face a great club like Manchester City. We have prepared to give it our all in the game, carefully studying what we must do and what we must not do against such a huge opponent. I cannot pass judgement on their current situation, but this is a team that has proven their immense value over the years, so I have enormous respect for them and for their coach Pep Guardiola, for whom facts simply speak for themselves, as he has managed to win everything and consistently. Commanding the game is not just about possession but attitude: we know that Manchester City want to attack and keep the ball; we will have to defend well and show great quality when we have possession. There are many details to pay attention to but then you have to focus on the important things: for example, concentration in both halves, avoiding conceding space, especially between the lines. Then, at the end, we will weigh everything up and think about the table.
Tomorrow, those who deserve to play will play and obviously those who have been out for a while need more time. We are a young team and we can improve on every aspect of the game, but we are showing great character in difficult times and this is because there is great solidarity on the pitch. One example is Yildiz himself, who is prepared to do lots of different things.
I'm happy that the guys are back because they are the first ones who are unhappy to be out, and it's also good to know that they can give us a hand; having said that, I don't think our problems, when they exist, are due to injuries. John Elkann's visit? It was great and important that he came to see us yesterday.”