A stunt plane ride was not the most dizzying experience of Josko Gvardiol's summer. The Manchester City defender spent a morning being rolled around in a plane by a stunt pilot, yet described the final few weeks of City's season as even more disorienting. He had defied medical diagnoses to return two months early from a broken leg suffered in January, and was handed a surprise start by Pep Guardiola at home to Crystal Palace with ten days of the campaign left.
City then travelled to London to win the FA Cup, returned to Manchester, went to Bournemouth and lost the Premier League title to Arsenal, came back to Manchester where Guardiola announced he was leaving after ten years, and finally saw the manager given a grand send-off with a parade and party in the city centre.
Gvardiol said players could feel during the season that Guardiola would depart, but the confirmation still hit them. He was grateful it had been kept from them because there was not long to dwell on it.
Doubts over the parade
City players did some soul-searching as the season neared its end, both individually and collectively. When a parade was announced to celebrate success, the players who start every year targeting the Premier League and Champions League were unsure they had earned it. The event was also intended to recognise the achievements of the women's team and the academy.
In Gvardiol's view, the farewell was deserved because of Guardiola and the players leaving. "Did we deserve it? Yes? No? We don't know. But I think only because of Pep and the guys who left us at the end of the season. I think they deserve it more than anyone." He said the event was the first time he had seen all the trophies Guardiola had won at City, and it was a nice celebration with two trophies won last season before players left for national team duty.
Life after Guardiola
The send-off felt like a final farewell, but City must now find a way to carry on after Guardiola. The team still has to challenge for major honours every year and the club still has to attract the best players. Many questioned whether they wanted the parade to be their last City party, and rival clubs took notice, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich offering Gvardiol a new challenge.
Instead, the Croatian chose to sign a new five-year deal, making him a key figure in the new era at the Etihad. Having shown loyalty, he could take one of the vacant spots in the leadership team this season.
On the decision: "I don't think that way. As a player, I need to see, 'Do they need me? Am I going to be here just to try and have fun or am I going to perform and to compete?' I am happy to sign a new deal for five years. I am still 24 and with a new manager everyone has to fight for their position, no-one is secure. I think there are going to be a lot of changes and I am looking forward to seeing what will happen at the beginning of the season, how we are going to play. Every day is a new challenge and new opportunity. It's difficult to tell, but this is something inside of you, you know, when someone new comes, you just want to show the best you can do."
Maresca 'perfect' choice
For ten years, it could be a lonely place for months for anyone out of the team, and several players at the end of last season felt frozen out. A new manager changes that, and although some players could still leave, Enzo Maresca's arrival offers a fresh start. Gvardiol described the new coach as a "perfect" choice for City in a game where they still want to keep their identity but must accept changes that have already liberated some "forbidden" plays.
Maresca is replacing Guardiola, and Gvardiol believes the Premier League demands evolution. "Every season the Premier League is getting better and better. If you want to stay in the top and fight for the title, you need to have a mix of everything. Most of the teams play man-to-man and especially against us when we have a goal kick. Then you try to transfer the ball to the other zone and they will go deep."
He recalled City adapting with long balls when opponents pressed man-to-man, and using the speed and strength of Erling, Antoine and Jeremy. In his first season at Leipzig, he used a switch from full-back to the other side, but at City Guardiola initially said no. "When I saw someone attacking in behind, I would just try. It was kind of forbidden in my first year and in the last one he tried something."
On Maresca: "The level is that high and Enzo has been chosen with reason as the manager. I think he has a quality, has some new ideas and also we need to see what we're going to do [with] the style of [play], the football we are going to play and the tactics and everything. I think he is a perfect one, but of course it takes time. It's something totally new, it's not easy to change the manager, so we will take time. Time. It's our job to help him as much as possible and also to listen to try to adapt as quick as possible."
Injury still causing pain
City are preparing for a pre-season tour from Hong Kong to South Korea, with more players returning from the World Cup, and there is excitement around the new era. For Gvardiol, though, there is a twinge of concern. He thought he had beaten his January injury, but he still feels it and has been told there may be months of pain ahead.
Gvardiol acknowledged the injury was difficult at first but part of the sport. "I thought that that's it, I'm going to feel perfect, that's behind me. But it's not like that. Sometimes I have days where I feel it a bit more, other days where I'm pain-free. I've heard that in total I will need at least a year before everything heals inside. I deal with it every day. But also sometimes it's just frustrating me."
Despite the painful farewell to Guardiola, City can feel happier about the future knowing Gvardiol and Maresca are leading them through it.
