Nunes Asked About Enzo, But His Answer Was All About Maresca

At 03:00 CEST on September 9, Manchester City will face Porto away in the first leg of the Champions League group stage. Ahead of the match, Manchester City defender Matheus Nunes attended a press conference. This article covers the first part of the press conference.

Hi Matheus, Manchester City was very active in the transfer market last week, with several new players joining and some leaving. Now that the transfer window has closed, what are your thoughts on the squad?

I think it's fantastic. All the new players we brought in are brilliant—they were all key players at their previous clubs, and we're delighted to have them.

But the team has changed quite a bit, hasn't it? Aren't you concerned that so much change happening so quickly could be a problem?

Yes, player turnover is normal, so we just need to adapt. Some players leave and new ones arrive. We have to help them settle in and pass on the club's DNA and identity to them. I think they're very happy to be here, and it's all part of the process.

Hi Matheus, have you spoken with the manager about your role this season and what you'll be doing on the pitch? How does it differ from playing right-back, which you've done over recent seasons?

Honestly, I think it will be similar. There may be times when I play in a different position, but I expect to play more as a right-back.

When you're playing right-back, what will your responsibilities be? Will you stay deep and defend, or will you push forward and contribute in attack? Do you already know the specific tactical requirements?

Not yet, it depends on what the manager needs for each particular match. But it can vary—I could play wide, I could move into midfield when we have possession, I could play as a centre-back. It might be different each time. It really depends on what the manager requires during the game.

We noticed music playing during your training session today. I assume this isn't new this season, but do you find it beneficial? Do you enjoy it?

Yeah, I really enjoy it. Why not?

What kind of music?

All kinds of music. Everyone wants to be a DJ, so...

Hi Matheus, how is your fitness right now? Have you had any issues with injuries early in the season?

I'm fine. I'm 100% fit now.

What specific injury bothered you in the previous matches?

It was my ankle. It happened just before the Arsenal match (Community Shield)—the day before we played Arsenal, I made a tackle in training. It was painful for a while, but I'm completely fine now.

Can I ask a question about the Champions League? Since you joined, the club has won Premier League titles, but after winning the Champions League in 2023, the results haven't met expectations in the past two seasons. As a player, do you feel there's extra motivation to do better than in previous years?

Every year is different. In the Champions League, you're talking about the most difficult club competition, whatever way you look at it—it's very tough every year, especially once you reach the knockout stages. If you don't perform at the required level, you're out immediately, and then you have to wait until next season to play again. It's not like the Premier League, where you have so many games. Even if you lose one or two matches in the Premier League, you can still catch up. But the Champions League is different—you're playing against the best teams from every country.

So every season we want to win, but you can't win every season because every team has the same idea—everyone wants to win the championship every year. This year won't be any different. We want to win, we'll do our best to achieve it, and hopefully we'll get there.

Matheus, you mentioned the club's transfer activity earlier. Enzo is probably one of the transfers that's attracted the most attention. Can you explain what kind of impact he's had on the team since he arrived?

(Nunes appears to have misunderstood the question entirely, speaking about manager Enzo Maresca instead of midfielder Enzo Fernández)Since he arrived, he's brought a lot of energy. I can feel new energy around the place, and I think we needed that. He's also very friendly and very easy to communicate with. I didn't know him before, and some of my teammates didn't either. During the treble-winning season, since I wasn't at the club then, I didn't know him. But yes, I can feel very positive energy. As for working with the manager, I feel he knows this club very well, which is also a good thing. He understands the standards here, so that's positive.

The manager mentioned this week that some players have been asking him, "Are you going to sign Enzo?" What was it like waiting for that deal to be completed on deadline day?

As players, we didn't know if it would actually happen. We wanted to have the best players, and Enzo is certainly one of them. When we found out he'd been signed, we were delighted because we wanted to add that quality. It's not that we didn't have quality before, but when new players of that calibre join and you know they'll bring a lot of good things to the team, it's fantastic. Yes, we knew we already had a very good squad, but they did brilliant work in the transfer market this summer. It will all be very helpful for us.

Good evening Matheus, how do you feel about playing as a right-back? I know you've played that position for a few seasons, but you were originally a midfielder...

Yes, but I can play in any position, and I'm happy as long as I'm playing.

What's the biggest difference you've noticed between Enzo (Maresca) and Pep (Guardiola) in the short time that Enzo has been managing?

I worked with Guardiola for three seasons, and I've only been working with Enzo for around two months. I haven't had enough time to really get to know him deeply yet. Maybe in a few months, if you ask me this question again, I could give you a more detailed answer.

But haven't you already noticed some differences?

I think they're very similar, perhaps because Enzo worked with Guardiola. In terms of tactics, energy, and passion, they're both very passionate about being a head coach, so I see more similarities than differences.

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