Tomorrow night at 22:00 Beijing time (10:00 PM CEST), Coventry will host Manchester City in the third round of the Premier League. During the second half of his pre-match press conference, Lampard discussed his expectations for the match against Manchester City and his views on Maresca. Related link: Lampard: I've always followed Maresca's work, especially when he was at Chelsea

As an old fan, does that make you a bit nostalgic? The teams you faced back then, like Barcelona, had many technically gifted players who created chances through flashes of brilliance. Is it a shame that people don't prioritize that type of technical player anymore?

Nostalgia needs to be kept in perspective. Looking back, we always tend to romanticize the appeal of games from that era, and I understand that feeling. But football itself is constantly evolving. Nowadays, tactical systems are continuously improving, and it's difficult for traditional number 10s to survive. Even attacking midfielders need to do a lot of running work.

I lived through that era firsthand, although I myself wasn't a traditional technical attacking midfielder. Times are constantly moving forward. If I simply look at players like Haaland from a fan's perspective, setting aside my professional identity, he's not a traditional technical attacking midfielder, but a goal-scoring machine—equally fascinating—and I admire such players too.

Back then, Chelsea shocked everyone by spending 150 million pounds in a single summer transfer window. Now, Manchester City has invested 300 million pounds just to strengthen their midfield. When you were playing in the Premier League, did you ever predict that transfer market spending would inflate to this level?

Not at all. Toward the end of my playing career, Terry and I even discussed in the dressing room whether transfer fees had peaked and would then fall. At that time, transfer fees were already rising, and I never expected another round of such steep increases after that.

This stems from the rapid global expansion of the Premier League brand, which has created the exorbitant transfer market we see today. Manchester City's midfield recruitment budget is approximately three times our club's entire transfer budget. The reality is in front of us, and we can only find alternative ways to compete.

You played for Manchester City for one season during your playing days. After the Guardiola era, has Manchester City today transformed into a completely different club compared to when you played there?

The club's foundations haven't changed. In the year I was there, I could already see clearly the direction of their future development. At that time, Mancini, Fábio Matossi and others were very active on the training ground. Whether it's the team's playing style, the club's operational philosophy, or engagement with the community, the long-term development paths were already established.

As the club developed rapidly, it also maintained its ties with the local community. That year's experience broadened my horizons, showing me a different operational model for a top club compared to Chelsea. Therefore, I'm not surprised at all by Manchester City's current achievements. They've always followed that path, attracting top reinforcements and hiring renowned managers, gradually reaching where they are today.

As a newly promoted manager, seeing the enormous investments made by Manchester City and other giants, do you feel envious, or do you recognize the gap and calmly accept the reality?

You can only choose to face reality; envy is pointless. When the giants sign top players at premium prices, we can only calmly accept that reality and then focus on doing our job well. It's not just Manchester City; many Premier League clubs invest consistently year after year, gradually refining their squads, and this is the current situation in the Premier League.

We don't compare ourselves to others. Our club has developed rapidly since promotion, and the results from this transfer window are also satisfactory. In the future, we'll probably often be the underdogs, but that's not a bad thing. We'll do our best, give everything every day, and maximize what we can achieve within our budget.

In your season at Manchester City, you scored a total of 8 goals, and the team finished as league runners-up. Are you satisfied with that final season of your playing career in the Premier League?

I'm personally very satisfied. I always thought I'd end my career at Chelsea, until that possibility disappeared. Then Manchester City gave me the opportunity. I was 35 or 36 years old at the time, and leaving Chelsea to join Manchester City filled me with both apprehension and excitement.

Being recognized by a title-contending team at that age greatly satisfied my ego. From London to Manchester isn't that far—a two-hour train journey—and that experience benefited me enormously. I entered a new dressing room and witnessed the operational methods of another prestigious club.

I built strong relationships with Manchester City's fans. Initially, people may have wondered what a veteran who spent 13 years at Chelsea could offer, but I gave everything. I made many close friends at Manchester City, and I'll probably see some of them tomorrow. Looking back, accepting that challenge was an experience I'm incredibly grateful for.

Traduzido por IA.

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