After Manchester City's 3-0 away victory against Liverpool in the sixth round of the Premier League, City manager Enzo Maresca attended the post-match press conference to discuss the team's performance, external media pressure, the unity shown by the club's leadership, and his expectations regarding the appeal outcome.

Journalist: Hi Enzo. How did you feel today throughout the day? Tell us about the team bus arriving at the stadium, the pre-match preparation, and how the match itself unfolded.

Maresca: Well, before the match, everything was quite normal. Regarding the match itself, I thought we struggled a bit in the first half. We defended well without the ball, but for various reasons, we had difficulty in possession. At half-time, we made some tactical adjustments, and I think our performance improved considerably in the second half.

Journalist: What difference did Doku make coming off the bench? It seemed that immediately after his arrival, the match completely changed.

Maresca: Yes, that's right. I think the timing of the substitution was perfect. The opponent received a red card, Haaland opened the scoring, then Jeremy Doku came on to provide width. Many positive factors came together. But again, as you know, after what happened over the last two or three weeks, it hasn't been easy for the players, but I think they handled all the situations very well.

Journalist: Given the difficult circumstances for the players, how challenging has it been for you to manage the team amid all this external turmoil?

Maresca: Look, I want to reiterate what I emphasized during the week: we must learn to manage the outside noise in our current situation, because that noise will always be there. We need to learn to stay calm in the face of it, but at the same time, we must also make sure our own voice is heard—which is about winning matches, as we did today. Because when the final whistle blew, our fans sang loudly, so that moment belonged to us, not to the external media environment.

Journalist: How much does this victory lift the team's spirits and bring the players and fans closer together?

Maresca: Yes, a 3-0 away victory at Anfield is certainly a brilliant result. I think right now, the entire club needs to win, needs a big victory like today's. So it means a lot to our coaching staff, the players, the fans, and the club's leadership. I believe such a victory has given the whole club a strong dose of confidence.

Journalist: Regarding the noise you just mentioned, do you expect similar disruptions throughout the rest of the season, particularly in away matches?

Maresca: Yes, look, I think all future away matches will be filled with external distractions. That's why I say we must learn to manage this noise, but at the same time, we must make our own voice heard. Our voice is the singing at the final whistle, our fans celebrating with the entire team, and that must be our sole focus at this stage.

Journalist: Speaking of which, Ferran Soriano arrived at the stadium with you on the team bus today. What message is the club sending with that?

Maresca: Absolutely. Ferran was there, Hugo (Viana) was present, and let's not forget that Khaldoon (Al Mubarak) was also watching. They were all there, and we were all very close. Given the importance of this match—playing Liverpool away at Anfield—I think it was an excellent decision for the entire club leadership to be present and show their unity; that cohesion is exactly what we need right now.

Journalist: The club is showing this resilience off the pitch, and I assume you're asking the players to show the same fighting spirit on the pitch?

Maresca: Absolutely, yes. As I just said, we struggled a bit in the first half because, due to various factors and circumstances both on and off the pitch, it wasn't easy to deal with everything. But in the second half, we started very well. Yes, I'm very, very happy to get the three points.

Journalist: Can I ask one final question? Haaland scored today, and Ruben Dias led the defense. How important are these experienced veterans to you in guiding the team through this crucial period ahead?

Maresca: They've been crucial from day one, not just because of the current media pressure. I said this during the week, and perhaps you in the media want to hear a different answer, but what the players do is simply focus on football itself. They don't think too much about external noise, and they don't worry about what the future holds. They're in their prime years—twenty, twenty-five, twenty-eight—and each one is dedicated solely to what they love, which is to play well, nothing more.

Journalist: Enzo, is the manner of victory as important as the victory itself? It was certainly a strong statement, wasn't it? A 3-0 away win at Anfield—few teams manage that there. In terms of the message sent, is such a convincing victory as crucial as the win itself?

Maresca: Absolutely, exactly right. Three days ago, when everyone returned from the international break and the team came together, the message I conveyed to the entire squad was very clear: guys, outside noise will definitely exist, because if I say "there's no outside noise," that's simply not true. The noise will inevitably follow. Therefore, the key is how we learn to adapt and cope with it, but at the same time, our responsibility is to make our own voice heard—the loudest. And our voice is to win matches like today and fully enjoy this joy at the end of the game.

Journalist: Enzo, is it difficult to completely shake off the shadow of all this? Like the ongoing noise you mentioned—everyone's talking about it. You obviously want to fully enjoy such a comfortable and dominant victory, but there's always the possibility at the end of the season...

Maresca: No, not at all. You can't imagine how happy I am right now. I don't care about outside commentary at all. I came here to prepare seriously and win matches, so I don't concern myself with these things. I've said it many times, and I hope that once we finally win this appeal, I can speak freely about it. Thank you all.

Traduit par IA.

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