‘I feel very lucky to have met Guardiola’ - Former Barcelona captain Losada on life at Manchester City and facing Real Madrid

Alejandro Martin

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‘I feel very lucky to have met Guardiola’ - Former Barcelona captain Losada on life at Manchester City and facing Real Madrid image

Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world, says former Barcelona captain Vicky Losada, who has described herself as feeling ‘very lucky’ to have met him.

The 30-year-old midfielder admired Guardiola as a player growing up, with a lack of visibility of women’s football in Spain meaning there was a lack of female role models on show.

Losada has certainly established herself as one in her career though, becoming the first Barcelona captain to lift the UEFA Women’s Champions League title in the summer, before her move to Manchester City.

What has been said?

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Goal, Losada said of Pep: "For me, he is the best coach in the world. I would love to spend more time with him or even have a chat or a coffee. I feel very lucky to have met him.

“It's true that he's one of the players I used to look up to when I was a little girl. I didn't have girls to look at, [women’s football] wasn't on TV at the time and in the end I feel lucky to be here, to be able to enjoy him, to go to the Etihad every weekend and enjoy the boys as well.”

Losada herself has left a huge mark at Barcelona too, just like Guardiola, something she was reminded of on Saturday, after scoring her first goal for City in a 4-0 win over Everton.

“It's true that when I left Barca, the most beautiful thing for me - not just winning the Champions League - is the affection with which I left,” she explained.

“I was surprised by the number of messages I received on my mobile phone after the game congratulating me, from people who really appreciate me and who showed in those moments that they really appreciated me and helped me a lot.”

‘Real Madrid will give a lot of fight’

Losada’s first opponent in a City shirt was one with familiar faces, the Manchester club drawing Real Madrid in a UWCL second qualifying round tie.

Las Blancas played very well in the first leg, in their first year in Europe, and could have won the game had they not wasted a large number of chances. Instead, it finished all square at 1-1.

“They have made some very good signings, important signings, there is a lot of talent,” Losada noted of the opponent, who City face in the second leg, at home, on Wednesday.

“It's a competitive team. I think it's going to give a lot of fight in [the league]. It's a good thing that teams are starting to get closer to the level of Barca, that they continue to support women's football so that the Spanish league improves.

“I think it's going to be an interesting league. Barca, last year, competed very well and it's very difficult to keep up. I know they are very competitive, very ambitious and a great team. It's going to be interesting to see how they face, this season, [teams] like Real Madrid, Levante, Atletico Madrid.

“I liked it the other day when I saw them. I think it's going to be a more competitive season and I think it's good for women's football.

“I think the game we played in Madrid was not one of our best. It is true that it was the first in which we played together. In the end it is an honour to be in a team that had 14 girls representing their country in Tokyo [for the Olympics]. It has been a bit of a strange pre-season. We had a few players for two months. The game against Everton was completely different.

“Every day we are improving and I think Wednesday's game is the perfect stage to continue to grow and continue to give a good performance.”

What are Manchester City’s objectives this season?

After winning the treble last year with Barcelona, Losada also spoke of what the aims are in Manchester.

“Right now, to be in the group stage of the Champions League, without a doubt,” she said, citing the short-term goals. That will be secured on Wednesday, should City beat Real Madrid.

"In the long term, we have to go game by game, compete [in] absolutely every game, and hopefully win the league title,” she added.

Further reading

Alejandro Martin