Pablo Zabaleta has revealed that Guardiola makes the first team eat their meals together as well as cutting off the wifi to improve first team relations.
Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta
Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta has told Argentine sports channel TyC Sports some of Pep Guardiola’s rules since his arrival at Eastlands, including turning off the wifi so players have to talk to each other.
The full-back was speaking ahead of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers with Peru and Paraguay and gave a glimpse into life with the former Barcelona coach at the helm, including how Guardiola has transformed City stars’ personal habits in order to improve team spirit and better interaction.
With 10 wins from their opening 12 games of the season Guardiola has definitely had a big impact on life at the Etihad Stadium, with a flying start to the campaign seeing them lead the way in the Premier League where many pundits predicting City to end up there come May.
Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta in action with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Oscar Wendt
Zabaleta, one of the club’s most senior stars entering his ninth season, says that in addition to no wifi, players must also eat together at the training centre and no one is allowed to go off separately.
“He forces us to have breakfast and lunch together at the club,” he said. “The internet is cut off. The dressing room is on the bottom floor, three floors down.
“There isn’t even 3G connection there. We are incommunicado there.”
The lack of internet would come as an almighty shock to some of the Premier League’s most social media-avid aficionados, but it’s just one of the ways Guardiola has encouraged his squad to remain closely knit and his methods seem to be reaping their rewards.
“You always want and dream to be trained by the best coaches, and today I have the opportunity to work with one of the best,” Zabaleta continued.
Manchester City’s Bacary Sagna, Claudio Bravo and Pablo Zabaleta
“Actually, you learn a lot, especially the way how you should live. Beyond the knowledge of his ideas, you see the passion with which he lives for football.”
The 31-year-old has played under four different managers during his time in Manchester and a factor in Roberto Mancini’s departure from City was reportedly a fractured dressing room with first team stars unhappy at the Italian’s demeanour.
But it seems to be all smiles at City now despite their draw away at Celtic and loss to Tottenham in their last two games, which Zabaleta struggled in.
With Bacary Sagna vying for a place at right back as well as the former Espanyol defender, Guardiola may wring the changes after the international break before they welcome Everton to the Etihad, with several stars unimpressive at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli in action with Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta and Fernandinho
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