Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has revealed that manager Pep Guardiola enhances team spirit by demanding every player operates in English.
City’s first team squad is made up of eleven different nationalities but despite a particularly strong Spanish and Portuguese presence, Guardiola insists the players communicate in English at the training ground.
Otamendi also revealed that Guardiola insists every player eats together after every home game.
The Argentine defender provided an insight into Guardiola’s methods on Fox Sports Radio in Argentina, as City sit pretty top of the Premier League and top of their Champions League group.
Otamendi said: ‘After games, it is obligatory to eat at the club. Diet and rest is very important as we have a very intense calendar.
‘Pep is demanding about food and also that we study English, as every meeting is in that language. In December I even have an exam!’
Otamendi, 29, has featured in every City game this season and also credits Pep’s personal touch with enhancing the team’s performances.
‘Pep has everything in hand so that when the game comes around, everything flows well. It’s all designed for the team to function perfectly. Nothing is left to chance.
‘Pep is on top of everything, not only talking to us about football but making sure we are OK with our family and things like that.
‘When it’s time to focus on the game, any joking around stops.’
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