Pep Guardiola has called for change as the fixture burden on players continues to increase.
The manager of Manchester City was discussing the Club World Cup’s expansion to a 32-team competition starting in 2025, in reference to FIFA’s decision.
Although Guardiola maintains that he is not opposed to the new event in theory and that City has already been assured a spot, he believes that something has to give in order to lessen the players’ workload.
During a press conference, the Spaniard said to reporters, “I have nothing against the new competitions. I object to the annual lack of recuperation time.
This is the constant source of my complaints. It makes no difference to me if I play every three, six, or seven days. It’s alright.
However, it is extremely difficult to wrap up the season and then, in three weeks, start over in Asia or the States in order to have financial stability. That is extremely difficult for us as well as the players in particular. For me, things ought to be different. This is what I’m trying to say.
“However, what happens when you travel to the United States to compete in another competition (after the season ends)? This is the issue.”
Guardiola was speaking in Saudi Arabia, where City, the winners of the Champions League, is getting ready for the Club World Cup this year.
They play the Asian champions, Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, in their semi-final on Tuesday in Jeddah.
Guardiola remarked, “It’s an honor to be here and a pleasure.”
“Man City is visiting for the first time. It demonstrates how challenging it is. We are not going to ignore it. We consider it an honor.
“We want to win, of course. It’s a trophy that we are missing. We wish to complete a small circle by declaring that we have earned every trophy possible. This concludes the series.”
Although midfielder Bernardo Silva acknowledged that elite players had a demanding schedule, he was not grumbling.
“We were not consulted, but we try to do our jobs, to represent our clubs, the people who pay our salaries, and the fans who support us as best we can,” the Portuguese speaker stated.
“The truth is that there are a lot more games than ever before, especially with the new competitions. When you look at it, it can be a little overwhelming because of the amount of rest that players receive and the increased risk of injury.
“We can’t complain because we make a lot of money in the end, but I think that if we have this many games for a long time, the games will lose their intensity and energy for the people who enjoy them.”
Erling Haaland, the striker for City, is expected to be sidelined once more after missing the previous three games due to a foot injury. Although they are not anticipated to play, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are also with the team as they get closer to their comebacks.
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