Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s coach, unveiled that the Premier League has denied the club’s appeal to push back the start of their next season, in a bid to give their players more recuperation time after participating in the Club World Cup. The football tournament, planned to be held in America next summer, could make the club wrap up their current games by mid-July.
Communications between Man City and the Premier League regarding a potential delay on the kick-off of the 2025-2026 season have proven unfruitful, as top officials have decided against making any exceptions for the reigning champions, who will also be accompanied by their rivals, Chelsea, in the U.S.
In Guardiola’s words, “Absolutely not,” was the response from the Premier League when broached with the query for deferment. The Spanish coach expressed uncertainty over the club’s participation in more or fewer matches than the 2022-23’s treble year before their U.S stint, adding that the non-deferment of their first two games presented yet another challenging hurdle to navigate. He concluded that they’d rely on pragmatic judgment, taking into account player conditions and scheduling, before deciding their next move.
Moreover, Fifa demands teams to field their best line-ups for the 32-team event, set to start on June 15th and span 29 days. This stipulation stems from the worries around clubs potentially resting key players after a demanding season. Guardiola, baffled by this requirement, retorted, “What is the strongest player? Which ones?” before adding that they’d be bringing their entire team along and not just for one game. He questioned Fifa’s selection criteria and emphasized the numerous factors affecting a player’s form and readiness for a match. He reassured that the final call on who’d play would be his.
Kevin De Bruyne will once more be out of play when Fulham comes to City this Saturday because of a pelvic ailment. With a view to aid his convalescence, De Bruyne has also requested not to be included in the line-up for Belgium’s international games in November.
“Whilst it isn’t a major issue, it’s nonetheless uncomfortable,” commented Guardiola. “If you’re not at full fitness, take time to recuperate because once you’re fully recovered, you can render better service to the national team. From my perspective, Kevin’s decision was both shrewd and prudent.” – Guardian