Guardiola has raised alarm over Club World Cup fatigue
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has voiced serious concerns about the toll the expanded Club World Cup is taking on his squad, warning that the tight scheduling could "destroy" his team ahead of the Premier League season.
City ended their title-winning domestic campaign on May 25 and kicked off their Club World Cup journey in Philadelphia just over three weeks later, on June 18.
They are now preparing for a Round of 16 clash with Al-Hilal in Orlando on Monday, and should they go the distance, the final will be played on July 13 barely a month before their league opener on August 16.
What Guardiola said
Guardiola admitted uncertainty about how it would affect his players long-term.
"I may say, so listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us, i don't know. It's the first time in our life that that's happened. So we'll see," Guardiola told reporters.
Guardiola's warning adds to growing pressure on football's governing bodies to reassess the congested global calendar.
As Guardiola put it bluntly, "We are exhausted."
Guardiola also offered support for Juergen Klopp, who last week slammed FIFA's decision to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams, calling it "football's worst idea."
He said, "Juergen, we fought together many, many times... when we went to UEFA meetings especially, or when we discussed the Premier League calendar, about how to add more quality, giving the managers and players more rest.
"So his comments didn't surprise me a lot ... I understand his argument, because I would defend his argument as well."
The 32-team Club World Cup will be staged every four years during the pre-season a slot traditionally reserved for player rest and recovery. The intense schedule has drawn widespread criticism from players, managers, and player welfare advocates.
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