"We don't have players because they have to rest" - Guardiola insists Manchester City will 'arrive late' against Manchester United and Chelsea
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that his players won't be at the top of their game when they face Chelsea and Manchester United in their opening games of the 2024-25 season. The Cityzens boss pointed fingers at football's governing bodies for not caring about the well-being of players amid packed schedules.
City will kick off the new campaign with a clash against Manchester United in the Community Shield on Saturday, August 10, at Wembley Stadium. They will then face Chelsea in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, August 18.
Coming from international duty where they represented their respective nations at the Copa America and European Championship, fatigue could be a problem for many players next season. Pep Guardiola has warned that his side might experience a slow start to the campaign.
“We will arrive late but not (just) against Manchester United, against Chelsea and Ipswich too,” Guardiola told reporters (via CityXtra). “We will be late. It’s about trying not to drop many points, try to compete well. We don’t have players because they have to rest."
The Spaniard went on to blame football governing bodies for paying little attention to the players' condition.
"If the big bosses and all the institutions like FIFA, UEFA and the Premier League don’t think about the players then the managers have to think about them, otherwise they will die,” he continued.
"It’s too much. That’s why three weeks or one month is necessary, but the competition is there and you have to adapt. There’s no solution, there will not be a solution because there is no intention to find a solution."
“The clubs have to travel to show our brand around the world, to let other continents and places see our players, and we have to adapt. We would like to have had proper preparation but it’s impossible because national teams deserve to play and every institution like FIFA and UEFA and local competitions want to defend their product and make games.”
A host of Manchester City superstars, including Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, and Rodri, participated in the Euros this summer. Julian Alvarez featured in the Copa America, winning the title with Argentina.
How Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are doing in pre-season
The Cityzens haven't had an ideal start to their pre-season. They are yet to record a win so far, with their performances leaving a lot to be desired.
Pep Guardiola's men are on a tour of the USA as part of their pre-season preparations and have lost both of their matches so far. They were beaten 4-3 by Celtic on Wednesday, July 24. Italian giants AC Milan also got the better of them and subjected them to a 3-2 defeat on Saturday, July 27.
Up next, the Cityzens will go head-to-head with FC Barcelona on July 31. They will then face Chelsea in their final pre-season friendly before their Community Shield clash against Manchester United on August 10.