Man City has been training and competing in the US for over two weeks and will face Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 today. The Premier League representatives will stay for another two weeks if they reach the final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on 13/7.
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Pep Guardiola directs a Man City training session before the Al Hilal match in the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: Reuters |
Pep Guardiola directs a Man City training session before the Al Hilal match in the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: Reuters
Guardiola is unsure how his players will react and perform in the new season, starting on 15/8, as this is the first time the FIFA Club World Cup has changed its format. According to the Spanish coach, the tournament's impact will only be clear from the second half of the 2025-2026 season.
"Let's see what happens," Guardiola said on 29/6 during the pre-match press conference against Al Hilal. "Maybe in November, December, or January, everything will be a disaster, we'll be exhausted, and the FIFA Club World Cup will have ruined us. This sometimes happens, as with the World Cups and Euros. You need mental rest and recovery."
Jurgen Klopp strongly criticized the new FIFA Club World Cup format, calling it the worst idea ever implemented in football. The former German coach argued that the tournament will add further pressure to an already congested schedule and predicted players could experience "unprecedented injuries" next season.
Guardiola was not surprised by these statements, as the two had repeatedly condemned the packed English football schedule during Klopp's time at Liverpool. However, the 54-year-old coach implied that many other clubs are envious and would love to be in Man City's position.
"Coaches don't organize the tournaments," Guardiola said. "Once we're here and competing, we're very proud. Many teams complain because they're not here. If they were, they might enjoy being here. They would attract media attention, fans, prize money, and would be happy to be here."
Guardiola admitted that holding the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer is not ideal, but affirmed that Man City will compete with all their effort to aim for the championship. "I'd like to have two months off to prepare for the new season. But that's how it is," he expressed. "We deserve to be here because of our good performance in recent years. Once we're here, let's try our best."
Regarding the professional aspect, Guardiola highly regards Al Hilal - the strongest club in Asia, according to the Opta Power Rankings. Al Hilal is the most traditional club in the continent with four AFC Champions League titles and holds the record of 19 Saudi Pro League titles. The club is currently managed by former Inter Milan coach, Simone Inzaghi, and boasts many established European stars such as goalkeeper Bono, center-back Kalidou Koulibaly, wing-back Joao Cancelo, midfielder Ruben Neves, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Hong Duy (According to ESPN)
