SOCCER
Pep Guardiola rages against FIFA rule for Club World Cup
The Manchester City head coach insisted that he is the only person who can decide which players should play at the CWC.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has questioned a reported FIFA directive that would require teams to bring full-strength squads to next summer’s Club World Cup in the United States.
Reports suggest that FIFA will require all teams to bring top players to the tournament, despite the competition coming at the end of a gruelling season of soccer in Europe. When asked for his thoughts on the news, Guardiola was incredulous.
“Who are the strongest players? Which ones?” the City boss asked. “Will FIFA tell me which players are stronger than the other ones? I don’t understand that.”
He added: “We’ll go with all the squad there. We don’t go for one game, I don’t know how the competition is set up right now but we won’t go with 11 players, we’ll go with the squad.”
Are top soccer players overworked?
Manchester City star Rodri is one of the most high-profile players to question whether the sporting calendar has become dangerously busy, with some now playing more than 70 games in a season. The Spanish midfielder recently suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Premier league draw with Arsenal.
On Friday Guardiola echoed Rodri’s concerns about player welfare, arguing that FIFA were in no position to decide which players were able to play those extra games.
“I don’t understand how they select which player is stronger than another one. I know,” he insisted. “Maybe the strongest player, for them, is in really bad condition. For many reasons; emotional, physical, injuries, niggles... I’m going to play another one. I will decide it.”
Rodri is not the only player missing for the Premier League champions at the moment. Kevin de Buryne picked up a thigh injury in the Champions League game against Inter Milan last month and remains out. Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb are also sidelined for the visit of Fulham on Saturday.