Pep Guardiola’s warning to FIFA and UEFA means Man City may need to change transfer strategy

Manchester City players could play as many as 150 games over the next two seasons over seven competitions.

Less than an hour had passed since Manchester City had just won the Champions League and Pep Guardiola reminded interviewers of a familiar boggart. “I don’t have the energy to think about next season, it’s impossible,” he said at the Ataturk Stadium.

“We need to rest, it’s been too long.” Upon arriving at the post-match press conference shortly after, Guardiola filed a similar complaint to FIFA and UEFA, saying: “Our players now have international matches.

UEFA and FIFA, think about that.The Premier League ended two or three weeks ago, but now everyone has to go back. Too much.” Guardiola is now returning to Catalonia to get a well-deserved break from a defense trio, with seven tournaments remaining, plus two weeks of tour in Japan and South Korea.

City have signed Mateo Kovacic to replace Ilkay Gundogan in the team, while RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol may want to leave.

Contrary to the lazy stereotype, City do not overspend on their rivals, nor do they have two starting lineups of world-class players.

Last season Man City finished the season with 19 senior midfielders, two academy graduates and a third goalkeeper. This is still the current squad composition, plus the uncertain future of Joao Cancelo.

It seems that Guardiola prefers a smaller squad consisting of versatile players who can play in multiple positions rather than multiple players who can play in all positions.

However, when Guardiola looks at City’s schedule for the last two seasons of his contract, he and City may realize they have no choice but to strengthen their squad over the next few years.

Including Man City’s 3 pre-season friendlies, they can play up to 67 matches in the 2023/24 season in the Community Shield, Premier League, UEFA Super Cup, Champions League, Carabao Cup, Club World Cup and FA Cup.

At a minimum, City will play 49 games next season, before most of their players qualify for Euro 2024.

After a summer marked by a major tournament, the Man City players will return to back for another pre-season tour, and depending on their success they could enter seven competitions again in 2024/25.

For starters, next season will be longer despite the Open Champions League format (which will feature eight group stage matches instead of six) and the Summer Open Club World Cup format, where Man City are guaranteed to participate in the competition.

This will be another summer tournament, with three group stage matches guaranteed and up to four knockouts leading Man City through July 2025.

So from July 2023, City could play up to 144 games over the next two years, with most players also in next summer’s tournament.

Not only has Guardiola warned of the growing demand for players, but Kevin De Bruyne has made it clear that there are too many games to play and not enough concern for the welfare of the players.

De Bruyne’s argument is that in general, players are fit enough to play so many games, but the need for mental rest is constantly being ignored.

De Bruyne is a player who has spent weeks with a hamstring tear at the end of the season for City to get through in attack, and could therefore miss the start of next season.

City are facing a headache, with the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023 requiring the rescheduling of three domestic fixtures, including a Carabao Cup quarter-final. potential.

However, there are no vacancies to play this quarter-final before the semi-final, while City will also have little option to play two rearranged Premier League games should they reach the latter stages of the three competitions cup match.

So the last thing City need is another tournament, but FIFA has hinted that it will add a single tournament in 2024 when the current Club World Cup format ends in 2023 to be replaced. replaced by an expanded version in 2025.

In March, FIFA approved the “strategic concept” of an annual club competition between the champions of each confederation, with the Champions League winners automatically move to the finals.

So if Man City defends the Champions League crown next season, they will also have another game to play in the 2024/25 season. Despite Guardiola’s warnings, the number of games City are expected to play has only increased year on year.

With City aiming for Super Cup and Club World Cup titles once they have unlocked the Champions League, they will have to accept that success will come with more games. He said, “You look at next season, and guess what? Let’s see what we have next year.

Look what we have this summer, we have the Charity Shield, we have the Super Cup, we have the Club World Cup. Club World Cup For the first time, this club will play the Super Cup and Club World Cup.

And we want to win them over. We want to win and we want to add them to the history of this great club, to the legacy of this great club. “All we do is set new records and new standards. I’m talking to you today but I’m already thinking about next year.

Even yesterday [in the Champions final final]. League], I think, you know, there was a joke between me and Ferran [Soriano] and Txiki [Begiristain] and Pep, when we had our moment, we looked at each other and okay, now they are I have to do it again.

So, determined to win every competition Man City participates in, they may need to expand their squad to cope with the growing workload.

Guardiola may not like it, and it may go against his current transfer policy of keeping a small squad – but he may have no other choice.

When Guardiola thought about the welfare of his players, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak had more trophies in mind when he spoke at the end of the season.