Adding more competitions to schedule will not help anyone, complains Pep Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has firmly played down the idea of having more competitions as this will only increase the mental and physical load on the elite players. The ex-Bayen Munich manager sarcastically joked that the only way to have more games is to have a year with 400 days.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been very vocal about the congested schedule the Premier League has. The league coupled with the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and European competitions often force the top teams of England to play almost twice or thrice a week. A number of managers have complained about the jammed Christmas period schedule which has been a problem for years and has often resulted in injuries to elite players. Guardiola also rallied for injured Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, saying that this packed schedule will only lead to more injuries and physical loads on players.
“I am so sorry for Kane and Rashford because they are good for the league but I am not surprised. The solution is to make a year of 400 days. Then we can book another competition.”, said Pep to BBC.
In 2021, the enlarged Club World Cup in China will include 24 club teams including eight from Europe. By then the European governing body UEFA should have agreed on plans for a reformed European competition structure, including a third competition to go alongside an expanded Champions League and Europa League. Pep also said that having a third competition will be choosing quantity or quality as with increased matches to play, the signs of weariness and fatigue will increase and the level of play will go down.
“Of course it is too much to expect. All the managers complained about it but they [the authorities] don't care. A distance of two or three days [between games] again and again. The players suffer. They want to do well and the clubs have a lot of pressure to win or qualify for the Champions League. We push and push. The body says 'stop', 'enough'. With that number of games, the players break down.”
“Fewer games, fewer competitions, fewer teams. More quality, less quantity. It is to protect the players. I can be tired - and I don't run. For them they'd enjoy it more, the people too. People can live without football for a while. It's too much. They can go to the theatre, to the cinema, restaurants, to watch the fireworks.” added the Spaniard