Premier League rejects Manchester City's request to delay 2025-26 season's games after Club World Cup
By Sreejith CR | First Published Oct 5, 2024, 3:03 PM ISTManchester City will participate in a revamped Club World Cup next summer, which will span four weeks, beginning on June 15. The Premier League season starts in August, approximately less than four weeks after the conclusion of the Club WC.
The Premier League has rejected Manchester City's request to postpone the first two games of the 2025-26 season to recover from their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the United States, the club's manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday (October 4).
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🔵⚠️ Pep Guardiola: “After 2025 summer holidays, Premier League didn’t allow us to postpone the first two games of the 2025/26 season to come back for recovery…”.
“Thank you so much!”, says Guardiola — via . pic.twitter.com/MEh6C9oGYs
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The reigning English Premier League champions will participate in a revamped Club World Cup next summer, which will span four weeks, beginning on June 15. The Premier League season starts in August, less than four weeks after the conclusion of the Club WC. There's no exact date set yet but it will be slightly earlier than normal due to the World Cup the following summer.
An increasingly packed calendar is a growing concern amongst the players and managers. Players are allowed three weeks breaks but Guardiola is concerned their reduced rest will leave him either without key men or players who are fatigued.
“I don’t know if we will play more games than the treble year (2022-23)... maybe we’ll play less games,” Guardiola told reporters.
“The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery. Thank you so much. They don’t postpone these games so that will be the moment of, oh, what do we have to do?”
Man City have already lost their key defensive midfielder Rodri for the reminder of the following an ACL injury last month, while playmaker Kevin de Bruyne is also nursing a muscle injury. De Bruyne, the Belgium captain, has requested the national team coach to exclude him from the international fixtures in October and November, in order to take care of his body.
Manchester City are currently occupying second spot in the English top flight table, having collected 14 points from six games, just a solitary point adrift of leaders Liverpool. Guardiola's side thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday and will welcome Fulham for a league clash on Saturday (October 5).
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