Following the team’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has expressed his anger with the Premier League’s apparent unwillingness to postpone the start of the 2025–26 season.
According to Guardiola, City had asked to delay the start of the upcoming season by a few weeks so that the players would have enough time to relax and heal following the Club World Cup. He did, however, add that the Premier League had turned down this request.
Ahead of City’s impending encounter with Fulham, Guardiola voiced his complaints in a caustic manner. When BBC Sport contacted the Premier League in response to Guardiola’s remarks, they were informed that the club had not formally requested a postponement of the season.
Guardiola’s Remarks
“The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery. I really appreciate it. It is strictly forbidden, but I believe the club requested the league to push back the schedule by one, two, or three weeks so we could have a vacation following the [Club] World Cup. Does the Premier League approve of us? No. Without a doubt not.”
Guardiola expressed worries in his comments about schedule conflicts and player welfare, as City would have to balance the demands of a demanding season with the additional challenge of the Club World Cup, which has undergone change.
