The Premier League will not postpone reigning champions Manchester City's opening games of the 2025-26 season to give players recovery time after the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S., manager Pep Guardiola said.
Elite clubs are increasingly concerned at the impact of an expanding global football calendar on wellbeing of players, some of whom say they are struggling with the physical strain despite the enormous salaries they can earn.
City and Chelsea are the two English clubs in the expanded month-long Club World Cup from June 15-July 13, with the Premier League due to start in August, leaving little time for a break.
"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the (Club) World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed," Guardiola said late on Friday.
"The Premier League say yes to us? No, absolutely not ... Thank you so much."
The Premier League did not respond to his comments.
Pep Guardiola on Club World Cup
"I'm not going to tell them which player has to play."
Pep Guardiola comments on FIFA's Club World Cup regulations as the organisation states that club's will not be able to allow any players to miss the tournament ❌ pic.twitter.com/7W7PvFwxZQ— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 4, 2024
The 2024-25 season kicked off on Aug. 16, a month after the Euros final between Spain and England.
Guardiola said the expanded Club World Cup would make it even more difficult for clubs to manage player workload.
City midfielder Rodri said last month that players could be close to strike action over the congested calendar, which also includes an expanded Champions League format.
Rodri, who is now out for the season with a knee ligament injury, said 40-50 games a season was the optimum for maximum performance, but his team was looking at up to 70-80 games if they progressed in all competitions.
Global players' union FIFPRO said recently that some players get the equivalent of less than one day off per week. Its European member unions have started legal action against global governing body FIFA over the Club World Cup.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Andrew Cawthorne)
