“Respect Coventry Please” – Pep Guardiola’s Witty Response to Potential Manchester United Clash in FA Cup Final

Manchester City are finally back to their winning ways after a disappointing exit from the Champions League quarterfinals against Real Madrid. Last night, their resilience was tested once more in the FA Cup semifinal clash against Chelsea. Luckily, they managed to book their spot for the finals, where they’ll either face Coventry or formidable rivals Manchester United. While the anticipation for a potential derby showdown looms large, Pep Guardiola seems to have a different perspective, as the manager is advocating for the underdogs. 

Following the match, the former Barcelona manager was interviewed briefly by beIN SPORTS reporter Ibrahim Khadra. At the conclusion of his interview, the renowned journalist asked Guardiola if he would fancy another Manchester Derby for the second year in a row. Interestingly, the City boss gave a cheeky response, saying, “Respect Coventry please!” The answer even left Ibrahim Khadra in hysterics.

It seems Guardiola is not jumping to conclusions early that he will be United in the FA Cup final. The Spaniard is ready for a potential turnaround in another semi-final that Coventry may produce. Notably, the Championship side qualified for the last four by defeating Premier League side Wolves in a five-goal thriller, winning the contest 2–3. Certainly, Mark Robins’ side would be in a mood to surprise Erik ten Hag’s men. 

Meanwhile, City will also look to improve after they managed to clinch the victory against the Blues with Bernardo Silva’s late goal at Wembley. However, for now, they will be looking to rest from the congested schedule that has left Guardiola furious. 

Pep Guardiola finds FA Cup schedule ‘unacceptable’ 

Having played Real Madrid three days before, Manchester City didn’t have enough time to rest for yesterday’s clash against Chelsea. Yet, they had no choice but to play the match with fatigued players. Pep Guardiola expressed his anger on the schedule. Speaking to BBC, he said, “It’s unacceptable. It’s really unacceptable. Coventry, United and Chelsea don’t play in the week and they let us play today.” His rant didn’t end here!

Guardiola slammed the stakeholders for scheduling their next Premier League clash against Brighton on Friday, instead of Saturday or late Sunday night. While urging to be treated ‘fairly,’ he added, “It’s impossible. It’s for the health of the players, It’s not normal honestly.” Clearly, the manager is frustrated by the fact that his side is not getting enough time to recover from back-to-back fixtures. 

Of course, there are major back draws, as the lack of recovery from fatigue might result in players getting sidelined with injuries. Let’s hope it doesn’t go that way for Pep Guardiola and Co. and they are able to balance things out.