“Schedule Is Terrible”- Pep Guardiola Lashes Out as International Break Fatigue Costs Manchester City Key Players

Manchester City thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 but manager Pep Guardiola is not overly thrilled. After all, the Spaniard has a genuine reason since his squad is wearing thin due to injuries. Against Arsenal and Aston Villa, the Spanish tactician fielded a completely different backline from the ones he is used to. Per the Manchester City boss, the international break is to blame for the team’s perils.

In the post-match press conference, Pep Guardiola gave his thoughts on his side’s brutal schedule. The manager said, “The guys who played two games in the national teams in friendly games are out and Phil maybe played one of his worst games of the season against Arsenal because he was exhausted from playing 96 minutes. Look at Kyle, John, Nathan.” It is worth noting that Walker and John Stones got injured while on International duty with England. Guardiola summed up his thoughts with the line, “The schedule is terrible.”

With the decisive phase of the season up next, Pep Guardiola’s frustrations are understandable. Manchester City play Real Madrid next and the Spanish tactician also voiced his opinion regarding his team’s schedule ahead of the crucial tie. The Sky Blues manager is not happy that his side has to play multiple games in a short span while their opponents have 9 days of rest.

It’s not just the international break but the scheduling of the Premier League itself is quite intense. Won’t a talk with the league’s  top management solve the issue? ‘No way‘, says Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola reveals how broadcasters contribute to the grueling schedule

Last month, Pep Guardiola was asked if had he talked with the Premier League’s higher-ups regarding the fixture congestion. The Spaniard said, “Talk about that with the Premier League?! No way!” He explained, “It’s not dependent on the Premier League, it’s dependent on the broadcasters.” The 53-year-old added that broadcasters are paying the league an enormous amount of money. In the 2022-25 cycle, the Premier League is set to gain around $12.1 billion in media rights revenue! Hence, Guardiola reckons the pleas for fewer matches will fall on deaf ears.

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It’s not just managers like Pep Guardiola who find playing a lot of matches bothersome. Notably, Kevin De Bruyne, heralded as one of the finest players in the league, too voiced that players are left with no time for anything. The Belgian had said, “When you are playing every three days. It’s just, there’s no time to work on other things because you are just going from playing to recovery.” 

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