Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola Criticises Premier League Scheduling
The Premier League’s scheduling of Manchester City’s penultimate match of the season has been criticised by the club’s manager, Pep Guardiola. The team is set to play Bournemouth on Tuesday, just 72 hours after their FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, amidst a tight race for Champions League qualification.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Guardiola expressed his frustration with the scheduling, stating that the team has been dealing with such situations for nine years, with little to no resolution. “Llevamos luchando contra estas situaciones durante nueve años, cada temporada, y nada funciona,” Guardiola said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Guardiola’s Manchester City side currently sits sixth in the Premier League table, having played one game less than Chelsea (4th) and Aston Villa (5th), who are only a point above the champions of the last four seasons. All three teams are vying for a spot in the top five to secure a Champions League berth. Mundo Deportivo reports that Guardiola is concerned about the tight turnaround between the FA Cup final and the Bournemouth match.
The manager highlighted the Premier League’s decision to reschedule Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Aston Villa from Sunday to Friday, giving the latter more time to prepare for their Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday. Guardiola praised the decision, saying, “La Premier League tomó una buena decisión, muy buena. Jugamos todo el miércoles y luego el sábado… no necesitábamos ese día extra,” as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Guardiola also questioned the scheduling priorities of the Premier League, suggesting that it favours television broadcasts over the welfare of teams. “Dicen que el calendario está hecho para la televisión, para lograr más aficionados o seguidores y otras cosas. El año pasado tenían más seguidores en el otro partido, no en el nuestro. Están hartos de vernos,” he said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
The scheduling conflict is set to be a challenging one for Manchester City, as they face a Bournemouth side that is still in contention for a Europa League or Conference League spot. Guardiola acknowledged the difficulty of the match, stating that Bournemouth is “uno de los equipos más intensos, físicos, directos y potentes de la Premier League,” as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
In conclusion, the scheduling of Manchester City’s match against Bournemouth has been criticised by Pep Guardiola, who has expressed frustration with the Premier League’s priorities. The team faces a challenging match against a Bournemouth side still in contention for European spots, and Guardiola’s concerns about the scheduling and its impact on his team’s preparation have been highlighted. Mundo Deportivo has provided detailed coverage of the story.
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