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Jeddah’s traffic can be hectic, but Pep Guardiola’s reasons for being a touch frazzled cannot be put down to running late and the beeping of car horns.
Manchester City are in Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup. Despite indifference back home, sources stress the club are ‘desperate’ to lift the trophy on Friday night.
City boss Guardiola said the idea of doing so would ‘close the circle’ for a squad that has won everything else. For him, it is legacy silverware.
Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds are waiting in Tuesday’s semi-final, supposedly occupying Guardiola’s thoughts on the day City were drawn against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last 16 and during a week when FIFA unveiled a new expanded Club World Cup.
Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City players are ‘desperate’ to win the Club World Cup
The return to training of Kevin De Bruyne (right) was a welcome sight for Guardiola in Jeddah
He also has troubling Premier League form to wrap his head around, while City were fined £120,000 by the FA yesterday for failing to control their players in the 3-3 draw with Tottenham.
Add Kevin De Bruyne returning to training and Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku remaining sidelined, and the dizzying nature of this week betrays the luxury base City have on the banks of the Red Sea.
The 32-team Club World Cup, set for America in 2025, is a game-changer for elite sides and Guardiola’s response suggested he believes clubs are basically turkeys voting for Christmas. Any European team that makes the Champions League final next season will have 15 days between that and America. It rightly bothers managers.
‘FIFA took a decision and all the clubs support that decision,’ Guardiola said. ‘I am part of the clubs. What can I do? I guess at the end of next season we will fly to the States.
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Guardiola remains concerned about player welfare amid questions of 32-team Club World Cup, which is set to be hosted in the United States from 2025
‘I am not against new competitions, I am against the lack of time to recover. It is really, really tough to finish the season and in three weeks you have to restart again and go to Asia or the States to be financially stable. I think this should change.’
Bernardo Silva diplomatically insisted he could not complain because of the sums players earn. He did add that injuries are an increasing concern, and that the quality of football could diminish rapidly.
Urawa are in front of them on Tuesday, whose Polish manager, Maciej Skorza, was talking up exploiting City’s backline. Easier to do that after the surrender of a two-goal lead against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Silva was asked if City’s stars believe they can go on one of those long, relentless, winning streaks to win the league again.
‘Do you doubt us?’ Silva replied with a punch. ‘We’ll see what happens in May. We can’t say this team isn’t capable of going on a good run. We can do it. We’re not going to deny we’re a bit frustrated with what’s been happening. It’s time to focus and forget about it. There’s no time to feel tired or sad because of our last game.’
Guardiola does believe his team can benefit from 30°C heat, the change of scenery helping a side that only has one win in six Premier League games.
‘The weather is a dream,’ he added. ‘We don’t want to take it for granted, it’s a privilege. I’m not going to complain being here, not at all.’
