Guardiola also referenced comments made by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who had criticized the expanded 32-team Club World Cup event as “football’s worst idea.” Guardiola noted that he and Klopp had previously clashed over scheduling and rest periods for players.
“Jurgen, we fought together many, many times… when we went to UEFA meetings especially, or when we discussed the Premier League calendar, about how to add more quality, giving the managers and players more rest”
City will face Al Hilal in the round of 16 on Tuesday and could potentially reach the final on July 13, leaving them a month to prepare for the new Premier League season starting on August 16.
City will kick off their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a challenging away match against Wolves at Molineux, aiming to reclaim the title they lost to Liverpool last term.
