City 'have to be ready to suffer' Florida heat

BBC News

6 hours ago

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says they "have to be ready to suffer" the heat in Florida when they face Juventus on Thursday.It is expected to be around 33 degrees Celsius for the game at Camping World Stadium - a stark contrast to the British climate that City are used to experiencing.Both sides have already qualified for the last 16 after winning their opening two games, but this meeting will determine the winners of Group G."I'm making the selection thinking about the second half because in these conditions we can't play at our rhythm," Guardiola said. "But all the teams have to handle it, so it is what it is."For the next World Cup, people will know [about] it already, but we have to be ready to suffer."My advice to people is to bring water, hats and towels."Guardiola also said he is managing his team's workload during the Club World Cup with it coming so soon after the conclusion of the Premier League season and international fixtures in June.That means giving his players downtime, with some spotted playing beach football with the boss earlier this week."The end of the season was so demanding emotionally," he added. "It wasn't the best for consistency and results."I decided we'd do good training but let the players relax for the rest of the day."If they want to, play golf, go to the pool, on a day off be with their families - otherwise it would be so difficult mentally. It's to keep it fresh in the training sessions, not expending energy before the games because it would be so tough. "It's maintaining [fitness] and relaxing. We have 11 months ahead of us. I decided for them to do whatever they want."