Pep Guardiola responds to Jurgen Klopp's criticism of FIFA Club World Cup
The Catalan tactician and his players now have their first-ever experience of the newly-expanded Club World Cup under their belt, but not with the outcome they would have hoped for having progressed through the group stage.
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Manchester City established themselves as the only side to win all three of their group fixtures by dismissing of Wydad AC, Al Ain, and Juventus, securing themselves what initially appeared to be a more favourable last-16 tie.
However, the clash with Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal proved to be far from straightforward, with City shipping four goals and scoring just three of their own across 120 minutes of action at the Camping World Stadium.
City's early exit from the competition now gives them six weeks before their opening Premier League match, after doubts coming into the tournament centred around a potentially limited recovery time from a Final through until the opening weekend of the English top-flight.
Speaking around Manchester City's eventual 3-4 defeat to Al Hilal after extra-time on Monday night, Pep Guardiola came out with a somewhat supportive message for comments issued by Jurgen Klopp criticising the FIFA Club World Cup.
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The former Liverpool manager had told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag on the summer tournament Stateside, 'It's all about the game and not the surrounding events – and that's why the Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard.
'People who have never had or do not have anything to do with day-to-day business anymore are coming up with something. There is insane money for participating, but it's also not for every club.'
The German football coach continued, 'Last year it was the Copa [America] and the European Championship, this year it's the Club World Cup, and next year the World Cup. That means no real recovery for the players involved, neither physically nor mentally.'
Offering his own response to a figure he faced off across the course of many years in England, Pep Guardiola said, 'We fought together many, many times.
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'I know where this idea comes from; we fought a lot in England when we went to UEFA meetings, especially the Premier League, to decide the calendar and try to go more quality.
'When the players and managers rest, you have more quality,' the City coach continued. 'It didn't surprise me a lot, and I understand him and respect him, we have an incredible relation for many years when we were rivals, and I understand his argument – I would defend as well!
'But at the same time, we are in a job and follow FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, Serie A, every competition… The managers are not going to organise the competitions! Everyone has his own role, people organise this competition.'
Issuing the seriousness in which the tournament is being taken by clubs in the knockout rounds in particular, Guardiola said of his Manchester City side, 'Once we're here, we're so proud because many, many teams complain about this competition because they're not here!
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'Otherwise they would love to be here; their media [coming] here, their supporters here, income in terms of money, and they would be happy to be here.'
However, the 54-year-old clarified, 'Of course it's not an ideal situation for managers, I'd love to have two months until next season, to refresh. But it is what it is! And we deserve for what we've done in the past to be here. Once we are here, let's do our best as possible!'
Manchester City's players will now be handed around four weeks away from City Football Academy duties before resuming training ahead of the start of the brand new Premier League season.
The new campaign will begin with a trip to Molineux to face Wolves, in what will also be the first reunion between Vitor Pereira's side and Rayan Ait-Nouri following the Algerian's big-money move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
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