‘I will quit!': Frustrated by squad size, Man City manager Pep Guardiola threatens to leave club
Manchester City jumped to third place in the Premier League points table on Tuesday after a 3-1 win — coinciding with club legend Kevin de Bruyne's last league game at home — against Bournemouth but leaving many seniors players out of the matchday squad led to Pep Guardiola's frustrated who said he will 'quit' the club if City won't reduce to squad size.
'I said to the club (that)… I don't want that (a bigger squad). I don't want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don't want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It's impossible for my soul to (tell) my players in the tribune (stands) that they cannot play.' said Guardiola after the match.
Guardiola, who prefers a small squad size and has been vocal about his views, says it is difficult to constantly keep players out of City's matchday squad.
'Maybe (for) three, four months we couldn't select 11 players, we didn't have defenders, it was so difficult. After, people came back, but next season it cannot be like that. As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club, I don't want that,' he added.
Man City have signed four players — Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush since January, spending over 200 million Euros. Only de Bruyne has confirmed to leave the club after this season, while midfielder Jack Grealish's future at the club is also in doubt.
'It is a question for the club. I don't want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit. If I have injuries, unlucky, we have some players for the academy and we do it,' said Guardiola when asked about more exits from Man City.
The Premier League clubs can have a 25-player squad. They can also include under-21 players who are eligible over and above the 25-man squad limit.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Uriah Rennie, the Premier League''s first Black referee, dies at 65
Uriah Rennie, the first Black referee in the Premier League, has died. He was 65. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie," the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association posted Sunday on X. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Uriah made history as the Premier League's first Black referee, officiating over 300 top-flight matches between 1997 and 2008," the statement said. "He broke down barriers, shaped our football community and inspired generations to come." The Jamaica-born official grew up in Sheffield, northern England, and oversaw hundreds of matches starting with his breakthrough appointment when Derby hosted Wimbledon in August 1997. That game was abandoned, however, because the stadium lighting failed. Rennie told BBC News in April how, while on holiday in Turkey last year, he felt severe pain in his back and doctors discovered he had an inoperable neurological condition that confined him to a wheelchair. (AP)
Deccan Herald
3 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Premier League's first Black referee Uriah Rennie dies aged 65
Rennie retired in 2008 and it would be 15 years before another Black official took charge of a Premier League game, with Sam Allison officiating a match between Sheffield United and Luton Town in 2023.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Uriah Rennie, English Premier League's first Black referee, passes away
Uriah Rennie, the first Black referee in the English Premier League, has died. He was 65. 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie,' the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association posted Sunday on X. 'Uriah made history as the Premier League's first Black referee, officiating over 300 top-flight matches between 1997 and 2008,' the statement said. 'He broke down barriers, shaped our football community and inspired generations to come.' The Jamaica-born official grew up in Sheffield, northern England, and oversaw hundreds of matches starting with his breakthrough appointment when Derby hosted Wimbledon in August 1997. That game was abandoned, however, because the stadium lighting failed. Rennie told BBC News in April how, while on holiday in Turkey last year, he felt severe pain in his back and doctors discovered he had an inoperable neurological condition that confined him to a wheelchair. Related Topics English Premier League
