Tag: Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola fears his Manchester City players are not ready for the gruelling demands of the Premier League restart.

Guardiola’s reigning champions will host Arsenal on Wednesday in the second game of the Premier League’s return to action following the coronavirus hiatus.

City play again on Monday when Burnley come to the Etihad Stadium and the pace does not drop until the planned end of the season in late July.

With Premier League chiefs determined to play the remaining 92 matches in less than six weeks and teams given only a short time to prepare, City manager Guardiola is concerned that his stars are not fully fit for such a hectic schedule.

“We are ready to play one game, but three days after another and four days after another, we are not ready,” Guardiola told reporters in a video press conference on Tuesday.

“We have to rotate and use all the players. You can play a game after three weeks on holiday but we spent two weeks on the sofa doing nothing much. That is why the players are not fully fit.

“The way we are right now, I think other clubs and teams as well, if you ask me how the team is, I don’t know.”

Guardiola said the game against Arsenal would show him what level of fitness his players had.

“What we are worried about over the three weeks is the lack of preparation, not like in Germany or Spain, where they worked five or six weeks,” he said. “We know it is not enough but it is what it is.”

– ‘Difficult time’ –

Since the Premier League went into lockdown in March, Guardiola’s mother Dolors Sala Carrio has died, aged 82, after contracting the coronavirus.

“All the people who lost family or friends, it’s a difficult time, but we have family to stay strong,” he said.

While the French and Dutch top-flight seasons were cancelled because of the pandemic, football has returned in Germany, Spain and Italy.

Now it is the Premier League’s turn to experience life during the virus, with matches played behind closed doors and twice-weekly testing for players among other new rules and regulations.

Guardiola did not sound especially enthusiastic about the Premier League’s decision to return, but he acknowledged the need to minimise the financial fallout from the pandemic.

“That is why we have to finish the season. We have to limit the economic damage to the clubs,” he said.

“It is what it is. Everyone suffered during this situation, personally and economically, and we have to adapt.

“The players are human. The health of the people is important but at the end, the Premier League, like in Spain, decided we have to play and we are going to play. ”

City, who resume 25 points behind leaders Liverpool, will welcome back Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta for the first time since he took charge of Arsenal in December.

“We are delighted he will come back, especially if he is happy there. We sent a message about an hour and a half ago,” Guardiola said.

“It was about the wine we are going to drink after the game if social distance allows.”

Source: france24.com

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the protocols he and his players must follow for football to return are a small sacrifice compared to those risking their lives on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis.

Guardiola’s mother died at the age of 82 in April after contracting COVID-19.

“We follow the rules, the protocol. We have to. That’s the most important thing. We don’t do anything special,” Guardiola told the City website.

“The special ones are the doctors, nurses, scientists, cleaners – they put their own lives at risk to save ours.

“When it’s a special situation around the world, you have to adapt.”

Premier League players returned to training last week, whilst maintaining social distancing guidelines.

The UK government has now given the green light for contact training to resume, with clubs set to vote on the protocols on Wednesday.

Should the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all be completed, City could face 17 games in little over two months once the action gets underway.

But Guardiola is pleased with the fitness of his players given they have not played competitively since March 8.

“I think they were looking forward to coming back and to train again and do what they like,” he added. “They came back perfectly.”

Even when football does return in England, matches are set to be behind closed doors for the forseeable future.

Fears have been raised over the possibility that fans could congregate around stadiums, but there has been little evidence of such problems in Germany since the return of the Bundesliga.

And Guardiola encouraged fans to continue adhering to the health and safety guidelines.

“We want to come back but now the priority is other things. It’s still stay safe, be careful and when everything is possible we will come back,” he said.

“The most important thing is to follow the instructions. If they say use a mask, stay at home, social distance, we have to do it. Because there are many, many people in the NHS (National Health Service) around the world who put their own lives at risk to save ours.

“It’s incredible what they have done, and we have to follow them. Now, we cannot do anything wrong.”

Source: france24.com

Pep Guardiola claims he has not given much thought about revamping Manchester City’s squad this summer.

City are expected to make some changes for next term after a disappointing Premier League title defence this season.

Guardiola’s side, who began the campaign with hopes of winning a third successive league crown, trail current leaders Liverpool by 22 points.

Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I have an idea but not even had contact from anyone in terms of that because, during the season, I am not too much ready to think about that.

“Of course we have to do something because David (Silva) is leaving and in some positions we are going to do it, but I don’t know how many or how much because the market is always difficult and still there are two or three months, and two or three months can change a lot of things.

“There are incredible nice things still to fight for. We are in a final in two or three weeks to win one more title and we have the FA Cup, the league to try and finish second in and fight for qualification for the Champions League next season, and two big games against Real Madrid.”

Guardiola’s own long-term future is unclear. The Spaniard is contracted only to the end of next season and there has been speculation he could leave even sooner.

The Spaniard, however, insists his situation will have little bearing on players when they consider whether to join City or not.

He said: “That’s not the only reason they come here – because I am here. We have been in contact with others who didn’t come when I was here.

“I think the club is big enough and good enough to be attractive for players who want to play in the way we do, or they watch TV and see us and we have played against them.

Source: skysports.com