Jakarta –
Even with Champions League current format, Manchester City overwhelmed. The adoption of a new format with more matches is considered unwise.
This season, as it is known, started quite late following the delay of last season due to the pandemic COVID-19. This delayed start, for Manchester City and other top English teams that have appeared on the European scene, has become a problem.
They just can’t hold the ideal pre-season. Meanwhile, at the same time, they are waiting for a busy schedule this season because they appear in four competitions.
Man City, for example, practically don’t have an empty midweek. That is not to mention the question of the winter break being canceled in order to finish the season on schedule, considering that there is a European Cup in June.
So when UEFA announcing a change in the format of the Champions League with a larger number of matches, Man City can quite imagine how busy the schedule is.
With the current format, each team only has to compete six times in the group phase. With the new format, they will play at least 10 matches in the same phase where the participants are 36 teams. No doubt Man City Manager Pep Guardiola criticized the change in the format of the Champions League, as he was also critical of the formation European Super League.
“This season, you are still playing in the middle of the season. We must not forget, we started the season against Wolves, we only had one trial match. We don’t have a single midweek free,” he said of how busy this season was.
“I can’t train them, just manage the team to be as fit as possible. I can’t train anything, just watch videos to remember what to do. You don’t have pre-season to train the principles of the game. As a manager, there is an international break. , but players don’t. “
“Then there’s the Community Shield if we qualify. The players want to play, but sometimes get injured. UEFA knows that, but doesn’t care. Honestly there are a lot of (games), we don’t have a midweek break.”
“There will be more injuries. These boys have finished an unbelievably tough season, have six days off, then join the national team. Every time we talk about it to UEFA, they say they will record it. But after that there are more games. Then there is a new competition (format), “added Guardiola.
The density of this season has made Man City inevitably set priorities. Even when looking at the chance to win the English League Cup, Raheem Sterling et al could not fully focus because they had to prepare for the semi-final of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain.
“Now we are in an important period, there are a series of contradictions. There is a final (Premier League Cup against Tottenham), but one eye is looking at the Champions League and Crystal Palace,” he said. Pep Guardiola.
“The Carabao Cup is fun, we are playing for the title. But the game against PSG awaits, one eye we have on it. We will see what happens on Sunday.”
Watch Video “Travel to Etihad, Dortmund Learns from Leicester when playing Man City“
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(raw/bay)
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