Pep Guardiola has hit out at the scheduling of the March international break ahead of this week’s Etihad clash with Aston Villa.
Kyle Walker and John Stones picked up injuries on England duty which have ruled them out of today’s (Easter Sunday) vital clash with title rivals Arsenal and potentially further Premier League games, including Wednesday’s visit by Villa and Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
The first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid will be Man City’s fourth game in 10 days and Guardiola is also exasperated at being forced to play an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea just three days after the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Asked if the timing of the March international break needed rethinking, Guardiola said: “Sure, but they will not rethink. UEFA has its own business, the broadcasters have their own business.
“We play Wednesday against Madrid second leg here…Coventry, Manchester United, Chelsea, they are on holidays one week. Why are we playing Saturday? Why don’t they give us one more day?
“Coventry don’t play Champions League, Chelsea don’t play Champions League or Europa League, United don’t do it. The broadcasters pay a lot of money so we play Saturday.
“We will go to London to play Chelsea, Chelsea will not come here. We will travel five hours. We play quarter-finals [of the Champions League] many times the last years, Wednesday second leg and every time play Saturday. All the time.
“We’re lucky we’re playin
“We play Aston Villa at 8.15 [on Wednesday], we play 12.30 on Saturday [at Crystal Palace] and go to Madrid on Tuesday. Madrid have nine days to prepare for the game. They play this weekend and not again until our game.
“You ask me about the calendar, I give my opinion. Forget about it [changes happening]. UEFA and FIFA have their own business. Broadcasters have their own business but I have mine and I defend my club.
“My club is really tough; [playing every] three days, three days, three days. The other clubs don’t have that situation. The calendar has always been like that with us, we have less days to recover and we did it.”
g at home [this time] but we’ve played in Dortmund, arrive Thursday afternoon here, on Friday take a train or plane to London and play Saturday against Liverpool or Chelsea and all the incredible teams. We are exhausted.
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