Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has received counsel to direct his frustration towards UEFA and FIFA instead of the FA following his outburst regarding player well-being following his team’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.
After being eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday, Guardiola’s team had to face Chelsea on Saturday, leading him to criticize the FA’s scheduling as “unacceptable”.
Guardiola expressed his strong disapproval of the scheduling of matches, stating that it is completely unacceptable. He specifically mentioned Coventry, Manchester United, and Chelsea, questioning why they were not playing during the week like his team.
Guardiola suggested that moving the match from Saturday to Friday would allow for better recovery time for the players. He emphasized that this issue is not normal and not in the best interest of the players’ health.
Guardiola also mentioned the emotional toll of the recent loss to Madrid and expressed his confusion about how his team managed to survive the match.
Other prominent managers, including Mikel Arteta, have supported Guardiola’s concerns about increased game time for players.
However, there has been criticism directed towards Guardiola, especially in light of FA Cup replays being eliminated and clubs willingly participating in lucrative off-season tours, which further burdens their players.