Manchester City is gearing up for a whirlwind week, facing a combination of high-stakes football matches and an independent hearing into alleged financial irregularities. Manager Pep Guardiola, in a pre-Champions League press conference, outlined the club’s strategy for handling this intense period: utilizing academy players to supplement the first team.
City is set to kick off its Champions League campaign by hosting Serie A champion Inter Milan on Wednesday, just two days after the start of an independent hearing into the club’s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial regulations. The following weekend, they face Arsenal in the Premier League, followed by a League Cup tie against Watford.
This packed schedule is just the tip of the iceberg for City, as the club anticipates playing approximately 75 games throughout the season. The expanded Champions League format and the upcoming Club World Cup have raised concerns amongst players like Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, and Bernardo Silva about the strain of such a demanding calendar.
Addressing these concerns, Guardiola acknowledged the challenges of the new schedule but remained firm in his commitment to all competitions. He stated, “Yes, there are more games (in the calendar), but it is what it is. What can we do? On Wednesday, we play the best team in Italy then on Sunday we play best contender of last two seasons. Then Tuesday another game. We have an Academy. We have to adapt and go. I like to play Champions League, so we are going to play.”
The expansion of European club competitions to 36 teams, coupled with the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup, has drawn criticism for potentially overburdening players. England, with its highest number of back-to-back domestic matches among top European leagues, is experiencing the consequences of this congested schedule first-hand.
As Manchester City navigates this period of intense scrutiny and a challenging fixture list, their reliance on academy players highlights the depth and resilience of their squad as they strive to compete on multiple fronts.
