It's because I can't come out in the Club World Cup criticism...Guardiola's pride in Manchester City?
Jun 30, 2025
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"Many teams are unhappy with the tournament, but that's because they couldn't participate in it," Guardiola said at a press conference ahead of the Club World Cup round of 16 against Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) on the 30th (Korea time).
The Club World Cup was embroiled in controversy even before the opening. When FIFA announced that it would expand the size of the Club World Cup, which was limited to six countries, to 32 countries and hold the tournament for about a month, there were voices of criticism from big clubs. They say that playing long international tournaments during the break that they have to spend after the league schedule takes away players' rest and increases the risk of injury. Criticism has subsided somewhat as FIFA confirmed the total prize money at $1 billion (about 1.37 trillion won), but criticism is gaining strength again as various problems such as poor box office performance, delayed matches due to lightning forecasts, and hard ground have emerged from the group stage. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also criticized the Club World Cup as `the worst idea ever.'
In response, Guardiola responded, "I fought with Klopp several times. I fully understand his feelings"Of course, it's not an ideal situation. We are tired and completely exhausted. However, most of the players have played as representative players at the European Championship and World Cup. It's true that we need a mental rest, but we'll be able to recover (after the tournament)."
The club World Cup prize money is $40 million. If you add the winning allowance from the group stage to the final, you can earn nearly $100 million. Manchester City, which reached the round of 16 with all three group matches, can benefit from four consecutive wins from the round of 16 to the final. Manchester City, which was considered a strong favorite, has proved its strength with three consecutive group games. Attention is focusing on whether Manchester City will be able to pay off amid the accumulation of fatigue and environmental problems.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
