"The Season Is Too Long" – Pep Guardiola Warns of Burnout as Man City Begin Club World Cup with Win
Pep Guardiola admits Man City are facing a gruelling season after starting their Club World Cup campaign early, with a 2-0 win over Wydad played in tough heat and humidity.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned that his team are facing a brutally long season, after they began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Moroccan side Wydad.
The Premier League champions usually enjoy their summer break at this time of year, but instead they are already weeks into pre-season as they aim to add another trophy to their growing collection in FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup.
Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku got the goals for City in a tough match played in hot and humid conditions in Philadelphia. The win gives City a strong start in Group B, with upcoming matches against Al Ain and Juventus still to come.
City fans also got a first look at new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, both of whom started and impressed on their debuts. Star players Erling Haaland and Rodri came off the bench, while young defender Rico Lewis was shown a red card late in the match.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Guardiola praised his players but didn’t hide his concerns about the workload ahead.
“The season is too long. Eleven months,” he said. “We have to remain positive but it’s too long. It’s important to be here, but it’s not easy.”
Guardiola also commented on the tough playing conditions in the U.S. summer heat:
“It’s humid, it’s not easy to be here, playing in these conditions. But apart from that, good.”
He added that first games in tournaments like this are always challenging but was pleased with how his side responded.
“The first game in the group stage is always tricky. We played a team with good momentum, but at the same time, we did really well. It’s the first step. We’ll learn from here, and the second one we will be better.”
Manchester City are looking to bounce back after what Guardiola called a disappointing 2024/25 season, despite still competing on multiple fronts. Their involvement in the Club World Cup stretches their schedule further, especially with many players also expected to feature in next summer’s World Cup.
City’s next match will be against Al Ain in the early hours of Monday morning UK time, followed by a clash with Italian giants Juventus next Thursday.
With more than a month until the new Premier League season kicks off and an already packed calendar ahead, Guardiola and his players know they’ll need to manage their energy carefully — or risk running out of steam before the trophies are handed out.
