Guardiola: Man City rejected request to start later next season

The Premier League has rejected Manchester City's request to postpone its first two games of next season to help players recover after their FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

City and Chelsea are the two English clubs who have qualified for the extended month-long Club World Cup, scheduled to begin on June 15. The Premier League season starts in August.

An ever-busier calendar is a concern for a growing number of players and managers. A report from global players' union FIFPRO says some players only get 12% of the year to rest.

The Premier League did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.

City midfielder Rodri said in September that the players could be close to playing beyond the required playing time. A ligament injury in his knee has now put him out of action for the season.

“I don’t know if we will play more games than in the triple year (2022-23). Maybe we’ll play fewer games,” Guardiola said.

“The Premier League did not allow us to postpone the first two games to recover. Thank you. They're not postponing these games, so the moment will come: 'Oh, what do we have to do?'”

Guardiola said the Club World Cup would make it even more difficult for clubs to manage players' workloads.