2 days ago
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Pep Guardiola has stated that if Manchester City win this summer’s Club World Cup he, his players and staff do not deserve even “a watch” as a bonus given their disappointing season.
The champions travel to Bournemouth for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final in the only other competition they can win. City are fifth in the Premier League, 22 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, were eliminated from the Champions League in February and went out of the Carabao Cup in the last 16.
In June City compete in the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. The winners will be awarded about £97m and Guardiola was asked whether he and his players would then receive a bonus.
“We don’t deserve a bonus this season,” he said. “Bonus if we win is for the club. Managers, staff, players – we don’t deserve it. Not even a watch.”
In September Rodri sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that had been expected to rule him out until next season. With the midfielder back in light training, Guardiola was asked whether there was any chance Rodri could play in the Club World Cup. City’s first group match is on 18 June against the Moroccan club Wydad.
“I hope – wish,” the manager said. “Will be nice if he could play tomorrow, but we have to be careful to not make the wrong decision and take a step back. He has been injured for seven-eight months. He is behaving really well on the pitch … Step by step, what the doctors or physios say. Not to say: ‘Play the World Cup’ and then lose him again.”
The verdict regarding more than 130 Premier League charges against City of alleged financial wrongdoing is yet to be returned. Guardiola denied this was causing him and his players agitation.
“We are more than one year with that,” he said, “so nothing changes with one more week or two more weeks or three more weeks or four more weeks.”
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Ederson has trained for the past two days after injury and is in contention.
