This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has no idea how the Club World Cup is going to impact City next season
Pep Guardiola got it right when asked about the Club World Cup in Orlando and its potential effect on Manchester City as the domestic season gets underway next season.
"I try not to think about it, otherwise I will be so anxious," he said. That's probably the best way, because it's almost impossible to plan for. City will have done their best. Their sports science and medical teams will have all the data at their fingertips, but we are in uncharted territory here.
This is the first 32-team Club World Cup to be held in the summer. When these players are normally resting, they are instead training and playing in intense heat in the United States. Yes, there is a World Cup and a European Championship every couple of years, but that doesn't involve the whole squad, and even those who do play get knocked out at different times.
This year, the entire squad could be in action until mid-July. The prize at the end will be worth it, both on the pitch and off it, but the impact it will have on the players is completely unknown.
Guardiola has suggested he will then give his squad time off, before they regather back in Manchester for the start of the Premier League season, which begins for the Blues on Saturday, August 16.
"After the competition, we will rest the time the Premier League allowed us to rest," Guardiola said before Monday's last-16 tie with Al Hilal.
"And then game by game, month by month, we will see. And maybe in November, December, January… we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us. I don't know, but it's the first time in our life that that's happened.
"It's not an ideal situation for the manager. Would I love to have two months to prepare for next season? Yes. Would I love to be refreshed for next season? Yes. But it is what it is. And we deserve what we have done in the past to be here. Once we are here, let's do our best possible."
Guardiola has consistently talked about how much he wants to win this competition, as he did when City won it in Saudi Arabia in December 2023. Then, it was just two games, and the break from the grind of winter allowed for a reset and began a run of form that ended with a fourth successive Premier League title.
This time, the positives and negatives are far harder to quantify. The time together in the US is allowing new signings to gel, new dynamics to come together, and new leaders to emerge. It is also a chance to put behind them the disappointment of last season.
Club World Cup on DAZN
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
But the big unknown is what kind of effect this is going to have come August - or come the winter, for that matter. Will City be flying at the start of the season because while their rivals tune up in the early weeks, they are still sharp from this tournament? Or will it take them longer to find their feet again after a few weeks off?
Then, the question is how long they can maintain their levels once the season begins. As Guardiola said in his press conference before facing Al Hilal, the dropoff could arrive in the winter months, when the schedule is at its most demanding.
The real challenge for the Catalan and his team of fitness experts is that this has never been done before. They are in an unfamiliar position with no previous data to examine and no examples, good or bad, from which to draw trends.
Every European side in the Club World Cup will try to find an approach that works for them. Only as next season progresses will we know if they have chosen the right path, and that fear of the unknown is why Guardiola is putting it to the back of his mind.
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including and , and you can also watch along on .