Pep Guardiola offered a verdict on FIFA's £97m prize fund available for the winners of this season's Club World Cup tournament, sending a clear message to his Manchester City players.
Comments
Sport
Pep Guardiola and Khaldoon al-Mubarak celebrate after Manchester City win the FIFA Club World Cup
Pep Guardiola and Khaldoon al-Mubarak celebrate after Manchester City win the FIFA Club World Cup
Manchester City players and staff don't deserve a penny in bonuses this season according to Pep Guardiola, who slammed his side's shortcomings in a difficult season.
City head to Bournemouth in the FA Cup this weekend hoping to book a seventh-consecutive semi-final spot, but travel South knowing they were outplayed in their last visit to the Vitality Stadium at the start of their wretched winter run that derailed their Premier League and Champions League prospects.
Article continues below
Guardiola said that defeat at Bournemouth was "the first game we were a little bit away from our standards to be competitive," before adding that he has been unable to "turn around the symptoms that that game starts, being present and aggressive and duels.
"Never we have been magnificent in that terms but it was a minimum we didn't have," he continued, noting that the November defeat was the second in a run of six defeats in seven and a wider stretch of one win in 13 matches.
Those results spiralled City out of the title race and sent them tumbling down the Champions League League Phase before a play-off exit to Real Madrid. They are now focussed on a top four finish and winning the FA Cup, but Guardiola insists even achieving that, coupled with a potential £97m prize at the Club World Cup, is not good enough.
Asked if City's playing staff would deserve a bonus if they pocketed the near-£100m prize pot, Guardiola was clear. "'We don't deserve it this season. 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."
Coupled with his reference to standards at Bournemouth in November, it is clear Guardiola is not happy with what he has seen this season in terms of application. And not even two major trophies and European qualification can change 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 here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here 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 Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.*