In the world of football, managing competition schedules is always a delicate subject. With Manchester City and Chelsea participating in the upcoming Club World Cup, discussions have intensified around possible changes to the start dates of the 2025-26 Premier League season. This article addresses Pep Guardiola’s concerns regarding a potential delay of the matches.
Request for match postponement
Pep Guardiola recently mentioned the possibility of requesting a *postponement of matches* due to Manchester City’s participation in the Club World Cup. According to some reports, the club would have preferred the season to be delayed by one to three weeks, thus providing players with a resting period after this international competition. However, Guardiola specified that the Premier League was not inclined to grant this request.
Reactions from the Premier League
Currently, the Premier League has not yet announced the start date of the 2025-26 campaign. Traditionally, the championship begins between August 9 and 16. This raises questions about how Manchester City will manage its schedule due to the commitments related to the Club World Cup, which are expected to involve rotations in the squads.
Context of previous seasons
Precedents such as the season affected by Covid-19 in 2020-21 show that some leniency can exist. At that time, Manchester City and Manchester United had obtained a later start due to their participation in European competitions. This phenomenon had somewhat alleviated the pressure on the players, a situation that might be looked at with interest for the upcoming season.
Strategic considerations
Informal discussions between the leaders of Manchester City and those of the Premier League seem to indicate that, despite the scheduling issues, league authorities do not foresee any changes. Guardiola explicitly mentioned the dilemma the club will face and the need to exercise *common sense* in decision-making. Indeed, *FIFA* has clearly stipulated that all clubs participating in the Club World Cup must field their best teams, thus emphasizing the complexity of the situation for Manchester City.
As preparations for the 2025-26 season continue, attention remains focused on how Manchester City will manage the transition between the Club World Cup and the start of the league. These issues demonstrate the challenges faced by clubs at the highest level of competition.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk