Pep Guardiola said Manchester City’s debut participation in the Fifa Club World Cup is the chance to "close the circle" of trophies won. However, he sounded a note of caution regarding players’ welfare ahead of the competition's expansion in 2025.
The English and European champions will on Tuesday contest a first Club World Cup match, when they take on Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-final in Jeddah.
The trophy remains one of the only titles Guardiola has not won with City, although he is attempting to clinch the crown for a record fourth time, having previously guided Barcelona and Bayern Munich to success.
Speaking on Monday at King Abdullah Sports City, where City meet Urawa the following day, Guardiola said: “It is a pleasure to be here, an honour, and it's Manchester City’s first time here. We don’t take it for granted; we take it as a privilege.
“We know how hard it is to win the Club World Cup and you have to have done something exceptional in the past. It’s difficult to win here and the players know this. That's why we want to play well tomorrow.”
Guardiola, a victor in 2009 and 2011 with Barcelona, and 2013 with Bayern, continued: “It is my fourth time I have played this competition and the previous times the semi-final was really tough, really tricky every time.
“We want to win it. It is a trophy we do not have. We want to close the little circle that we win all the trophies we could. This is the last one.
“In the Premier League you always have another game. Here maybe it’s just once in a lifetime.”
City, who booked their spot in Saudi Arabia in May by winning a first Uefa Champions League, come into the tournament off the back of a difficult run domestically.
Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace – they let slip a 2-0 lead – means City have a solitary victory in their past six Premier League games. As such, they sit fourth, five points off leaders Arsenal after 17 rounds.
On Tuesday, Guardiola is expected to be without star striker Erling Haaland and principal creator Kevin de Bruyne, who have both been sidelined recently through injury - although the Belgian did train with the team on Monday.
Asked about the Club World Cup perhaps providing much-needed respite given the team’s apparent struggles, Guardiola said: "It’s a different competition, so whatever happens here is different to the UK… hopefully we can maintain our passion and desire to win."
On Urawa and the chance to advance to Friday’s showpiece, Guardiola said: “We have to play to deserve to be in the final. I’ve been here before; it’s always complicated. Football in Japan has grown up … all respect to Urawa and, of course, we want to be in the final next Friday.”
The tournament in Saudi Arabia, which features the champions of the six confederations together with the host nation’s most recent top-flight winners, marks the final time it will be played in its current guise.
From 2025, the Club World Cup will comprise 32 teams, raising concerns about the workload placed on footballers. City are already confirmed for the expanded competition’s inaugural showing, in the United States, in two years’ time.
"Fifa took a decision, but all the clubs supported it," Guardiola said. "I’m part of the club, so what would I say? They decide to be there. A lot of games, yes, but what can I do?
Man City v Palace ratings
-
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson. Lucky to get away with just a yellow card after he brought down Mateta on the edge of his penalty area in the 43rd minute. Sent the wrong way by Olise from the penalty spot in added time. Reuters -
Floated a lovely cross into the edge of the six-yard area to find Alvarez behind the away side’s backline in the fifth minute. Was solid at the back for the home side. AP -
Should have made it two when he was played through on goal in the first half, but he failed to beat Henderson from close range. Saw another effort saved by Henderson in the 34th minute. PA -
Should have done better to cut out Schlupp’s cross for Mateta to grab one back for the visitors. Made an important block to deny Olise late in the game. AFP -
Went close with an effort from range that went just wide 10 minutes into the game. Failed to get close enough to Schlupp and allowed him cross the ball for Mateta to score. Getty Images -
Tried to bend one in with the outside of his foot in the 11th minute, but he got his technique all wrong. Denied a goal by a Guehi block from point-blank range in the first half. PA -
Impressive run into space and cross to find Rodri in the penalty area a quarter of an hour into the game. Grabbed his first-ever Premier League goal for the home side by doubling the lead from close range in the 54th minute. AP -
Provided the assist for the first goal with a lovely bit of turn and pass between the legs of a Palace defender for Grealish to open the scoring. Took too long to make a clearance and fouled Mateta to gift the visitors a late penalty kick. EPA -
Did well to open up his body and bend the ball into the bottom corner to put the home side ahead in the 24th minute. The primary architect of City's second goal as he picked up the ball from the left and moved infield before playing a pass that caused problems into the penalty area. AP -
Tried to wrap one into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area on the half-hour mark, but Henderson saved his shot. Tested Henderson again with a left-footed shot in the 86th minute. Reuters -
Forced Henderson into a decent save from a header early in the game. Unlucky to have seen his goal ruled out due to interference by an offside Rodri in the second half. Reuters -
SUBS: (Lewis, 90) Came on too late to make an impact. AFP -
CRYSTAL PALACE RATINGS: Henderson. Began the game with a good save to deny Alvarez from close range. Made a tremendous save to deny Silva in the second half. Reuters -
Put his body on the line to deny Ake from the edge of the penalty area in the 23rd minute. Forced off with an injury in the first half. PA -
Stopped Walker from getting on the end of Foden’s cross by heading it wide in the 37th minute. Won the first-half battle against Bernardo Silva but seemed to tire in the second. Getty Images -
Vital goal-saving block to deny Rodri in the 15th minute. Unlucky to unknowingly play the ball into the path of Lewis to make it two while trying to make a clearance. EPA -
Did well to shrug Alvarez off the ball and win a freekick to ease the pressure on the backline on the stroke of halftime. Jumped without calculating the trajectory of the ball and allowed Lewis to get in behind to double the lead. AP -
A real workaholic in the middle of the pitch for the away side, but he was often left chasing shadows due to City's superior quality. EPA -
Important interception to stop Foden in the first half. It was a relentless performance from the American at the base of midfield. Reuters -
Had Crystal Palace’s first go at goal with a freekick that just went wide in the 44th minute. Displayed great composure to put away his spot and earn the away side a point in the last minute of the match. AP -
Denied by a block from Walker in the 20th minute. Assisted Mateta’s goal with a lovely cross back in the 76th minute. PA -
Got caught ball watching as Grealish moved infield to open the scoring. Displayed lovely footwork to get past two City players and play Olise into space in the 70th minute. Getty Images -
Grabbed his second goal in two games from close range to give the away side a lifeline. Deservedly won the spot kick that gave the Eagles a point after a bit of relentless running to harry the Manchester City players. AFP -
SUBS: (Ward, 34) Came on and slotted in seamlessly in the Eagles' back five. Looked solid and helped reduce Gvardiol and Grealish’s influence on the game. EPA -
(Riedewald, 81) Came on and added much-needed energy to the away side’s midfield. Reuters -
(Schlupp, 81) Chose the wrong option of passing the ball back to Olise at the edge of the penalty area when he should have crossed into the danger area in added time. AP
“I prefer to think, ‘OK, we won last season, we’re invited’. At the end of the season, we’ll be completely exhausted, I guess, which normally happens. We’ll fly to the States, hopefully with our families, and play the World Cup there as best as possible.
"They decided to create a new competition. OK. Just to adjust, adapt and rely on the people who decide this."
Yet Guardiola added: “I’m not against the new competitions, I’m against the lack of time to recover from year to year. This is what I’m complaining about all the time. For it doesn’t matter to play every three days, six days, seven days, it’s OK.
"But it’s really, really tough to finish the season, and in three weeks to restart again. Go to Asia or the States for all the clubs to be financially stable. That is really, really tough, for myself, but especially for the players. And this means things should change – this is my point.
"But how do you change when you finish the season and go 15, 20 days to the States to play another competition? This is the problem.”
