De Bruyne masterclass bails out City after Dias shocker

Van Dijk is no longer invincible - but new deal is a no-brainer

Chelsea MUST beat Man Utd to bargain buy Delap

Was Matic right about Onana?! Man Utd's worst goalkeepers - ranked

Euros Power Rankings: England plummet after Belgium loss

Editors' Picks

Revealed: Salah's staggering new salary after Liverpool extension

Beckham pokes fun at wife Victoria after non-celebration

Wrexham's draw confirms Birmingham as League One champions

Sacking Ancelotti won't solve Real Madrid's problems

Trent, you've been warned! Liverpool star told he won't be a legend

Onana, look away now! GK's gaffes spoil big Red Devils performance

Salah can become Premier League's GOAT after signing new deal

Real Madrid

Manchester City

Barcelona

Arsenal

Bayern Munich

Others

Every match from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League streams on Stan Sport ad-free, live and on demand

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Guardiola hits out at congested fixture list</li><li>Man City boss claims huge squads needed</li><li>Points out the lack of financial sustainability</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

Pep Guardiola references ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as Man City manager insists clubs need 40-PLAYER squads to deal with fixture demands

Premier League

Everton

<p>Guardiola painted a grim picture of the problems engulfing elite level football, conceding that the number of games clubs are required to play isn't going to be reduced any time soon and that squads will have to grow in size to manage the demands. But that isn't a sustainable solution.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Manchester City played 59 games last season thanks to participation in seven different competitions. This season, they are already up to 38, with 19 fixtures still guaranteed and potentially up to 14 more on top of that if they were to reach the finals of the FA Cup, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. It could be 71 matches in total, without even accounting for players going on international duty, both during the season and at the Eurpean Championship or Copa America last summer. Star midfielder Rodri <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/rodri-exhausted-players-will-go-on-strike-man-city/bltae31770e1beb65a2" target="_blank">spoke out about the overwhelming physical demands on players</a> shortly before being ruled out for months with an ACL injury.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Guardiola told reporters: "I always expect injuries during the season. Not as much as we've had, but it's not just a problem for Man City. You see the same at Tottenham, Arsenal, right now, most teams except Liverpool that all the season has been so stable in those terms. Real Madrid as well. Many teams. The solution to prevent that? I think Jurgen Klopp and myself have said it in the past. It is the calendar. I don't see another reason why there are a lot of injuries.</p><p>"It's not going to happen that there are less Premier League games. The Carabao Cup will continue. The only solution is to have 40 players in the squad. It's impossible. Bankruptcy for the clubs. How do you sustain 40 salaries and the transfers? It's impossible."</p>

WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

<p>City made a plea to other Premier League clubs in recent days to <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/man-city-warned-stop-moaning-club-world-cup-request-to-delay-premier-league-season-rejected/blt723cfb9858c76aa0" target="_blank">consider delaying the start of the 2025-26 campaign</a> given that there are only 34 days between the Club World Cup final in July and the opening weekend in August. They didn't get the support they were looking for, with a representative of one other team pointing out that Club World Cup participation is not obligatory, but is financially lucrative.</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Prior to the March international break, City face seven games across three competitions, which could grow to 10 if they advance in the FA Cup and Champions League. The latter has expanded in 2024-25, with two additional fixtures added to the opening phase and an extra two-legged knockout round created that City have found themselves in.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

Pep Guardiola references ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as Man City manager insists clubs need 40-PLAYER squads to deal with fixture demands | Goal.com Australia

Frustrated Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed the &apos;only&apos; solution to a congested fixture list will &apos;bankrupt&apos; all the clubs.

Pep Guardiola references ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as Man City manager insists clubs need 40-PLAYER squads to deal with fixture demands

Who will win the UEFA Champions League this season?

Next Match