Pep Guardiola ‘not complaining’ about Manchester City’s tough run of fixtures | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has labelled the game’s fixture-schedulers “so kind” as he braces his Manchester City side for a tough February.

Yet the City boss insists he is not complaining after a two-legged Champions League tie against Real Madrid was added to a programme that already includes Premier League encounters with Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham.

City face Real in the play-off round after missing out on automatic place in the last 16 by finishing only 22nd in the league phase.

Guardiola said at a press conference: “The schedule is what it is. In the Premier League, every team has to play everyone.

“But it’s true, it normally happens here in the Premier League – you know that always they put the toughest schedule for the European teams in the important stages (of the season), the most difficult ones.

“It’s tough. You’re going to play against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, and the problem is in the middle, you have Newcastle.

“They are so kind for the calendar for many, many years. It’s always happened in that way.”

Yet while that comment appeared sarcastic, after winning 18 trophies in his nine seasons at City, Guardiola has no intention of pushing for change.

He said: “Are you asking me if I have a question after many years here? Come on, don’t make me (answer) that question to say something impolite.

“Always it has been like this, always. We had incredible success dealing with this calendar.

The respect that we have is always there

Pep Guardiola on his relationship with Mikel Arteta

“We accept it and I’m not complaining because we won the trebles and the quadruples doing it like that.”

The testing run starts with Sunday’s trip to Arsenal, the side that were City’s closest title challengers over the past two seasons.

The last meeting between the two sides was a stormy 2-2 draw in September which ended with plenty of pushing and shoving from players of both sides and words exchanged.

Guardiola said an emphatic “no” when asked if it had become a grudge fixture and insisted his relationship with opposite number Mikel Arteta, his former assistant, was still strong.

“It’s exceptional, with him and his family,” Guardiola said. “Of course, we’re not in touch much because he has business, I have business, I have other games. But the respect that we have is always there.”

September’s clash with Arsenal was also the game in which City’s influential midfielder Rodri suffered a serious knee injury.

It proved a major turning point in their campaign with the champions for the past four seasons subsequently falling well off the pace in the title race.

Guardiola said: “The absence of Rodri is massive. Tell me one team who would not notice.

“Of course, I would prefer to have lost that game and Rodri fit all season, absolutely.

“But it is not just Rodri. I cannot prove it, but the situation this season was many things.”

Rodri was ruled out for the remainder of the season and that remains the understanding, even though the player himself has said he hopes to play again before the final game.

Guardiola said: “He is positive but I don’t know. With long injuries and the human body there is a time that must be respected.

“Of course he would love to play tomorrow but the recovery needs its own time.”

Guardiola would not comment on reports City could sign more players before next week’s transfer deadline. The club have already brought in forward Omar Marmoush and defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis this month.

He did say the club were in a good position to spend further, however.

He said: “Financially, we were stable for the last season. Still right now, even after the investment we have done, we have been in net profit in the last five seasons.

“That’s why we have done it. Maybe in the future, we’re going to continue to do it.”