Pep Guardiola details Manchester City squad plans for United States 2025 FIFA Club World Cup tournament | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted his intention to allow his players to be “free” while at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer.

The Premier League champions will have little to no time to reflect on a troublesome campaign when the domestic season concludes in the coming months, with a new expanded tournament on the horizon for Pep Guardiola and his players.

Owing to the club’s triumph in the 2023 UEFA Champions League in Istanbul and the subsequent conquering of the old format at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, City come into the expanded 32-team edition of the tournament as reigning champions.

Following a draw procedure completed in early December 2024, Manchester City know that their group stage campaign at the competition will feature meetings against Italy’s Juventus, Morocco’s Wydad AC, and United Arab Emirates’ Al-Ain.

But how Manchester City intend on navigating the competition with downtime in mind before the start of the new European season has remained a subject of debate in various quarters, with the possibility – should they reach the final – of just two weeks rest.

Pep Guardiola has commented on the plans that currently sit in his mind, insinuating that the Premier League giants may intend on using the tournament as a competitive pre-season, handing their stars plenty of downtime and freedom to enjoy the American visit.

“They told me that the golf courses are really nice,” Guardiola responded when asked about the Club World Cup during a recent press conference. “If my back allows it, absolutely,” he continued on whether he would be playing golf while Stateside.

“We’re going to try to enjoy that experience. After 11 months being there, I don’t think about bringing the players 24 hours in the room thinking about the next game. We’re going to training, but I want to let them free.

“Of course, they have to behave well, otherwise we’ll be in trouble. I had to have fun and play the games as best as possible for this new experience.”

It has been a season of various struggles on and off the pitch for Manchester City, and when asked whether injuries in particular may be considered as part of the sport, Pep Guardiola said, “Yes. We spoke a lot lately. It would be even worse. The body has a limit.

“When you have one week, you have more time to recover, you’re more fresh. Mentally, we have three weeks during 11 months, plus 11 months, plus 11 months. So at the end of the club, and I, declutter the body.

“From my point of view, I’m not a doctor, I’m not a scientist, but I have the feeling that the moment is enough.”