Pep Guardiola has launched a scathing critique of the new FIFA regulations for the Club World Cup squad selections with a piercing enquiry: "What makes a 'strongest' team?"
In light of FIFA's latest set of rule changes for the anticipated Club World Cup in summer 2025, where Manchester City and Chelsea are expected to be among the top draws, teams are now reportedly required to field their best line-ups.
This move is designed to ensure crowd-pleasers like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane are guaranteed to grace the pitches in the USA.
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The City boss has openly expressed his discontent with the events calendar placement, which extends an already lengthy season that could stretch a year from pre-season kick-off to the last whistle. Despite his contract elapsing before the tournament's end, Guardiola desires to lead the City side but resolutely opposes any external dictate influencing his team choices.
Guardiola queried the rules with visible dismay during a press exchange: "What is the strongest players? Which ones?"
He continued, puzzled over the criteria for judging player strength: "If you tell me for them which players are stronger than the other ones? I don't understand. We go all the squad there, we don't go for one game. Right? I don't know the competition itself right now, but we don't go for 11 players. We go for the whole squad.
"I don't understand for the selection which player is stronger than the other one. I know. Strong means form? Maybe the strongest player for them is in a really bad condition for many reasons. Professional, physical, injuries, niggles. And I'm going to play other ones. I'm not going to [have them] say before the game which player to play. I will decide."
Guardiola also launched an impassioned defence of his club amid their 115 charges from the Premier League, and even told a journalist not to discuss City's long winning run against Saturday's opponents Fulham, arguing that it tempts fate on the eve of a game.
And when discussing Kevin De Bruyne's fitness - he will miss the Fulham game - Guardiola also backed the Belgian's decision to withdraw from international duty to preserve his fitness.
"How can he go when he didn't play one game? I never understood that," said Guardiola. "He cannot play with us, cannot play with with Belgium. He didn't say to me he is going to retire from Belgium. He didn't say that to me, but I don't know Kevin's mind. For that game he is injured so is not available."
