Pep Guardiola is complaining and whining

Last year, Pep Guardiola won the treble with Manchester City (Champions League, FA Cup, and Premier League) and for that, he and his club are now ’punished’ with no less than 4 extra games. First, the match for the Community Shield (Premier League champions vs FA Cup winners) against Arsenal. Hey, this can't be right, Arsenal didn't win the English cup last season, or? No, the cup winners were Manchester City, actually two City teams should play against each other. According to FA rules, this is impossible, although Guardiola could easily field two excellent elevens.

The Dutch equivalent of the Community Shield is the Johan Cruyff Shield. PSV just (again) won it, but I must honestly say that I didn't even watch the summary. In fact, it's the annual game ’for the emperor's beard’, because there's nothing more to win than that shield, that's it. The great master Cruyff is in my opinion not honored at all by naming that small bowl after him, the opposite is actually the case... Fortunately, Ajax's ’home base’ does bear the name of Johan Ceuijff, although I do have a tip for the (new) Ajax board. Please change the name to Johan Cruijff stadium immediately. Why? In an ’Arena’, artists perform like Mick Jagger and Robbie Williams, in a stadium football is played. It's as simple as that.

Back to the ’punishment’ of Manchester City. The ’overscheduled’ team also has to play the match for the European Super Cup against Europa League winner Sevilla. This match has a little more meaning, because it is simply not possible for Manchester City to win the Champions League and the Europa League in the same season. But this can of course change if the owner - the Abu Dhabi United Group - in all its wisdom decides to participate in the English and European competitions with Manchester City 2 soon. Fortunately, it is not that far yet, but that does not detract from the fact that the European Super Cup match also proves as one for the emperor's beard. Or in this case the Emir's beard...

Finally, a brief word about the highest ’punishment’ that was not handed out by UEFA, but by FIFA. In December of this year, City must participate in the World Cup for clubs, it is no wonder that Saudi Arabia is the host of this ’tournament’. This concerns two compulsory matches per participating club, because if the ’Citizens’ do not survive the semi-finals, there is still ’honor’ to be collected in the ’consolation final’. Well, with an overcrowded program at European and national level, I can well understand Guardiola's annoyance. He is very concerned about the fitness of his players, according to the trainer ’overload’ is looming.

In an interview with The Guardian, Pep Guardiola delivered a scathing critique: ’It's getting worse every year. Where does it end? I honestly have no idea, it's especially mentally tough for the players. Look at how many players have already been injured during the pre-season.’ The Catalan manager also has problems with the new rules that the English Football Association (FA) has established regarding time-wasting. Just like during the World Cup last year in Qatar, more time will be added if players wait with throw-ins, feign injuries, etc. Guardiola’s reaction to the new rules? ’You don't solve time-wasting by adding ten minutes.What happens if players continue to do it? It only leads to more fatigue. It's too much’.

Oh yes, dear Mr. ’The Philosopher’? (one of Pep's nicknames...) It might be helpful if you instruct your own players to stop time-wasting, thereby setting a good example yourself. Then I would start a lobby at the FA to punish time-wasting with a yellow card earlier. This is probably a bit too much for the successful coach, because wow betide, the City players might rebel. I hear striker Jack Grealish already making the following sneer: ’hey coach, do you want the referee to give us extra yellow cards??’ No, we can put this lobby by Guardiola in the round archive in advance.

By the way Pep, I know a much better lobbying task for you: get all Arab investors out of European top football, starting with England. More specifically, starting with the Etihad Stadium (the current name of the ’Citizens' stadium). After that, one of the old names of the stadium can be restored. As far as I'm concerned, that's ’The Blue Camp".

With a friendly sports greeting,

amb una cordial salutació esportiva,

Jordi