Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has insisted that he was not surprised as former Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, labelled the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup tournament as the “worst idea ever implemented.”
The German insisted that there was no plan for players to recover ahead of the upcoming new season.
Recall that FIFA implemented a revamped 32-team format of the tournament this year.
However, speaking on Klopp’s comments at his pre-match interview ahead of Manchester City’s Round of 16 tie with Al Hilal on Tuesday, Guardiola said (via @TouchlineX): “We have fought together many times, especially when it came to deciding the calendar and pushing for more quality.
“When players and managers get proper rest, the quality of football improves.
“I wasn’t surprised by what he said. I understand and respect him. We have had an incredible relationship over many years as rivals, and I get his argument.
“But at the same time, we are in a job where we follow FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League, all the competitions.
“Managers don’t organize the calendar. Everyone has their role, and others are the ones who organize these tournaments.”
