Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has threatened to end his relationship with City if the club does not reduce the squad depth this summer. The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager said leaving so many players out is impossible for his soul.
A number of Manchester City’s senior players were not included in the matchday squad for Tuesday’s 3-1 win against Bournemouth.. But the manager said he is unhappy at leaving so many players out. He named Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Claudio Echeverri and Rico Lewis who all missed the game.
While many coaches are begging for squad depth, Pep is not happy that his side have the depth. According to him, he wants to work with a smaller squad next season. He said: “I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad]. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.”
Pep also said: “It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play.” “Maybe [for] three, four months we couldn’t select 11 players, we didn’t have defenders, it was so difficult. After, people came back, but next season it cannot be like that.”
“As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club, I don’t want that.”
The arrival of Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis in the last transfer window the tea seems over populated. This being said now, many players will have to leave the club. Kevin de Bruyne is the only player confirmed to be leaving City this summer though but it is sure that any other players will have to leave.
Pep was asked if it meant more exits were inevitable, he said: “It is a question for the club. I don’t want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit. If I have injuries, unlucky, we have some players for the academy and we do it.”
Guardiola said a big squad is unsustainable and that it is important for “the soul of the team” that his players “create another connection with each other that this season we lost it a bit.” Manchester City’s website lists 28 first-team squad members, plus four players who are on loan elsewhere.
Guardiola has explained in the past, external why he prefers to manage a smaller squad, going into the 2023-24 season with 20 senior players.
