BOCA RATON, Florida — After profitable the FIFA Membership World Cup in December 2023, Pep Guardiola walked into the media theatre on the King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis Stadium in Saudi Arabia and insisted he had “closed a chapter.” Every part was carried out, he stated, and the final remaining piece of silverware was safely tucked away in Manchester CIty’s trophy cupboard.
It has been 18 months since Guardiola’s emotional speech in Jeddah. However having arrived in Florida on Thursday night forward of the most recent model of the Membership World Cup, he delivered one other.
The gamers had dinner — rooster, lamb and fish had been all on the menu — and a stretch exterior on the staff lodge earlier than the Metropolis boss gathered everybody collectively. Guardiola instructed them the match within the U.S. was a contemporary begin; it was drummed in that this is not a contest being tagged onto the tip of the 2024-25 season, Metropolis’s worst marketing campaign for a decade. Fairly, it is the beginning of the 2025-26 season and it must be handled as such.
It is a small, however vital, distinction: New season, new cycle, new chapter.
“Because the defending champions coming into this new format, after all we’re very excited. We’re very excited to return in as champions,” stated chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in his annual message to followers final month. “This can be a very, very severe competitors. We’re going there to win it. That is the start of the brand new season, not the continuation of final season.”
Metropolis have carried out as a lot as they’ll to make this really feel like a clear slate. Gamers who aren’t a part of Guardiola’s plans — Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips — have been left at dwelling. And as a substitute of taking their time bringing in contemporary faces, new director of soccer Hugo Viana (helped by predecessor, Txiki Begiristain) has pushed by means of offers for Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli at a value of greater than £100 million in switch charges.
These had been long-term targets Metropolis would have been completely happy to attend for, however the thought was to get as many new gamers as attainable by means of the door throughout FIFA’s specifically created Membership World Cup switch window, which ran from June 1-10. The hope is that being away with the squad — socialising in addition to coaching — will assist them settle faster. By the point the brand new Premier League season kicks off in August, they need to be absolutely in control.
Metropolis sources have instructed ESPN that the membership’s switch enterprise won’t be over and that Guardiola will “see the way it goes” on the Membership World Cup earlier than pushing for extra additions. With Walker on his manner out, presumably to Fenerbahce although with late curiosity from Everton, there’s room within the squad for one more right-back. There may be enough cowl within the form of Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes and Manuel Akanji, however no concrete first alternative. There was curiosity in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso in January, although it is cooled barely since.
For Guardiola, this summer season’s been simply as vital to begin shifting gamers on. He is named a squad of 27 for the Membership World Cup, although it might have been 28 had Mateo Kovacic not been dominated out with an Achilles harm. Guardiola has threatened to “stop” if he is pressured to work with a bloated squad subsequent season, which suggests some gamers who’ve travelled to the U.S. for this competitors may nonetheless find yourself departing this summer season.
Vitor Reis, the 19-year-old Brazilian centre-back signed for practically £30m in January, may go away on mortgage. There are additionally nagging query marks over John Stones, solely match sufficient to make 11 Premier League appearances final season, and Ilkay Gündogan, who is needed by Galatasaray. Guardiola has stated he needs a extra sturdy group after being decimated by accidents final season.
Stones and Gundogan are two of a gaggle of senior gamers who’re coming into the ultimate yr of their contracts, which additionally contains Éderson, Stefan Ortega and Bernardo Silva. Total, the rebuild that started in January with Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Reis, and continued with Reijnders, Cherki and Ait-Nouri in June, is prone to keep it up subsequent summer season.
The adjustments this summer season aren’t restricted to gamers, both. Trusted workers members Juanma Lillo, Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens have left, changed by Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant at Liverpool, Pepijn Lijnders, and James French, who arrives from Anfield as set piece coach. The appointment of Lijnders is most eye-catching. The Dutchman was on the centre of the Liverpool staff beneath Klopp, which Guardiola considers to be one of many fiercest rivals of his managerial profession.
Kolo Touré, who has been working with the youth staff, can be within the U.S. as a part of Guardiola’s backroom staff — Metropolis have not but dominated out the previous Metropolis and Liverpool defender taking over a everlasting position sooner or later.
Sources have instructed ESPN certainly one of Guardiola’s goals this season is to get his gamers to maneuver the ball extra shortly. It has been impressed, partly, by Paris Saint-Germain’s efficiency towards Inter within the Champions League ultimate, and it was noticeable throughout coaching at Lynn College on Saturday that Lijnders was continuously strolling between the drills shouting “pace, pace.”
Followers might nicely see a faster Metropolis staff subsequent season, with Saturday’s session within the humid Florida warmth an extended one. It began at 10 a.m. with fast passing drills, and ended with form work practically two hours later.
Nothing has been left to probability by way of preparation for this Membership World Cup both. Metropolis workers went on their first coaching floor web site visits in October and returned twice extra in December and March. On Saturday, as quickly because the gamers had completed coaching on one area and moved to a different, Metropolis’s personal floor workers — who travelled from Manchester — had been on mowers to restore the pitch.
Every recreation on the Membership World Cup is being handled like a Champions League fixture. The one distinction to the schedule is that gamers and workers will return to their Boca Raton base the night time after video games, slightly than staying in a single day in different cities for relaxation and restoration.
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Hislop adjustments view on the Membership World Cup
Shaka Hislop say he was “flawed” about his early scepticism of the Membership World Cup after the primary few video games of the match.
There was some skepticism concerning the new match from inside the squad, notably the additional matches crammed right into a packed calendar. Silva and Rúben Dias had been taking part in within the Nations League ultimate for Portugal as not too long ago as June 8. Nonetheless, now that they are within the U.S. with the Metropolis squad, sources have instructed ESPN that the drive and competitiveness has taken over. Phil Foden says there is a willpower to turn into the primary staff to win the brand new trophy.
“It is positively a little bit of that, yeah,” stated Foden. “Clearly, talking to a couple of the lads, we have spoken about that, being the primary on the trophy could be good. In order that’s positively the goal, and with the gamers that now we have and the standard now we have within the staff, I’m fairly certain we’re greater than able to doing that.”
Forward of the primary recreation towards Moroccan facet Wydad AC in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Guardiola has been described by Metropolis sources as “completely happy and relaxed.” He greeted reporters at one open coaching session with a smile and a handshake, even saying how a lot he was having fun with the climate, which has been principally 80 levels and sunshine aside from the odd tropical rain bathe.
For the primary time throughout Guardiola’s unbelievable Metropolis reign, the storm clouds gathered over the Etihad final season. He is hoping to make use of the Membership World Cup and his time away within the U.S. to begin blowing them away earlier than setting his staff on the right track for brighter days forward.
