Pep Guardiola has stated that Manchester City’s players and staff do not deserve any performance bonuses from this year’s Club World Cup, reflecting the club’s challenging season. The reigning Premier League champions find themselves a staggering 22 points behind league leaders Liverpool and were eliminated early from the Champions League knockout phase.
City’s struggles continued as they exited the League Cup in the fourth round, leaving the FA Cup as their only realistic chance for silverware this season. They are set to face Bournemouth in the quarterfinals on Sunday, a team that previously defeated them in the league.
The anticipated prize pot for the Club World Cup is a whopping $1 billion, with the winners of the tournament, scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 13 in the United States, set to earn up to $125 million. However, Guardiola made it clear that he does not want any of that financial reward. “We don’t deserve a bonus this season. If we win, it will go to the club,” he told reporters. “The manager, backroom staff, and players don’t deserve it. Not even a watch!”
Currently sitting fifth in the Premier League, Guardiola is also focused on securing Champions League qualification for next season. He acknowledged that this campaign has served as a reality check, emphasizing the importance of learning from both successes and failures. “You learn in the good moments and the bad moments,” he said. “Experiences can happen many times, and if you don’t learn, they will happen again.”
Guardiola’s immediate goal is to lead City to a seventh consecutive FA Cup semifinal. He respects Bournemouth’s unique style of play, noting, “They have a special way of playing that works with the players and the ideas that they have.”
Amid ongoing speculation regarding alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, which could result in fines or points deductions, Guardiola insisted that the squad remains unfazed by the rumors. “We are more than one year with that. Nothing will change with one more week, or two more weeks or three or four more weeks,” he stated confidently.
READ ALSO
Barcelona Dominates Osasuna to Strengthen La Liga Title Pursuit
