Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come down hard on plans for the European Super League by strongly stating that ‘sport is not sport when it doesn’t matter if you lose’.
The Manchester City manager tackled the issue head-on, confirming he only found out of the developments on Sunday and rebuked ringleaders for a lack of clarity.
Guardiola took aim at UEFA for pushing elite clubs to the brink of a breakaway but has been left dumbfounded by the concept that City have signed their name to.
“It is not a sport where the relation between effort and success does not exist,” he said. “It is not a sport where success is already guaranteed or it doesn’t matter where you lose.
“It is not fair when one team fight, fight, fight at the top and cannot be qualified because it is just for a few teams.
“The right people have the obligation, the duty, to clarify as soon as possible, clarify all around the world why these teams play and the others not. Ajax – with four Champions Leagues – why they are not there?
“Everyone makes (decisions for their) own interest. The Premier League looks at his interest, UEFA looks at his. To arrive in that point, Uefa have failed. They have to communicate and be in touch before.”
Guardiola sarcastically claimed “it is an honour’ that he was the first person employed by City to publicly discuss the proposals.
The Catalan added he had been left uneasy by the situation.
“For all of us managers, it is uncomfortable,” he said. “Presidents can talk more clear what is the idea for the future and where football is going to go.
“It is not yet breathing, it is an embryo that is not yet breathing, it is just a statement.
“I would love the president go all around the world and say what is the reason we took this decision. I support this club and I am part of the club but also I have my own opinion.”
City were one of six English teams confirmed on Sunday night to have signed up to the proposal for a breakaway league along with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.
Earlier on Monday, Gary Neville suggested Man City will be the first to backtrack from the agreement and Guardiola’s comments suggested he is not in favour of a closed-shop league.
‘I would love the president (Florentino Perez) and this committee to go out around the world and say what is the reason why they took this decision.’
Reports on Tuesday detailed that City are seen as one of the most likely English teams to produce a u-turn on their involvement – a sentiment shared by Neville.
If City are to renege on their commitment to breaking away, complications could arise after Real Madrid president, and the chairman of the European Super League, Florentino Perez insisted the 12 clubs who signed up have agreed to a ‘binding’ contract that prevents them from reneging on their decision.
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