Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he restricted his team's celebration after Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup victory over Sevilla because of a quick turnaround before their next Premier League fixture on Saturday. In his post-match comments on Wednesday, Guardiola sarcastically thanked the Premier League for scheduling City's match against Newcastle United for Saturday. The scheduling gives City just two days to travel from Athens to Manchester and then prepare for the much-anticipated league fixture.
"Not one drop of alcohol today," he said, per Sky Sports. "Recover as much as possible because again from Greece, thank you so much for the Premier League to let us play on Saturday and not on Sunday or Monday. Thank you so much."
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
City have a busy season ahead of them with league fixtures and deep runs expected in the domestic cups and the Champions League. In addition, Guardiola's team will add international competitions to the schedule for the first time as a reward for winning the Champions League -- this week's UEFA Super Cup was one extra match, while a trip to Saudi Arabia in December for the Club World Cup will add more matches to the calendar.
Guardiola has frequently criticized fixture congestion during his tenure as the City manager and mentioned it as a potential stumbling block as his side aims to follow up last season's treble with another strong showing.
"Every year it's getting worse and worse, and it will be getting worse, and I don't know how it's going to end, honestly," Guardiola said, per ESPN. "The problem is [mental]. They are exhausted. Look already how many are injured in the preseason ... but it is what it is. We have to adapt and adjust, but it's not normal."
