Pep Guardiola delivered an extraordinary rant after Manchester City's 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, criticising the scheduling of the match just three days after their Champions League exit. The City boss labelled the turnaround 'unacceptable' and called for better protection of player welfare.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Guardiola pointed out that neither Chelsea, Manchester United nor Coventry City had midweek fixtures, yet City were forced to play on Saturday following their penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday. 'Why do you play today and not tomorrow when Coventry, United and Chelsea don't play in the week?' he asked.
Guardiola argued the schedule compromised player health, citing the emotional and physical toll of the Champions League loss. 'It is for the health of the players. It is not normal. Honestly, it is not normal. It is not possible. It is unacceptable to go 120 minutes,' he said.
When Alan Shearer suggested Guardiola could have rotated his squad for the Real Madrid match, the City manager recalled a similar situation two or three seasons ago when making changes led to a 3-0 first-half deficit against Liverpool. 'These guys are legends... I don't know how they survived - hats off,' he added.
