- City doesn’t deserve £97m prize money
- De Bruyne and Gundogan’s futures unclear
- City faces Wydad, Al Ain, and Juventus
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, believes his team does not deserve any of the £97m prize money their club could win from the Club World Cup this summer.
FIFA recently revealed the reward structure for the newly expanded 32-team tournament, which will take place in the United States. The major European clubs, including City and Chelsea—both of which qualified by winning the Champions League in 2023 and 2020, respectively—are expected to secure the largest share of the prize money.
City will begin their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad in Philadelphia on June 18, and are in a group that also includes Al Ain from Abu Dhabi and Italian club Juventus. Other notable European teams participating include Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite the potential financial windfall, Guardiola feels that his team does not deserve extra rewards, especially considering their disappointing season so far. City were knocked out of the Champions League before the last-16 for the first time since 2013, and are currently sitting fifth in the Premier League, facing pressure to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Guardiola believes this record should not entitle them to additional bonuses.
“We don’t deserve a bonus this season,” Guardiola said. “If the bonus exists for winning, I don’t know how much it is, but it’s for the club. The managers, backroom staff, and players don’t deserve it—not even a watch.”
In addition, the Premier League confirmed that top-flight clubs can take advantage of an initial transfer window between June 1-10, before the tournament begins, allowing them to bolster their squads for the knockout phase. This raises questions about the availability of players like Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, whose contracts with City expire on June 30. However, new rules permit short-term contract extensions.
Guardiola said there have been no updates on De Bruyne’s future: “That’s a question for the club and Kevin. He’s a player, so yes (he would like De Bruyne in the USA), but my focus is on what happens until the end of the season.”
