Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has taken a hardline stance on fitness during the festive break, warning his players that any sign of weight gain will cost them a place in the team. As City pushes to keep pace with league leaders Arsenal, Guardiola is leaving nothing to chance despite the holiday period.
City cruised to a 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham, extending their winning run, but the Spaniard made it clear that success will not lead to leniency. Before allowing a short Christmas break, Guardiola ensured every playerโs weight was officially recorded.
โ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ . ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐,โ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ .
Pep Guardiola Threatens Bench for Overweight Players
The City manager stressed that discipline will be strictly enforced ahead of the upcoming clash against Nottingham Forest on December 27. Guardiola confirmed that any player returning overweight will be left behind.
โ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ .
While he acknowledged the importance of rest in a congested schedule, he insisted that professionalism must be maintained. Players were allowed time off to be with their families, but the manager expects them to return sharp and ready.
He himself is spending a brief break in Barcelona, though his focus remains firmly on preparation. Even after a fifth straight league victory, he refused to give his squad immediate time off, citing performance levels.
โThe players asked for a day off, but I said no. We trained, then they got three days off. Now we prepare again,โ Guardiola added.
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