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Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has expressed his concern about the FIFA Club World Cup scheduling. He said the players need rest and are not happy about the tournament being held right after the 2024-25 season ended.
Speaking to the media, Akanji said the teams that reach the finals would see their players have an extended season, with little time to recover for the next term. He added that they cannot do anything about it because the schedule is not discussed with them.
The Manchester City star said (via TribalFootball):
"I have been a strong critic of this competition for some time now. We players would love to have some holidays, and some time for our bodies to rest. My City teammates are not exactly overjoyed about the tournament either."
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"But it's now right in our faces, and there is nothing we can do about it. If we take part, then of course we want to win it. But if we reach the final, then the time period for us to recover ahead of the new season will become even shorter," he added.
The Premier League season finished on May 25, and the players are preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 14. Manchester City finished third in the league, behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
Jamie Carragher echoes Manchester City star Manuel Akanji's comments on Club World Cup
Former player Jamie Carragher was on CBS Sports earlier this season when he claimed that players and managers were not happy with the Club World Cup. The Liverpool legend echoed Manuel Akanji's comments, saying (via The Athletic):
"I don't think the players and the managers actually want to be there. That's a really sad state of affairs for a new tournament. When do they ever get a rest? So we're talking now about players who will only get a rest one summer every four years. That's not right. It was fine the way it was, a tournament every two years and the players get a good long break in the summer."
"I'm not a fan right now, but listen, I may be proven wrong in the future. But if you've got a tournament that the players don't really want to play in and the coaches don't want to be there, I think you've a bit of a problem," he added.
Manchester City and Chelsea are the only sides from the Premier League to play in the FIFA Club World Cup this year.
