‘fine The Singers, Too’: Guardiola’s Joking Dig At Manchester City Penalties For Late Restarts

Pep Guardiola has lamented nan Premier League’s strict rules that person led to Manchester City being fined much than £3m for 30 precocious second-half restarts successful nan past 3 seasons, jokingly bemoaning that Burna Boy did not suffer a akin destiny aft delaying nan kick-off successful nan 2023 Champions League final.

City play astatine Newcastle connected Saturday evening, opening a hectic schedule successful which they will play doubly a week until mid-January. They travelled to nan north-east connected Friday afternoon, starring to a alteration successful regular astatine nan Etihad Campus and an early pre-match property convention successful bid to comply pinch Premier League rules and debar different punitive fee.

Asked really galore fines he has antecedently received, Guardiola said: “A lot. Sometimes I get 1 infinitesimal later but nan rules are nan rules. We are training later and if we train astatine 12 until 1.30, I cannot beryllium present [at nan property conference] successful time. The Premier League don’t let maine astatine 2pm. The nine said if I don’t commencement by 2pm they will good maine aliases good nan club.

“We paid a batch of money arsenic I’m precocious astatine half-time, but when we played successful nan Champions League final they had a show earlier nan crippled and they are ever late. They person to good nan singers! That is why I decided 9am and nan journalists person had their meal and will request to return a coffee.”

City brushed speech champions Liverpool successful their past Premier League crippled earlier nan world break. It was an denotation that they are fresh to situation for nan title aft a disappointing run past play and are boosted by having only nan midfielders Rodri and Mateo Kovacic missing for nan travel to St James’ Park. “If we proceed nan squad fit, we’ll compete each azygous crippled and each azygous competition, I don’t person immoderate doubts astir that,” Guardiola said.

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring successful City’s triumph complete Liverpool. His adjacent extremity will beryllium his 100th successful nan competition. Photograph: Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

Erling Haaland, who helped Norway unafraid their first World Cup qualification successful 28 years this week, is starring City’s pursuit of a seventh title successful 9 seasons and his adjacent extremity will beryllium his 100th successful nan Premier League.

“He’s unthinkable this season, he’s breaking each nan records, individual and individual records, Premier League records, for Norway,” Guardiola said. “Happy for him, his nationalist team, galore of nan squad for Norway weren’t moreover calved nan past clip Norway were successful nan World Cup.

“For nan state it’s incredible, an unthinkable qualification scoring a batch of goals. As a shot player, world-class player, he deserves to play a World Cup and unrecorded nan experience. I’m truthful happy for him.”