MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola doesn’t believe he or his players deserve to receive a bonus if the team wins the first 32-team Club World Cup in the United States.
FIFA this week announced the prize fund for the June 14-July 13 tournament, with City in line to win at least $100 million by claiming the title.
Guardiola was asked Friday if that would see him getting a bonus from the club as a reward.
“We don’t deserve a bonus this season,” Guardiola said. “If we win I don’t know how much when we go there, it’s for the club.
“Manager, staff, backroom staff, players — we don’t deserve. Not even a watch,” he added with a smile.
Guardiola’s comments were a nod to City’s regression this season that has seen the team slip out of contention for a fifth straight Premier League title and not even reach the round of 16 in the Champions League.
A big reason for City’s problems this season — the team is in fifth place in the Premier League and battling just to qualify for the Champions League — has been the absence of star midfielder Rodri, who sustained an ACL injury on Sept. 22 and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign by Guardiola.
Rodri, this year's Ballon d'Or winner, has said he hopes to return before the end of the season, however, and Guardiola was asked if there’s a chance the Spain midfielder could be fit in time for the Club World Cup.
“I don’t know. I wish. I hope,” said Guardiola, speaking ahead of City’s FA Cup quarterfinal match against Bournemouth on Saturday. “But, listen, it would be nice if he could play tomorrow, but don’t do wrong decisions and make a step back.
“His injury is, doctors say, 7 1/2 months, 8 months. It has been 6 months, 6 1/2 months. He’s behaving really well on the pitch already but competition is really different. We will see. Step by step. I rely a lot on his word but what the doctors say, what the physios say, and (City shouldn’t) target the (Club) World Cup and then lose him for many, many months again. We have to be sure he is fine.”
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The Associated Press
