WeeklySA_AdminCHANGES: Pep Guardiola’s side endured a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which they failed to win a major trophy for the first time in eight years
By Sports Reporter
The Club World Cup is the “beginning of the new season” and “not the continuation of last season”, says Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak.
City endured a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which they failed to win a major trophy for the first time in eight years and finished third in the Premier League.
They played their last game of the season at Fulham last Sunday but are back in competitive action just 24 days later at the expanded 32-team Fifa tournament which starts on 14 June in the United States.
“The team will take the rest that they will take right now, then they start pre-season and then immediately straight into the Club World Cup,” said Khaldoon in an in-house club interview.
“We’re excited to come in as champions. The format actually, I really like it.
“This is the beginning of the new season, not the continuation of last season.”
Pep Guardiola’s men travel to the US having won the event two years ago in its previous guise, beating Fluminese in the final in Saudi Arabia.
Khaldoon said City want to be ready with their “new squad” for the start of the tournament.
The revamped Club World Cup will see City play Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June (17:00 BST), Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates on 23 June (02:00) and then Juventus on 26 June (20:00) in the group stages.
With the top two from each of the eight groups qualifying for the knockout stages the teams that reach the final, on 13 July, will play seven games.
The Premier League season kicks off on 13 August. Given the lack of rest for players, questions have been raised about how seriously teams would be taking it, but Khaldoon was in no doubt.
“This is a very, very serious competition,” he said. “In the summer, the whole world will be watching this.
“A big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament and I can assure you, we’re going to give it our best shot.
“We’re going there to win it.”
City are still waiting to learn the outcome of the hearing into its 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches.
The hearing took place in front of an independent commission between September and December.
If City – who strongly deny the charges – are found guilty, the commission has unlimited powers, which include a points deduction and relegation.
Khaldoon added: “We still don’t have a ruling. Once there’s a ruling, I’ll be able to speak about it.
“Until then we just have to be patient, and it’ll come, and we will talk about it, I promise you, once we have the ruling.”
