Pep Guardiola slams the winter scheduling of matches, says authorities 'don't care'

The intense Premier League scheduling during the festive season has once again made managers angry and they have spoken up on the issue. The lastest voice being that of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. 

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'They don't care'

Goal.com quoted the Spaniard saying, "I do not have any confidence about that. They don't care. In the first season, it was the same, we played at Anfield and two days later with Burnley at home. My words are not going to change anything, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp have said the same."

"Every season is the same, TV decides and we have to adapt. I have to evaluate the players and how they feel. We have to put fresh legs on. I honestly don't know how they are going to recover and how they feel, we'll see." 

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Pep is not the first manager to speak up against the hectic winter schedule, where teams play as many as three matches in the space of ten days. Last week, Jurgen Klopp had spoken out against the scheduling and called it 'criminal'. Klopp said, "It is absolutely not ok. None of the managers has a problem playing on Boxing Day, but playing on the 27th and 29th is a crime. This year we play 26th and 29th and it is like a holiday. I understand all those saying it should not happen. They are not moaning. They are telling, It is not for the spectacle."

The festive season scheduling is an issue that has been raised by managers multiple times over a number of years. This lead to the Premier League, Football Association and the EFL deciding in the summer of 2018 that PL clubs will be given a mid-season break in February. This season will be the first time that the break is given. One round of fixtures will be split between two weekends  - February 8 and 14. 

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