Roberto De Zerbi expressed disagreement with a recent statement made by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion, De Zerbi shared his dissent during his final press conference before the game at the AMEX Stadium.
Guardiola had remarked that his players were fatigued after their FA Cup match, which followed a 120-minute encounter with Real Madrid just three days prior.
De Zerbi challenged Guardiola’s assessment, questioning whether the players were truly tired. He pointed out that City had faced Chelsea on Saturday and would play again on Thursday, highlighting their accustomed schedule of frequent matches.
However, despite City’s familiarity with a packed fixture list, the exertion of a prolonged match followed by a quick turnaround for a crucial semi-final at Wembley likely took a toll on the players, both physically and mentally.
Guardiola’s concern about their readiness to face Chelsea, particularly given the limited size of City’s squad, is understandable.
While De Zerbi’s observation about City’s regular workload is valid, the physical strain of consecutive demanding matches cannot be discounted.
It remains to be seen if City’s players have sufficiently recovered and are prepared to contend for another Premier League title in Thursday’s fixture.
