Pep Guardiola has stated that he requested to move Manchester City’s Premier League match against Bournemouth from next Tuesday, asserting it should “definitely” occur later that week.
City is set to play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday, with a kick-off at 16:30 BST, and will face Bournemouth just three days afterward as they strive to secure a position in the Premier League’s top five after falling to sixth due to victories by both Chelsea and Aston Villa on Friday night.
If City’s match up with Bournemouth were to take place next Wednesday, it would interfere with the all-English Europa League final featuring Tottenham and Manchester United.
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However, Guardiola referenced Tottenham’s Premier League match against Aston Villa being moved two days earlier from its initial schedule of May 18 to allow them additional time for preparation leading to the European final.
He interpreted this as a sign that the league has the capacity to adapt.
When asked whether he would have liked the Bournemouth fixture to be rescheduled to Wednesday or Thursday, Guardiola answered, “definitely.”
The Spanish manager for City remarked, “Tottenham Hotspur has a fixture against Aston Villa on Friday due to the Europa League final, right? That’s a smart choice.
“To be honest, I am not being ironic or sarcastic; the Premier League made a solid decision, very solid.”
