Pep Guardiola denied his Manchester City players an extra day of Christmas leave following a 3-0 victory over West Ham, citing his dissatisfaction with the team’s overall performance.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has rejected a request from his players for an additional day off this Christmas.
Despite securing a 3-0 victory over West Ham United on Saturday to temporarily move top of the Premier League, the Catalan coach was left unimpressed by his team’s performance.
He insisted that the level of play was insufficient for a side with title-winning ambitions, leading to a disciplinary scheduling change.
The squad had lobbied for Sunday off to extend their scheduled break and travel to see families. Instead, Guardiola ordered them back to the City Football Academy for recovery and training sessions.
Explaining the decision to deny the extra rest, Guardiola stated: “The players asked me to take a day off [on Sunday], I said, no, because you didn’t play good enough.” He emphasized that work was required before they could break.
While Sunday’s request was denied, the team will still receive a three-day break from Monday to Wednesday.
They are expected to report back on Christmas Day to prepare for their upcoming fixture against Nottingham Forest.
Guardiola noted: “So recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and after three days off, you have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.” He concluded that the players must now use the remaining time to “forget football.”