Guardiola devises a “travel and family” plan to avoid City’s collapse in its struggle for the historic treble | sports

Despite his struggle with Arsenal for the Premier League title, Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach, gave his team’s players the green light to travel and relax around the world, before engaging in the final “frenzy” of the season during which the club seeks to achieve a historic domestic treble.

Guardiola’s decision came after the Citizens qualified for the FA Cup final with a deserved victory over Southampton, as the team benefits from an eight-day break before returning to the English Premier League competitions against Everton next Monday.

The Catalan coach believes that this time window is the last and only opportunity for his players to recharge their energies before playing 6 fateful matches in just 21 days.

Guardiola creates a “travel and family” plan

Commenting on the strange decision, Guardiola said: “They can do whatever they want; travel anywhere. They are completely free as long as they return to training on Wednesday afternoon.”

Explaining his new philosophy, he added: “I learned in this country that the more days of rest, the better the team plays. Coaches usually believe that more training means better performance, but I believe in exactly the opposite. Training is undoubtedly important, but the most important thing is to arrive at the match with a clear mind and an active body.”

Guardiola admitted that his convictions had changed, saying: “In my beginnings, I used to train a lot, but now I realize that returning home and spending quality time with the family is the key.”

The struggle of the last breaths, and Manchester City enters the “break-the-bones” phase with mental fitness that Guardiola is trying to protect, as the team chases the leaders, Arsenal, by three points, with City having a postponed match. With a busy schedule that includes the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 16 and postponed matches against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, Pep knows there is no room for error.

The Spanish coach stressed his need for all members of the roster in the rotation, saying: “We cannot play this amount of matches – every three days a match – with the same players; this is impossible. We need everyone to take a step forward, and I am asking them to do more and more, as this is the only way to compete at this stage.”