Pep Guardiola claims that he does not feel like moaning about Manchester City's crazy February because the schemes have always been crazy in England.
City has signed Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 for the fourth consecutive season and they must be confronted in February with the holders and Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool.
“The schedule is what it is,” said the city boss. “Every team has to play in the Premier League, but it normally happens here in the Premier League, they always have the most difficult schemes for the European teams in the most difficult phases.
“It's hard to play against Real of Bayern and the problem is in the middle, playing Newcastle. They are always so nice with the calendar! It has always happened that way for many, many years. '
Guardiola claims that the schedule was demolishing for Premier League parties long before he arrived at Etihad.
“Many, many years before I came here, it has always been that way,” he said. “So it doesn't complain because you had incredible success with this calendar.
“It has always been that way and we accept it. I don't complain because we have won the Treble and fourfold to do it that way.
“I often said in the past, last season we played the quarterfinals against Madrid and three days later we had the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley when we could have had more days. It has always been that way.
“And we survive and we do not survive because Madrid is better, because the opponents are better.
“But the calendar, I remember that I was in Barcelona training, and I followed the Premier League because it is the most attractive competition in the world and Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger served the same complaints.
“So now you can't ask me about the calendar because it is long, long ago.”
Guardiola says that other competitions have always helped their teams in Europe, such as Portugal and France. “The broadcasters decide,” he said. “They don't ask me if it is better to play on a Tuesday or Wednesday to have another day.
“There are competitions that play on Friday before the Champions League. They play on Friday in Portugal, they play on Friday in France to have another day than here.
“It has always been that way, so it's no problem. Because you asked me, so it's what it is. It's fine, it's fine.
“It is no surprise when I see that the calendar is what it is, because here the Premier League is much more important than other competitions.”
Guardiola joked Madrid is like a derby for the city and this will be the ninth and 10th time that the blues have played them under him.
“It looks like a derby, four years in a row opposite Madrid,” he said. “So Madrid or Bayern, both were really difficult and hopefully we can arrive, first leg here and then a week later in Madrid, as good as possible.”
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