Man City requested Premier League start delay due to Club World Cup. Rival clubs’ response was unexpected
Lars Foster
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
Manchester City and Chelsea will represent England at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup next summer. With their participation in the tournament in mind, the reigning Premier League champions requested a delayed start to the 2025/26 league campaign. However, the response from other clubs was not what they expected.
Details: According to The Times, when City made their request, the response from rival Premier League clubs was blunt: "Stop whining." City’s complaints did not generate sympathy, and some clubs reportedly argued that the league should not make accommodations for one owner’s interests—a clear sign of the lack of goodwill toward the blue half of Manchester.
Premier League director of football Tony Scholes stated that the tournament was imposed by FIFA and that the league disagrees with it, making any concessions unnecessary.
Reminder: It was previously reported that if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, English and European clubs could demand compensation if they can prove that City’s violations negatively impacted them.
