Guardiola's Shock Admission on £97m Prize Money

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made the startling admission that his players don't deserve any share of the £97 million prize money the club stands to earn from winning this summer's expanded Club World Cup in the United States.

Tournament Structure and Rewards

The revamped 32-team tournament, announced by FIFA this week, offers the most lucrative prize pool in club football history. European powerhouses are expected to dominate, with both City (2023 Champions League winners) and Chelsea (2020 winners) positioned to claim the largest shares.

• Group Stage Draw: City will face Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Al Ain (UAE), and Juventus (Italy)
• Knockout Timeline: Tournament runs June 1-13 with the final at MetLife Stadium
• Special Transfer Window: June 1-10 allows squad reinforcements for competing clubs

Guardiola's Controversial Stance

Despite City's qualification through their Champions League triumph, Guardiola believes the team's overall season performance - including:

1. A shock Champions League last-16 exit (their earliest since 2013)
2. Current 5th place Premier League position
3. Risk of missing next season's UCL qualification

...makes them undeserving of additional rewards: "Not even a watch" as the manager bluntly stated. The Spaniard emphasized these financial rewards are strictly "for the club" rather than players or staff.

Contract Uncertainties Loom

The compressed tournament schedule creates complications for:

• Kevin De Bruyne: Contract expires June 30 with extension talks ongoing
• Ilkay Gündoğan: Similar contract situation with short-term extensions now permitted

Guardiola remained tight-lipped about transfer plans, focusing instead on "what happens until the end of the season."

European Heavyweights Join Fray

The tournament features a star-studded lineup including:

• Real Madrid (14x UCL winners)
• Bayern Munich (6x winners)
• PSG (2020 finalists)

This marks a pivotal moment for global club football, with FIFA projecting the event will "take club competition to new commercial heights."