'Club World Cup start of new season for Man City'

The Club World Cup is nan "beginning of nan caller season" and "not nan continuation of past season", says Manchester City president Khaldoon Al-Mubarak.

City endured a disappointing 2024-25 run successful which they grounded to triumph a awesome trophy for nan first clip successful 8 years and vanished 3rd successful nan Premier League.

They played their past crippled of nan play astatine Fulham past Sunday but are backmost successful competitory action conscionable 24 days later astatine nan expanded 32-team Fifa tourney which starts connected 14 June successful nan United States.

"The squad will return nan remainder that they will return correct now, past they commencement pre-season and past instantly consecutive into nan Club World Cup," said Khaldoon successful an in-house nine interview.

"We're excited to travel successful arsenic champions. The format actually, I really for illustration it.

"This is nan opening of nan caller season, not nan continuation of past season."

Pep Guardiola's men recreation to nan US having won nan arena 2 years agone successful its erstwhile guise, beating Fluminese successful nan last successful Saudi Arabia.

Khaldoon said City want to beryllium fresh pinch their "new squad" for nan commencement of nan tournament.

AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has been heavy linked pinch a move to Etihad Stadium, while City are besides willing successful Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White.

There will beryllium 2 transportation windows this summertime - 1 earlier nan Club World Cup, from 1-10 June, to let Manchester City and Chelsea to motion players.

It will past adjacent close for 5 days earlier moving again from 16 June to 1 September.

City players person raised concerns astir nan relentless fixture schedule, pinch defender Manuel Akanji joking past year that he whitethorn person to discontinue astatine 30, while Ballon d'Or victor Rodri, who missed nan mostly of nan play pinch a superior knee injury, said players had been adjacent to going connected strike.

City head Guardiola said immoderate changes regarding football's expanding fixture demands must beryllium led by nan players.

In January, a meeting betwixt players' national Fifpro and world governing assemblage Fifa took spot discussing nan packed almanac aft nan assemblage representing players revenge ineligible title against nan the world governing assemblage citing "abuse of dominance".

The revamped Club World Cup will spot City play Moroccan broadside Wydad AC connected 18 June (17:00 BST), Al Ain from nan United Arab Emirates connected 23 June (02:00) and past Juventus connected 26 June (20:00) successful nan group stages.

With nan apical 2 from each of nan 8 groups qualifying for nan knockout stages nan teams that scope nan final, connected 13 July, will play 7 games.

The Premier League play kicks disconnected connected 13 August.

Given nan deficiency of remainder for players, questions person been raised astir really earnestly teams would beryllium taking it, but Khaldoon was successful nary doubt.

"This is simply a very, very superior competition," he said. "In nan summer, nan full world will beryllium watching this.

"A large number of nan apical teams successful nan world will beryllium competing successful this tourney and I tin guarantee you, we're going to springiness it our champion shot.

"We're going location to triumph it."

City are still waiting to learn nan outcome of nan proceeding into its 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial norm breaches.

The proceeding took spot successful beforehand of an independent committee betwixt September and December.

If City - who powerfully contradict nan charges - are recovered guilty, nan committee has unlimited powers, which see a points conclusion and relegation.

Khaldoon added: "We still don't person a ruling. Once there's a ruling, I'll beryllium capable to speak astir it.

"Until past we conscionable person to beryllium patient, and it'll come, and we will talk astir it, I committedness you, erstwhile we person nan ruling."