Guardiola Warns His Players About the Extreme Heat in the Match Against Juventus
ORLANDO – Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach, has warned his players that they will “suffer” due to the intense heat they will face in the decisive match against Juventus in the Club World Cup, to be held on Thursday in Orlando. The final Group G match will begin at 3 p.m. local time at Camping World Stadium, where temperatures are expected to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The City, which has been training in Boca Raton, played its last match against Al Ain at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which has air conditioning. However, the conditions in Orlando will be very different.Guardiola has used two different teams in the first two matches against Wydad AC and Al Ain. Juventus represents the most difficult test in the group, and City must win to finish at the top and potentially avoid Real Madrid in the round of 16. Despite the importance of the result, Guardiola indicated that he will take the heat into account when selecting his team. “We will play with new players and also in the next match and in the second half. The selection takes that into account. In these conditions we are not prepared to play 90 minutes and at halftime we will make substitutions.” A player who will not be available is Claudio Echeverri. The 19-year-old player was substituted at halftime against Al Ain and has been photographed on crutches and wearing a protective boot. “He has a problem with his ankle, so he will be out for two or three weeks. I feel very sorry for him,” Guardiola said.“The heat is obvious. We can’t change it. It’s better to play in the Atlanta stadium, which is fantastic. All teams have to deal with it. The next World Cup [in 2026], people already know it. We have to be ready to suffer. My advice to people is to bring plenty of water, hats, and neck towels because I think it’s going to be tough.”
Pep Guardiola
