Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that neither he nor his players deserve a bonus, even if they manage to salvage their disappointing season by winning the Club World Cup.
City, currently in fifth place in the Premier League, have already been eliminated from both the Champions League and League Cup. The team, who have been English champions for the last four seasons, are at risk of finishing without a major trophy for the first time since Guardiola’s first season in charge, 2016/17.
Their only remaining hope for domestic silverware is the FA Cup, with a quarter-final match against Bournemouth scheduled for Sunday. However, even if they win the FA Cup or the Club World Cup in June and July, Guardiola believes that City’s underachievement this season means they won’t deserve any bonuses from the lucrative prize money on offer at the post-season tournament in the United States.
FIFA confirmed this week that the winners of the Club World Cup will receive up to $125 million in prize money, with the total pool for all participating clubs reaching $1 billion.
“We don’t deserve it this season. We don’t deserve a bonus this season. If we win, I don’t know how much, but it’s for the club,” Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday. “The manager, the players, the backroom staff, we don’t deserve anything. Not even a watch.”
