Pep Guardiola has criticised Everton for the way they reacted to Manchester City postponing their visit to Goodison Park on Monday due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
The Premier League cancelled the fixture with around four hours’ notice after City reported five players and two staff had tested positive for the virus.
Guardiola rang opposite number Carlo Ancelotti to explain the situation but Everton hastily issued a terse statement in which they demanded an explanation for the cancellation from the Premier League.
That, in turn, drew an angry response from a clearly emotional Guardiola on Friday.
He said: “There are clubs making statements complaining about this when it’s just us taking care of the health [of staff].
“When a lot of people in the UK are dying every day and every day a lot, a lot of people are being contaminated. What can you say? The world is…
“Personally, I called Carlo Ancelotti to explain the situation because we could play but what would happen if we travelled and more players were in touch, all of us, and what happened if Everton players were infected by us?
“And it was a huge risk because it’s not just about what happened here at Manchester City, but all around the world.
“People unfortunately are dying all around the world, the UK as well. So in two days there were 900 people dead. Unfortunately, the problem is still here but now all our centre is disinfected and we have extra measures.”
Guardiola will still have five front-line players – Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and three unnamed stars – unavailable for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
But the City manager clearly remains perplexed by the reaction of Everton to the postponement, especially as Ancelotti’s club would have been forced to play Monday’s game without four key injured players, in Allan, Richarlison, Lucas Digne and James Rodriguez.
Guardiola said: “I prefer the statement of Carlo Ancelotti to the statement from the club, definitely.
“So we were clear, we spoke with the Premier League – like the first time with Arsenal, what happened with Mikel Arteta before the first lockdown and he announced he tested positive and we cancelled the game.
“It was the same, we told the Premier League and, personally, I called Carlo to announce the situation that we had and I said, ‘Okay we are going to leave the clubs to do what they have to do, and the Premier League, and that’s all.’
“So we would have loved to play against Everton on that day. We are going to go to Goodison Park when, hopefully, Digne, Richarlison, Allan, James can play… we’re going to beat them!
“So we would have loved to play that game but, unfortunately – I think wisely – the Premier League decided for the welfare of everyone to not increase the cases and increase the situation, given that in two or three days there were seven people, who we were in touch with every day, who had tested positive.”
The postponement of the Goodison game has left City with mounting scheduling problems which will see them face nine games this month and, potentially, the same number in February.
Guardiola, who lost his mother to the disease last summer, stopped short of backing calls for a break in the season but the welfare of his staff is clearly uppermost in his thoughts.
He said: “We are going to accept it or we can go home. So we are part of the game.
“I’m not going to make a statement about how unfair it is when we know it from the beginning, especially this season, especially with many situations. That is why some clubs decide for the five substitutes, for the welfare of the players.
“What has happened has happened, we’re not going to change it. I’m sorry, the most important thing is the welfare of people, they are human beings.
“This is not a joke. You can be positive and nothing happened or you can be positive and be in trouble. It doesn’t mean you are strong or weak or a grandfather or a teenager.
“Everyone is involved and you have to be careful. That’s why we have extra measures. We spoke every day to the players – be careful, stay at home, don’t be in contact other people and do what you have to do. Follow the scientists and the measure we have to follow, try to follow them.”
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