Pep Guardiola wants FA Cup replays scrapped

 

Pep Guardiola insists he enjoys the FA Cup and its traditions but would like to see replays scrapped.

The Manchester City manager said earlier this week that ditching the Carabao Cup would be a good way to ease fixture congestion.

But he accepts that is not going to happen and instead would like to find ways to make the competitions better.

Speaking at a press conference to preview Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Fulham, Guardiola said: “I’m not saying what the FA has to do. When I said my comment I never expected the Carabao Cup or FA Cup was going to go.

“What is nice about this country is how you maintain the traditions. In traditions you can involve some new things to make the competitions nicer, but all the traditions are there, not just in sport but in culture and society and that is top. I admire that. The Carabao Cup and FA Cup will be played.

“But maybe we could cancel the replays, have less teams in the Championship or Premier League.

“I tried to be honest and answer the question but I don’t think about what they have to do, it’s not my business.

“My business is to prepare my team better every day.

“When they decide to play these games, and the other games, we do it.”

City won both domestic cups last season and they will target them again with the Premier League title now out of reach.

City are second in the table but trail runaway leaders Liverpool by 16 points.

The Merseysiders are on target to break City’s record 100-point tally of two years ago.

“It can happen. The records are always there to be broken. We broke it when someone thought it couldn’t be broken,” said Guardiola.

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“Sooner or later it is going to happen – this season or in the future. History speaks clearly about that.”