Midfielder Bernardo Silva has criticised Man City’s absurdly busy fixture schedule following the international break.
Bernardo Silva is currently on international duty with the Portuguese national team. Early this morning, the 30-year-old midfielder and his teammates defeated Croatia 2-1 in the opening match of the 2024-25 Nations League.
After the international break, Bernardo Silva will return to Man City and face a busy schedule with matches in three different competitions (Premier League, Champions League and League Cup).
Specifically, The Citizens will host Brentford (Premier League), Inter Milan (Champions League) and Arsenal (Premier League). Notably, just 2 days after the match with Arsenal (September 22), the Gunners will face Watford in the League Cup.
For his part, speaking after the win over Croatia, Bernardo Silva criticized Man City’s schedule: “Man City’s schedule is crazy. We only have 1 day off before the League Cup match. Maybe we will have to play 2 matches/week for months. This is completely absurd.”
Regarding the new format of the Champions League, Bernardo Silva added: “In the Champions League, if you don’t qualify for the round of 16, you still have to play two more games. It’s true that our squad depth has improved, but playing so many games is not easy. With this schedule, I won’t have time for my family and friends anymore.”
Bernardo Silva’s concerns are well-founded as he is one of Man City’s most prolific players. Since arriving at the Etihad in 2017, the Portuguese star has made 359 appearances in all competitions.