PEP: CHIEFS LISTEN BUT DO SWEET FA

PEP GUARDIOLA claims pre-season meetings with English football’s big chiefs are a waste of time.

And the Manchester City coach says Premier League and FA bosses are ignoring warnings that players are being run into the ground by crazy scheduling.

Quadruple-chasing City, who play at Cardiff in the FA Cup fourth round today, wants replays in the competition scrapped and the Carabao Cup semi- finals reduced to a one-off tie instead of two legs.

But despite Premier League managers such as Kop boss Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola (right) voicing concerns, the Spaniard argues that authorities seem more interested in money – rather than safeguarding players from potential burn-out.

“I would like the Carabao Cup to be played with the semi-final one game. I would like the FA Cup to be played with one game and no replays” he said. “Like Jurgen, all the managers want this, I think. But that is not going to happen. It is not going to change.

“Replays and extra times, and extra, extra times – that is going to happen in the future.

“Can managers do nothing? Absolutely not. The business show must go on. It’s harming players, of course.

“The managers are complaining about that – a lot of games, no recovery, a lot of injuries. We know that but it’s what it is.

“If we don’t win in the FA Cup at Cardiff, after Burnley, we’re going to play a replay.

“So we will try to win the game and we avoid that. In the pre-season meetings with the big bosses, the managers speak about that.

“And they listen... and that’s all.”