New discussions have begun around Manchester City ahead of the English League Cup final. The team's head coach, Josep Guardiola, expressed his open dissatisfaction with defender Mark Guehi's inability to play in the decisive match due to the tournament regulations.
The Citizens will face Arsenal in the final on March 22nd. However, according to the rules, Gehi, who joined the team during the winter transfer window, will not be able to participate in this match. This situation doesn't satisfy Guardiola.
The Catalan specialist expressed a strong position on the issue and called on the organizers to reconsider the decision. In his opinion, this rule is difficult to understand logically.
"I hope we can convince the League Cup organizers that Mark Gehry can play in the final. Because this situation is not easy to understand. The club spends a lot of money on one player, he belongs to us, and we pay him. I don't understand why he shouldn't play in the final. I hope they will change the decision. We will send an official letter to the organization on this issue," Guardiola said in a comment to TNT Sports.
The legal side of the problem is also clear. According to clause 6.4 of the English Football League Regulations, a player can play for a maximum of two clubs in the League Cup in one season. He must also have participated in this competition for his previous club (or loan team) before the winter transfer window closed or until the first leg of the semi-final.
It is this clause that hinders Gehi. He played for Crystal Palace in the League Cup this season. The defender moved to Manchester City on January 19th. Meanwhile, City won their first semi-final match against Newcastle on January 13th with a 2-0 victory.
In short, Gehi can't play in the final because he participated in the competition at another club before the transfer. Guardiola, however, doesn't consider this fair and hopes for an exception.
Now one question: will the regulations remain unchanged, or will City reach the final without one of their main defenders? It seems that this topic will be discussed for a long time before the final.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
