Pep Guardiola request denied as Premier League make major announcement impacting Liverpool

The Premier League have released the schedule for the 2025/26 season, ignoring a request made by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Next season will commence on Saturday, 16 August 2025 with the final day set for Sunday, 24 May 2026 when all matches will kick off at the same time as usual. The new schedule is set to allow plenty of time for players to rest which will please Liverpool, Arne Slot and the rest of the division.

But the league have ignored a previous request from City boss Guardiola who asked to postpone the beginning of the season due to his club's involvement in the 2025 Club World Cup. The 53-year-old, who recently signed a new two-year contract extension keeping him at the Etihad until at least 2027, was visibly frustrated with the decision which will give his side little time to prepare for the new campaign.

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"The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery," said Guardiola. "Thank you so much.

"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed. The Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not."

City, alongside Chelsea, are the two English representatives in next year's expanded Club World Cup having both won the Champions League in the last three years. The Premier League have no say over the expanded international calendar with FIFA organising the event so they didn't see a reason to delay the new campaign.

The final of the competition is set to take place in the USA on 13 July 2025 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It will leave just five weeks between its conclusion and the start of the new domestic campaign, with three of those designated as a rest break for players.

Liverpool currently hold a five-point lead on City in the Premier League title race. The Reds travel to Southampton on Sunday.