It’s certainly a very newsworthy day at Manchester City football club. We have the official announcement that defender John Stones will be departing at the end of the season, his tribute to manager Pep Guardiola and an ESPN report on the club’s angst/disappointment in the Premier League over their fixture rescheduling. So let’s dive right in, starting with that fixture pileup.
Take a look at the slate below, and note the three matches in six days (or four matches in 10 days) stretch below.
Manchester City May Schedule
May 4 at Everton
May 9 Brentford
May 13 Crystal Palace
May 16 FA Cup Final vs Chelsea at Wembley Stadium
May 19 at Bournemouth
May 24 (Championship Sunday) Aston Villa
Meanwhile they don’t play again until next Monday, having last played this past Saturday. So that fixture congestion coming up seems even more ridiculous when you consider how we’re in the midst of a nine day stretch without any competition. It is understandable why the club brass is upset right now.
According to ESPN FC, “club bosses are frustrated that the team will have to navigate a fixture backlog in the last two weeks.”
We’ll see how the season’s backlog, which is now manifesting itself here with overload at the end, impacts the Sky Blues’ run at a treble. Having already secured a trophy with the League Cup title, the Cityzens are now pushing for the Premier League and FA Cup glories.
John Stones Says Goodbye
Stones, 31, will not see his contract renewed at the end of this season. His recent injury history, which has been pretty rough over the past couple of years, is a major reason why. Still Stones, in saying his goodbyes, maintains that this will be his home club forever. Stones said Man City will be “his home” for the rest of his life.
“It has been a rollercoaster in many ways,” the English international said in a video posted on his Instagram account. “I came as a kid and now leaving as a man — becoming a father, a husband and, on the pitch, a very fulfilled player.
“I lived all my dreams out and lifted all the things that I came here to achieve.
“At the start of my career here I never would have thought I would be in this position. Firstly, to achieve everything but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.”
Stones was one of Pep’s first signings (from Everton) when he became the club’s manager in 2016.
Over the decade that has passed, John Stones featured almost 300 times, helping the club to win 19 trophies, including the Premier League six times and the club’s first and only Champions League title in 2023.
Stones Pays Tribute to Pep Guardiola
John Stones recognized the mentorship and influence of his head coach Pep Guardiola.
“I don’t think it would have been anywhere (near) as successful if it wasn’t for him,” Stones said of his gaffer in an Instagram reel.
“The first time that I met him, I left that moment and knew that it was what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be, playing under the best manager in the world.
“I’m so grateful I’ve been able to spend so long with him, win everything with him, and share and have so many incredible moments together.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.