Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola expressed concerns over the extended football matches after his team conceded an equalizer in the 101st minute against Arsenal.
The new refereeing directives added eight minutes of stoppage time in the second half to combat time-wasting. However, after a series of stoppages, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard scored the decisive goal, leading to the Gunners’ victory in the shootout.
Before the match, Guardiola had already questioned the effectiveness of adding extra time, and during the game, he was seen discussing the matter with the officials. He criticized the decision, saying it was not agreed upon with players and coaches, humorously predicting that matches would now extend into overnight play in high-scoring affairs.
On the other hand, Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, supported the rule change. Despite being a close friend of Guardiola, Arteta believes the new approach will be beneficial to the game, making teams think twice about time-wasting.
With the controversy surrounding the extended match durations, the football world awaits the International Board’s response and the possible implications for future games.
