Man City manager Pep Guardiola says winning the Club World Cup would 'close the circle'

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City’s debut participation in the Fifa Club World Cup is the chance to "close the circle" of trophies won. However, he sounded a note of caution regarding players’ welfare ahead of the competition's expansion in 2025.

The English and European champions will on Tuesday contest a first Club World Cup match, when they take on Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-final in Jeddah.

The trophy remains one of the only titles Guardiola has not won with City, although he is attempting to clinch the crown for a record fourth time, having previously guided Barcelona and Bayern Munich to success.

Speaking on Monday at King Abdullah Sports City, where City meet Urawa the following day, Guardiola said: “It is a pleasure to be here, an honour, and it's Manchester City’s first time here. We don’t take it for granted; we take it as a privilege.

“We know how hard it is to win the Club World Cup and you have to have done something exceptional in the past. It’s difficult to win here and the players know this. That's why we want to play well tomorrow.”

Guardiola, a victor in 2009 and 2011 with Barcelona, and 2013 with Bayern, continued: “It is my fourth time I have played this competition and the previous times the semi-final was really tough, really tricky every time.

“We want to win it. It is a trophy we do not have. We want to close the little circle that we win all the trophies we could. This is the last one.

“In the Premier League you always have another game. Here maybe it’s just once in a lifetime.”

City, who booked their spot in Saudi Arabia in May by winning a first Uefa Champions League, come into the tournament off the back of a difficult run domestically.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Crystal