- Pep Guardiola vehemently opposes the extension of Rico Lewis’ red card ban
- He has also given an update on an injured midfield star he feels ‘so sorry’ for
- LISTEN to Whistleblowers: Are Arsenal fans right to feel aggrieved by the fixtures?
Pep Guardiola has hit out at FIFA referees’ chief Pierluigi Collini after Rico Lewis’ red card ban was extended to three matches.
Lewis was sent off in Manchester City’s first game of the Club World Cup and will now only be available again in the quarter-finals.
The defender caught Wydad AC’s Samuel Obeng on the chin by accident after winning the ball in a sliding challenge in City’s 2-0 win.
FIFA later deemed it worthy of extra punishment and City’s appeal was unsuccessful.
Guardiola said: ‘I don’t know the boss for the referees, Collina? I didn’t have the honour to talk to him. I am pretty sure the referee don’t know Rico. Sometimes as a defender you have to be more aggressive but both on the floor and the reaction.
‘I know it could be tough. It is Rico Lewis, I can imagine what would happen with another type of player. It is what it is, three games and he can be with his girlfriend and hopefully be back for the next games if we go through.
‘I know Rico and the intention was never to hurt anyone. If FIFA want to show how huge they are, send me three games and we move forward.’
Lewis has already served the first match of his ban as he missed City’s 6-0 demolition of Al Ain.
He will sit out of their clash with Juventus on Thursday – with both clubs already qualified from the group – and their round of 16 game.
Meanwhile, midfielder Claudio Echeverri is predicted to miss the rest of the tournament after limping off against Al Ain with an ankle injury, requiring a protective boot.
The 19-year-old scored a free-kick against the Emirati team but had to come off at half-time.
Guardiola said: ‘Problems in the ankle, two three weeks out. Unfortunately. I feel so sorry for him. We will play new players and in the next game too and in the second half.
‘The selection has that in mind. In these conditions we are not ready to play 90 minutes and at half-time we will make substitutions.
‘The heat is obvious. We can’t change it. It’s better to change at the Atlanta stadium which is fantastic.
‘All the teams have to handle it. The next World Cup, people know it already. We have to be ready to suffer.’
Echeverri agreed to join from River Plate for £12.5million in January 2024 but was sent back on loanto the Argentines for another year.
His lovely free-kick, scored on his third City appearance, drew comparisons with Zinedine Zidane’s iconic effort against England at Euro 2004.
The final of the Club World Cup will be played on July 13.
