MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola said he would rather leave Manchester City than have to work with a bloated squad next season.
The City manager has begun to rebuild his team after the club's first trophyless campaign since 2017.
But he said Tuesday he had told the club that he will walk away rather than oversee an oversized squad.
“I said to the club I don’t want that. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the tribune,” Guardiola said after the 3-1 win against Bournemouth. “I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It’s impossible for my soul to give (leave) my players in the tribune, that they cannot play.”
Guardiola left James McAtee, Savinho and Rico Lewis out of his squad for Tuesday's Premier League game. He had to make similarly tough calls for Saturday's FA Cup final loss against Crystal Palace.
He has traditionally liked to work with a smaller squad, but a spate of injuries this season — including knee surgery for Rodri — severely hampered City's title defense, which unraveled by Christmas.
City spent more than $200 million in January to try to salvage the campaign, brining in Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.
Guardiola is expected to make major signings in the offseason, with Kevin De Bruyne leaving as a free agent and Kyle Walker also likely to go, but has made it clear he wants to keep his squad numbers down.
“I don’t want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit,” he said. "If I have injuries, unlucky. We have some players for the academy and we do it.
“(We) cannot sustain for the emotion of the club, the soul of the team, create another connection with each other that this season we lost it a bit.”
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
TORONTO (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid had 27 and the Philadelphia 76ers used an 80-point first half to beat the Toronto Raptors 115-102 on Monday night.
VJ Edgecombe and Paul George each scored 15 points as the 76ers bounced back from Sunday’s overtime loss to Toronto to win for the sixth time in eight games.
Embiid (left knee and left groin) and George (left knee) were back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday.
Fans chanted “We want Lowry!” in the fourth quarter, then rose for a standing ovation when former Raptors player Kyle Lowry checked in for Maxey with 1:57 left to play.
Lowry starred for the Toronto team that won the 2019 NBA championship. He airballed a 3-pointer on his first attempt and missed all three shots he took.
Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and Brandon Ingram had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points for Toronto.
Barnes, who hit the game-winning free throw Sunday, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier Monday.
Philadelphia’s 80 first-half points were the most by a Raptors opponent this season. The 76ers made 27 of 37 field goals in the opening half, including 13 of 20 from long range, and shot 13 for 13 at the free throw line.
Maxey scored 18 points in the first to help Philadelphia build a 45-28 lead after one. He connected on six of seven attempts, including three of four from distance.
After shooting 8 for 31 from long range Sunday, the 76ers combined to make 7 of 8 3-pointers in the first. They followed that by making four straight to begin the second.
Ingram returned after missing two games because of a sore right thumb. RJ Barrett (left thumb) sat for the second straight game.
Philadelphia’s biggest lead was 33 points, 87-54, after an Edgecombe 3 with 8:24 remaining in the third.
76ers: Host Cleveland on Wednesday.
Raptors: At Indiana on Wednesday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) moves the ball under pressure from Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) makes a pass under pressure from Philadelphia 76ers forward Adem Bona (30) and teammate Paul George (8) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) dunks over Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) fouls Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) and Philadelphia 76ers centre/forward Joel Embiid (21) vie for a loose ball during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
