Guardiola Advocates for Rule Change to Allow Guehi in Carabao Cup Final

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged the English Football League (EFL) to reconsider their regulations regarding player eligibility for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, specifically advocating for the inclusion of Marc Guehi.

Guehi, who was acquired by City from Crystal Palace, is ineligible to participate after Manchester City’s 5-1 aggregate triumph over Newcastle in the semi-finals. His transfer occurred after City secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg, thus disqualifying him from the final scheduled for March 22 at Wembley.

According to the competition’s rules, a player must join the club before either the closure of the winter transfer window or the first leg of the semi-final to be eligible for the competition. Guardiola expressed his confusion over the existing regulations, stating, “Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc [Guehi] can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play in the final.”

He further emphasized the absurdity of the situation, saying, “You buy a player for a lot of money, and he is not able to play due to a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.”

Guardiola pointed out that City’s other January signing, winger Antoine Semenyo, was eligible to compete after joining the club just days before the first leg against Newcastle, highlighting an inconsistency in the rules. “Antoine arrived before the first [game] so could play. And now it’s the final. Why should Guehi not play? We pay his salary; he is our player,” Guardiola argued.

The manager has encouraged the club to formally petition for Guehi’s eligibility, insisting, “I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final in March, given my long tenure here. The rules regarding player purchases depend on FIFA, UEFA, and the Premier League, who state that when you buy a player, they should be able to play. It’s only logical. Of course, we are going to try to ask for him to play. Pure logic.”

When asked about his expectations regarding the EFL’s response, Guardiola quipped, “No. But we will try.”

This season, Manchester City has already benefited from a rule modification that allows players to participate in the same competition for two different teams, circumventing the traditional cup-tied restrictions. This adjustment enabled Semenyo and Max Alleyne to compete in the semi-final matches, despite having played for Bournemouth and Watford in earlier rounds.