Man City cancelled a mandatory training session before their Champions League match against Dortmund on November 6, but still escaped punishment.

Man City circumvented the law to avoid UEFA punishment.

According to the schedule, Pep Guardiola and his players were supposed to practice on Tuesday (local time) so that the media could attend the first 15 minutes, in accordance with UEFA regulations. However, after the 3-1 victory over Bournemouth last weekend, Guardiola canceled the practice and gave his players the whole day off. He said the team needed time to recover physically rather than just going to the field to practice.

Normally, this move would have resulted in Man City facing sanctions, as UEFA requires all teams participating in European competitions to hold an official training session on the day before a match. But Man City cleverly took advantage of an open clause.

If a club is unable to hold an official training session the day before a match, they must agree with UEFA an alternative plan that ensures the media still have access to the team’s preparations for at least 15 minutes.

And that’s how Man City got away with it. The English team sent UEFA 15 minutes of video from Monday’s training session, instead of a public session. UEFA accepted this solution and allowed TV stations to use the footage as official material.

Pep Guardiola explained the reason for the exception: “I’ve done it a few times, not many but enough to understand what’s best for the players. The match against Bournemouth was too intense, I wanted them to stay home and rest. The schedule is tight, no one can change that.”

Guardiola’s flexibility, combined with UEFA’s flexible handling, helped Man City maintain optimal preparation and avoid trouble. Returning to the match against Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium, Man City won 4-1 and moved up to 4th place with 10 points after 4 matches.