Pep Guardiola is not making any moves to vacate his position at Manchester City any time soon. The day after his contract was extended, the Catalan coach was still fighting.
It was a sign of confidence from the club that Pep Guardiola was allowed to extend his contract again during the international break despite four consecutive defeats in competitive games. The Catalan coach wants to stay in Manchester for another two years.
“I felt that I should stay here,” Guardiola said on Friday at the pre-match press conference ahead of the home game against Spurs on Saturday: ‘All my decisions are based on how I feel at the time. I decided to stay here – and that’s why we came to an agreement in just two hours.’
Of course, nobody bought the fact that he wants to stay for another two years “because of the weather,” as Guardiola jokingly explained. “Above all, I don’t want next season in September, October, November to be called, ‘Is this Pep’s last year? Will he extend again?’ That was the main reason.”
But it is much more important for Guardiola to turn things around in terms of results as quickly as possible. In the league, they are already five points behind league leaders Liverpool. “I would like to stay for another two years, but I know that if the results aren’t good, it won’t be two more years,” said Guardiola, adding: “We have to change the situation now. We have to start winning games, we know that.”
“… and will be promoted back to the Premier League next year”
The current negative trend is not yet unsettling the 53-year-old. It’s part of the game. “When you’ve been at a club for nine years, you’ve experienced every situation,” Guardiola is convinced: “You can lose four games in a row, but at the same time you can also win the Premier League four times in a row.” But only one team has ever managed the latter feat, he says. His own.
Guardiola is also unconcerned by the 115 alleged violations of the Premier League’s financial regulations that Manchester City has been accused of. He intends to take the situation as it comes. “I said that six months ago. If we are relegated, I will stay here and get promoted back into the Premier League next year.”