ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
Pep Guardiola has put an end to speculation over his future by agreeing on a new two-year deal with Manchester City, according to a fresh report.
The Spaniard has been a resounding success since taking charge at the Etihad back in 2016 but his current terms were due to expire at the end of the season. That had led to talk that Guardiola could be ready to move on from City – even though he has insisted in recent months that he was more than happy to stay put.
That is according to a new report from The Athletic, which has outlined that the new contract is initially a one-year deal which includes an option for both parties to extend the agreement for a further 12 months. The new deal is structured in a similar way to the last agreement Guardiola penned.
The 51-year-old’s six-year stint at the Etihad is already the longest spell he’s had at a club. And he heavily hinted earlier this month that the wheels were already in motion to extend his stay in Manchester beyond the end of the season.
“[Would I] stay in another place for seven years? No, I don’t think so. It is difficult to find what I have here as a manager,” Guardiola admitted. “To be a manager for a long time you need to be so supported. The results help a lot, that is undeniable. In this world they sack you, they fire you, we know that.
“But, at big clubs, part of the success of the manager is the chairman, the sporting director especially, the CEOs and all the people here. It goes to the media, fans and players. There is stability. This is why I think only in few clubs this can happen.”
Guardiola has won four Premier League titles since arriving on these shores and has also guided Manchester City to four League Cup triumphs and an FA Cup win.
The Champions League that Guardiola and the City hierarchy crave more than anything else has, however, managed to elude him. City were losing finalists against Chelsea in the 2020/21 campaign and were knocked out at the semi-final stage last season due to a stunning last-gasp fightback from eventual winners Real Madrid.
Guardiola will be bidding to make amends this year and City have already booked their spot in the Round of 16, where they will face RB Leipzig. City have also enjoyed a strong start to the domestic season but are currently five points behind early the Premier League’s early pacesetters, Arsenal.
