Wednesday’s news is the renewal of Pep Guardiola with the Manchester City until 2027. The Spanish manager, among other things, should not have any termination clause in the agreement in the event that the Sky Blues were relegated for financial wrongdoing in the Championship. It had been in the air for several days now, but the official announcement had not yet arrived and so on the evening of November 21st, the English club published this statement on its official website: “Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City . With the new deal, the Catalan will have spent more than a decade as City manager. Guardiola’s time at City is filled with success. He has won 18 major trophies so far, including six Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League. By winning the Premier League last season, City became the first men’s team in the history of English football to win four consecutive top-flight titles. And the previous season had seen Guardiola lead City to a magnificent treble Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, in what was the most important season in our 130-year history. Under his leadership, City also became the first team in Premier League history to reach 100 points in one single season (2017/18) and the first in English football to win all four domestic trophies (2018/19). His overall record is remarkable. In all competitions, he won 353 of the 490 matches he oversaw, giving him an exceptional win rate of 72%, with City scoring 1,200 goals during that period at an average of 2.45 goals per match . Guardiola’s 490 games in charge of the team mean that only Les McDowall, who managed 587 between 1950 and 1963, is ahead of Pep in the Club’s all-time list of most games managed. There is now a possibility that Guardiola, the Premier League’s longest-serving manager, will surpass McDowall’s total before the end of next season, given our involvement in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.”
Pep Guardiola he commented on the news on the official channels, thus making all his joy visible on the outside: “Manchester City means a lot to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many fantastic moments together. I have a truly special feeling for this team. That’s why I’m so happy to stay for another two seasons. Thank you all for continuing to trust me and support me: the owner, the president Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and of course the fans… All of them. linked to Manchester City. Always has been an honor, a pleasure and a privilege to be here. I’ve said it many times before, but I have everything a manager could want and I really appreciate it. I hope we can now add more trophies to the ones we’ve already won my goal.”
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach explained the reasons that led him to stay: “I felt that I couldn’t leave now, it’s simply like that. Don’t ask me why. Maybe the four defeats were the reason and I felt that I couldn’t leave. I felt the club still wanted me or the fact that we were together and that’s why we signed. Only McDowall has more games on the bench at City in the first place? otherwise, you don’t stay for 11 years not even here, in a place where I feel loved. Here it is a business: you have to win and have a contract. I know well that, if you don’t win, you probably won’t continue that it’s over, the club will know it, but that moment hasn’t arrived yet. I like being here, I like my job and I like being the manager of this club. I’ve said it many times, for years: when will it come moment when I will no longer have this feeling, even if underneath contract, I will call the president and the CEO and say: ‘For the good of the club, it is better for me to leave’. But right now I don’t have that feeling, and that’s why I decided to stay a little longer. The reasons behind our successes? I think the stability of the leadership is incredible; the club is extremely stable in many departments, and everyone knows the quality of players we have had in this decade – nine, ten, eleven years. I don’t forget my first season here and the players I had at that time, who helped me a lot to understand the club, the team, the Premier League and many other things. Everyone was involved. I don’t think there is a single specific reason for our success; there are many reasons which, together, have led us to achieve so many results.”
The president was also beaming Khaldoon Al Mubarak: “Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep’s journey with us will continue; allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game. His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our Club and the English game in general. This renewal will lead to Pep remaining Manchester City manager for over a decade and the opportunity to continue to rewrite the managerial record books. “.