Nov 22,2024
Pep Guardiola has extended his contract as Manchester City manager for a further two seasons.
The 53-year-old would have been out of contract on 1 July next year, but has now agreed a new two-year deal.
The news is a major boost to City, who are set to discover whether or not they will be sanctioned after being charged with 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules, charges they strenuously deny.
Guardiola took charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016 after enjoying great success previously as a player and coach at Barcelona. Since being with City he has won six Premier League titles, including the last four in succession.
He led City to a league, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 2023, while the club also won the Carabao Cup four years in succession under him between 2018 and 2021.
Guardiola said: "Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club. That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
"Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – the owner, the chairman Khaldoon (Al Mubarak), Ferran (Soriano), Txiki (Begiristain), the players and of course the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
"I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much. Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus."
The new contract comes at a time when City have lost four straight games – two in the Premier League, one in the Champions League and one in the Carabao Cup.
And Guardiola made reference to those when spelling out why he wanted to stay.
"Now I cannot leave," he said in an interview on the club's website. "Maybe the four defeats were the reason why I felt I cannot leave."
Guardiola has been repeatedly asked about this future in recent weeks and consistently said he did not know what the answer was. After signing his new deal, he admitted he had been considering leaving until the last few weeks.
"Since the beginning of the season I was thinking a lot in the moment, I will be honest, I thought (the season) should be the last one," he said.
"But in the same moment the situation comes, the problems we have in the last month, I felt now was not the time to leave. I don’t want to let the club down, I would say.
"I felt the confidence from the chairman (Khaldoon Al Mubarak) and Txiki (Begiristain) and everyone, and I had the feeling I have to do it."
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep's journey with Manchester City 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 of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large.
"This renewal will take Pep beyond a decade of coaching Manchester City and the opportunity to continue to re-write the managerial record books."
