According to rumours, Pep Guardiola won’t be leaving Manchester City this summer. The Spaniard will complete his remaining two years of employment at the Etihad but is unlikely to sign a contract extension past 2025.
Guardiola has been in charge of City for seven years, which is the longest tenure as a manager he has ever had. Prior to his four years in command of Barcelona, he had never led a team for so long.
Under Guardiola, City have had extraordinary success. They have won four League Cups, two FA Cups, five Premier League championships, and on Saturday they finally completed their wait for a Champions League crown.
City became only the second English team, after Manchester United in 1999, to accomplish a historic triple with the 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul. City supporters have been worried that Guardiola would retire following the season of their dreams.
The Times, however, claims that won’t be the case. Guardiola will remain for the following two seasons, dealing a blow to rival organizations.
As City looks to build on a very spectacular campaign, he will continue to receive support in the transfer market. According to the article, Guardiola’s chances of signing a new deal are slim.
If Guardiola stayed until 2025, his tenure at City would total nine years. After taking a year off during his time at Barcelona, he spent barely three years in control of his previous club Bayern Munich.
One of the Premier League’s managers with the most experience is Guardiola. The only other manager to have stayed at one team longer than the 52-year-old is Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
According to the report, Guardiola aspires to manage in Italy someday. However, he currently has no viable options in Serie A.
Following Saturday’s final victory over Inter, Guardiola criticized UEFA and FIFA for their scheduling of matches. Some City supporters were alarmed by his admission that he has not yet considered his plans for the upcoming season.
“Right now I don’t have any energy to think about the next season – it is impossible,” Guardiola said to BT Sport. We all need a break; the season has gone on for too long.
“Honestly, UEFA and FIFA, think about it. The majority of these individuals play for their national teams. How long ago did they finish the Premier League? They had played far too many games when they return from their vacation.
“These players will have two or three weeks off before the next season begins. It’s too much when we demand, push, and push them.
