- Catalan coach tied to deal until 2025
- Led City to Treble glory last season
- Could complete a decade of service
WHAT HAPPENED? The Catalan coach has been at the Etihad Stadium since 2016, with a seven-year reign by far the longest of his managerial career to date. He previously spent four seasons in charge of Barcelona, and three with Bayern Munich, but has enjoyed dominating the domestic scene in England. He also savoured European glory in the Champions League last season as part of a Treble triumph and says another big decision on his future will be made in the summer of 2024 – as he mulls over whether to quit or agree more fresh terms.
WHAT THEY SAID: Guardiola told reporters when asked about his plans in Manchester, with his latest deal signed in November 2022: “I signed a contract for another two years because I feel comfortable — and nothing has changed whether we won [the Treble] or didn’t win. I’m happy and the people are happy, the board and the hierarchy especially, because they decide in the end which manager is going to lead this group of players. If they are satisfied, I’m still satisfied. I want to defend what we won and maybe at the end of the season, if I am tired, we will talk with the club — or maybe extend more.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: City are readying themselves for another shot at silverware in the Community Shield on Sunday – as they prepare to face Arsenal – with Guardiola admitting that the demands placed on himself and his players are beginning to take their toll. He added: “Every pre-season is shorter. I know the end of the next season we are going to make a World Cup for the clubs in the United States of America; after finishing the season, two or three more weeks. That means the holidays will be 15 days or maybe two weeks. The problem is mental. They are exhausted. Look already how many players are injured in the pre-season in bad conditions: humidity, hot, the pitches are not really good, especially in the States. We have to adapt, adjust, but it’s not normal. It’s now, for example, every game we are going to play for 100 minutes!”
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GettyWHAT NEXT? The Premier League has revealed that, much like at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there will be more stoppage-time in domestic fixtures this season as they seek to ensure that less time is lost over the course of 90 action-packed minutes.