Pep Guardiola feels his work at Manchester City is not yet complete after signing a new deal with the club.
The Catalan coach, the longest serving Premier League manager, penned a new two-year contract extension with City this week. By the time his contract is up in 2026, he would have spent more than a decade as manager at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola has led the club to remarkable achievements during his eight-year tenure, having won 18 major trophies which include six Premier League titles and one Champions League. “I felt I could not leave now, simple as that,” he explained after signing the new deal.
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“Don’t ask me the reason why. Maybe the four defeats were the reason why and I felt I cannot leave. I felt the club still want me or had the fact that we were together and that’s the reason why we sign.”
Despite winning 354 games out of the 490 matches in charge, Guardiola admits his job is far from finished. “Firstly it’s because we won a lot otherwise you do not stay 11 years not even here in a place where I feel love,” he added.
“Here is a business and you have to win and have a contract but I know if you don’t win maybe I would not continue. It’s just the feeling the moment now will feel it’s done, the club know it and that moment did not feel. I enjoy being here. I like my job. I like being the manager of this club.
“I said many times from many many years ago, the moment I will not have that feeling, even under contract, I will ring my chairman and CEO and say the best for the club right now is I have to leave. I don’ have that feeling right now and that’s why I extended a little bit longer.”
The 53-year-old has suggested being proud of City’s success over the years. “I think the hierarchy is so stable, the club is so, so stable in many departments and everyone knows the quality of the players we have in this decade – nine, ten, eleven years,” he explained.
“I don’t forget my first season here with the players, I had in that moment so that helped me a lot to understand the club, the team, the Premier League and many, many things and all of them were involved. I didn’t have the feeling that the reason why is a specific reason – there are many the reasons why we have a lot of success.”
