Pep Guardiola insisted that he won’t be leaving the Premier League alongside Jurgen Klopp – and even hinted at staying at Manchester City beyond 2025.
Klopp set to leave Liverpool in the summer
Guardiola enjoying his spell at City
Might also sign a new deal with the treble winners
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the wake of Klopp’s bombshell announcement of leaving Liverpool, the spotlight turned to Guardiola who has been at the helm of City since 2016 and has a contract until 2025. Following City’s last-gasp 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham, the manager revealed that he has enough fuel in the tank to honour his current contract at City and possibly extend it.
WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
When Guardiola was asked by a reporter if he would see out his contract at Etihad, Guardiola replied: “Do you want to sack me? (With a smile). I’m fine. There’s still one more year, I want to do it – and maybe I will extend.
“I still try to manage. We can’t do more than last season but what is important is one step at a time. Players have the feeling now that we can’t lose games otherwise Liverpool will leave [us] We have to go to Anfield and be close. FA Cup and Champions League are around the corner. It’s one step at a time but I judge if my team are alive based on every single day, which you don’t have the pleasure to see. When we returned from Abu Dhabi with two days of training, I said the team was there. Don’t tell me why but they are there. They argue with each other, they want to be there. The focus they have, the way that we warm up. how they talk, how they communicate, how they celebrate now, how they celebrated Newcastle.
“Of course, we’re going to lose games but I have the duty to see how we perform, not just the result. Of course, we want to win but in the last action if they make a transition and score, should we be angry? Yeah but what can I say to the team? We controlled them and made them suffer when, in every other game they created 10 or 15 changes. Cry for a few hours and tomorrow back to business. They have done it many times. I’m surprised a little bit by my players because after what we have done they are still there. New players are involved quickly. That made me feel so proud to be part of this club.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Klopp revealed that he is tired and worn out and is seeking a break from football for at least a year. Guardiola revealed that he went through a similar situation at Barcelona, forcing him to leave the Catalan club in 2012.
“Klopp loves the game but it is nine years in the same place, the demand is so high. Every moment you think I need to breathe,” he said.
” I didn’t speak with Jurgen but maybe he feels that. Take a break, take a step back and take a perspective on everything. I understand completely. I don’t want to compare myself with him but at Barcelona I had that feeling. I needed the time to find myself.”
WHAT NEXT?
Klopp will hope to finish his Anfield stint on a high by conquering England for the second time. However, before he turns his attention to the Premier League encounter against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea on January 31, he has an FA Cup fourth-round fixture against Norwich City to deal with on Sunday.