Pep Guardiola has reiterated his promise to stay at Manchester City even if the club is relegated as punishment for their alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Guardiola signed a new two-year contract this week to extend his stay as City manager to more than a decade, ending speculation over his current deal that was due to expire at the end of the season.
The 53-year-old has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League while at the Etihad, although is experiencing his toughest period having lost four consecutive games.
A hearing into Man City’s 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League’s rules is also under way but Guardiola insists he will stay with the club regardless of the outcome.
“You have my interviews here that say the same, so not because now I extend the contract and pretend to be, ‘Oh how nice is Pep?’,” said Guardiola ahead of Man City’s fixture against Tottenham on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
“I said six months ago, one year ago when all the clubs accused us of having done something – what happened if you got relegated? I will be here. I don’t know the position of the conference they’re going to bring us, we’re going to come up and come up, we’re going to come back to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now.”
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Guardiola, who revealed his contract negotiations were concluded in two hours, said: “I felt I should stay here because they want me – for obvious reasons, for the results.
“Sometimes something can ignite in yourself to say that is the moment to stay here. In just two hours, we did it.
“Maybe I am a little bit arrogant but I think we deserve to continue for what we have done in the last years.
“But I’m not naive enough to think I am going to stay because we have a contract or what we have done in the past. Maybe in a month I am not here if the situation is not going well. We have to do it again.”
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Pep Guardiola is not happy with England’s treatment of Man City’s U21 players, saying Max Alleyne was pushed too hard and has returned injured
Meanwhile, Guardiola has voiced further frustration with his side’s lengthy injury list and specifically the impact of international football on the situation.
City, who host Tottenham this weekend, have lost their last four matches in all competitions with a high number of absentees being a contributory factor.
Mateo Kovacic is the latest casualty, facing up to a month out with a knock sustained on international duty.
Defenders John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake are all close to returning but Guardiola underlined his exasperation by highlighting the case of a non-first-teamer in 19-year-old Max Alleyne.
Guardiola, who was irked recently when England called up an injured Jack Grealish, said: “Max Alleyne – they pushed his limits and he came back injured.
“They should be more in contact, national teams with the specific doctors from here because if one player goes not in a perfect condition and trains with the under-21s in the morning and in the afternoon with the under-20s, and then plays two games when not fully fit, it’s normal that he is injured. We will lose him for three weeks to one month again.”
Man City’s next five Premier League fixtures
November 23: Tottenham (h) – live on Sky Sports
December 1: Liverpool (a) – live on Sky Sports
December 4: Nottingham Forest (h)
December 7: Crystal Palace (a)
December 15: Man Utd (h), live on Sky Sports
