Pep Guardiola: Man City manager signs two-year contract extension

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has ended speculation over his future by signing a two-year contract extension.

Talks are understood to have accelerated during the international break, with Guardiola’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season, and City confirmed the new agreement on Thursday.

The Spaniard, who has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three EFL Cups during his four years in charge, had taken time to deliberate over his next career move, having previously left Barcelona and Bayern Munich after a similar period of time. 

“Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the club and in the city itself- from the players, the staff, the supporters, the people of Manchester and the chairman and owner.  Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies, and we are all very proud of that success," Guardiola said.

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“Having that kind of support is the best thing any manager can have. I have everything I could possibly want to do my job well and I am humbled by the confidence the owner, chairman, Ferran and Txiki have shown in me to continue for two more years after this season.

“The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited and about helping Manchester City do that.”

The extension is set to keep Guardiola at the helm until the summer of 2023, by which time he will have spent seven seasons in charge of the club, making him their longest-serving manager in 60 years.  

He is already their most successful manager, sharing a very close working relationship with City’s hierarchy, and is committed to wrestling back dominance of the English top-flight from Liverpool.

After an indifferent start to Man City’s 2020/21 season, two leading candidates for Barcelona’s presidency had publicly aired their desires to bring Guardiola back to the Nou Camp, raising further doubts over his future. However, Guardiola quickly ruled out the possibility of a return, insisting that he “hoped to stay longer” at City.

“It is testament to the qualities of the man that Pep Guardiola’s passion and intelligent approach are now woven into the very fabric of the football we play and our culture as club," chairman Khaldoon Mubarak said. "That impact has been central to our success during his tenure and it is why I am delighted that he shares our view that there is so much more to be achieved both on and off the field.

“Pep’s contract extension is the natural next step in a journey which has evolved over many years.  It is a product of the mutual trust and respect that exists between him and the entire club.  It also goes to the stability and creativity at the heart of our football operations.  Importantly it is a validation of the football structure and philosophy that has been built over more than a decade and to which he has contributed so much.

“I’m sure all City fans share my delight in this new agreement and in anticipating the exciting opportunities that, with continued hard work, are there to be taken.”

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