Pep Guardiola on Sunday he raised the possibility of leaving the Manchester City minutes after leading him to an unprecedented fourth consecutive title of the Premier League.
“The reality is that I am closer to leaving than staying”said the Spaniard to SkyNewsbefore clarifying that there would be no immediate departure from the club he has led since 2016.
“We have spoken with the club: my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years… we will see”he sentenced.
At a press conference, Guardiola He did not give any more details than the natural fatigue after another enormous effort that ended with an extraordinary sixth title in seven years for the City.
But he assured fans that he was ready for the challenge of the final of the FA Cup next weekend against Manchester United and that he would certainly find the motivation again for the next season of the Premier Leagueas he has done repeatedly.
Guardiola was modest about his latest achievement, stating that other coaches like Alex Fergusonof the Manchester Unitedthey had achieved more than him in the past.
And he was full of praise for his rivals this season, the coach of the Arsenal Mikel Arteta and that of Liverpool Jurgen Kloppwho pressured him at all times.
“We competed incredibly well again and in the end, by a small margin, we won it, we achieved it… We have done something incredible”he stated, full of praise for his players.
“If I landed here tomorrow and they told me that in the next seven years you were going to win six Premier Leagues, I would say are you crazy? It’s the Premier League, it’s the hardest. This is the hardest for many reasons, the lack of recovery “commented on his achievement.
Praise for Klopp and Arteta, rival managers
Guardiola paid a moving tribute to Kloppwho directed the Liverpool for the last time on Sunday, saying he was a great personality who had taken him to new heights.
“I will miss him a lot. He has been very important in my life”he said about the German. “I just want to thank him for his work. He helped me with his team. He has been a great competitor in my life. It has been very difficult with him”he assured about his colleague.
Artetahis former field assistant in the Manchester Citywas another formidable rival that came to stay, said Guardiola.
He Arsenal finished just two points behind Manchester Cityafter putting pressure on him until the last day of the season. “We understood the message from Mikel and his players, we understood it”he claimed.
“We know they will be there for many years. A young coach with great talent: they sent us the message that we have to be careful in the coming years”he assured.
City players thanked Guardiola
“He’s an incredible guy. I’ve had some tough times off the pitch this season – I don’t mind saying so – and he’s helped me a lot. He’s a brilliant coach on the pitch, but he’s also helped me behind closed doors and in his office,” said Jack Grealish.
Erling Haaland, who won the Premier League Golden Boot for top scorer, maintained that Guardiola was a tough but fantastic leader.
“Sometimes he is a little demanding. He is hard, but look at what he has done. He demands a lot every day,” he explained. “If you don’t live up to what he expects, you have a big problem. He is demanding and he is a charming guy who I love very much.”
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
