Manchester City fans are bracing for life after Pep Guardiola – but it seems the Spaniard has actually stayed far longer than was first felt by those close to him.
Guardiola is now entering his final year at the club.
His contract expires in the summer of 2025, and it is thought he could decide what he will do midway through the 2024/25 season.
It will take him up to nine years at the club. He may well wish to round his time up to 10 years, or he could go when his contract is up, with his main managerial rival Jurgen Klopp having already departed Liverpool.
Pep has won all there is to win, which is why some do feel he will go.
Only time will tell, but today, an interesting claim has emerged about what Pep’s inner circle felt when he became City manager.
Pep Guardiola’s inner circle believed his first three-year Man City contract would be his last
Guardiola has been with City the longest of any club in his career so far.
He spent four years at Barcelona having initially been head coach of their B team, and then spent three years at Bayern Munich.
Pep has now done eight years at City, and it is clear he has adored his time at the Etihad, where he has been backed extremely well by the board, and loved by the fans.
It is interesting, then, to read a report from The Guardian today, which claims that Pep’s inner circle actually thought that the first three-year deal he signed at City in 2016 would be his last.
In May 2018, he signed on again until 2021. Then, in November 2020, he extended again until 2023.
That extension was viewed by his friends as his exit terms. But then in November of the 2022/23 Treble-winning season, Guardiola agreed to remain until 2025.
Pep has had everything he could wish for at City
It is quite fascinating to learn that those close to Pep felt his first three-year deal would be his last, and that they also felt he would leave the club in 2023.
Seemingly, the prospect of him staying as long as he has wasn’t particularly likely back then. Of course, he did only spend four and three years at Barca and Bayern respectively.
So perhaps the feeling was that Pep would spend a similar amount of time at City.
But it’s no real surprise that he has spent eight years at the club, which will become nine. Ultimately, he has been backed brilliantly by his superiors and everything has been in place for him to succeed.
The club has been so well run, and Pep has been given the tools to flourish. Hopefully, he will want to stretch his stint to the nice round number of 10 years.
