´If we get relegated, I will be here´, says Guardiola amid Man City charges

Pep Guardiola insisted he would stay with Manchester City even if the club is relegated as punishment for their alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Guardiola, who joined City in 2016, signed a new two-year contract extension on Friday, ending speculation over his current deal that was due to expire at the end of the season.

The deal itself will take Guardiola’s tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City’s longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.

During his time in charge, the Spaniard has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and their maiden Champions League crown last year.

He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.

However, a hearing into Man City’s 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League’s rules is also under way, but Guardiola said he will stay regardless of the outcome.

“I said that six months ago. If we get relegated, I will be here and next year we’re going to come up to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now,” Guardiola said.

He also revealed that he agreed to fresh terms at the Etihad in less than two hours.

“I felt I should stay here. Of course, because they want me. For obvious reasons, for the results and because we’ve known each other for a long time,” he added.

“All my decisions have been like that, what I feel in the moment. I don’t pre-convince, I wait. I decided to stay here and in just two hours we did it [agreed the contract].”

Legend. pic.twitter.com/gyiEZ9V3jJ

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 21, 2024

City welcome Tottenham to the Etihad this weekend on the back of four consecutive defeats – Guardiola’s longest losing run in his entire managerial career.

The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).

They have also won just three of their last 10 top-flight games against Tottenham (D2 L5) and are looking to win consecutive meetings with them for the first time since April 2019.

Despite their run of form, Guardiola was quick to point out his side’s recent success, most notably becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles.

“When you are here for nine years, with a long time at one club, you live all the scenarios, all the situations,” Guardiola said.

“You’re able to lose four games in a row, but at the same time, you’re able to win four Premier Leagues in a row.

“The difference is that most of the teams are able to lose four games in a row in different competitions, but just one team won four Premier Leagues in a row. So it happened.

“Did it happen in one season? No. When you’ve been somewhere eight or nine years, yeah, both sides of the run can happen.”