Pep Guardiola has opened up the prospect of staying at Manchester City beyond 2025 and completing a decade in charge of the Premier League champions.
The City boss starts his eighth season in English football in Sunday’s Community Shield match against Arsenal, the start of a campaign in which he will be aiming to help his club become the first ever to win four consecutive league titles.
But Guardiola has revealed the summer of celebrations has recharged his batteries and it is not impossible he would be open to extend his deal beyond the end of next season.
‘I signed a contract for another two years because I feel comfortable — and nothing has changed whether we won [the Treble] or didn’t win,’ he said.
Pep Guardiola has hinted he could extend his stay at Man City beyond his current deal
The Spanish boss is feeling refreshed after a summer of celebrations after City’s treble win
‘I’m happy and the people are happy, the board and the hierarchy especially, because they decide in the end which manager is going to lead this group of players.
‘If they are satisfied, I’m still satisfied. I want to defend what we won and maybe at the end of the season, if I am tired, we will talk with the club — or maybe extend more.’
The City manager has concerns, however, about the increased mental and physical pressures being heaped on players.
Guardiola is wary of the additional stoppage time that will be added to combat time wasting and the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which starts play in the summer of 2025 and could reduce top stars’ close season break to barely a fortnight.
Guardiola admits to being wary of the additional stoppages that will be added this season
‘Every pre-season is shorter,’ he said. ‘I know the end of the next season we are going to make a World Cup for the clubs in the United States of America; after finishing the season, two or three more weeks. That means the holidays will be 15 days or maybe two weeks.
‘The problem is mental. They are exhausted. Look already how many players are injured in the pre-season in bad conditions: humidity, hot, the pitches are not really good, especially in the States.
We have to adapt, adjust, but it’s not normal. It’s now, for example, every game we are going to play for 100 minutes!’
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