By NewsBits
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2025. Guardiola, 51, has won 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles, during six years at Etihad Stadium.
“From day one I felt something special being here. I cannot be in a better place,” said Spaniard Guardiola. I am so pleased to be staying at Manchester City for another two years.”
He added: “I can’t say thank you enough to everyone at the club for trusting me. I am happy and comfortable, and I have everything I need to do my job as best as possible. I know the next chapter of this club will be amazing for the next decade. It happened over the last 10 years, and it will happen in the next 10 years because this club is so stable.
“I still have the feeling there is more we can achieve together and that is why I want to stay and continue fighting for trophies.” City, the current Premier League champions, are second in the table this season – five points behind Arsenal – and face RB Leipzig in the Champions League round of 16 in February.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was “delighted” to extend Guardiola’s contract.
“He has already contributed so much to the success and fabric of this organisation, and it’s exciting to think what might be possible given the energy, hunger and ambition that he clearly still has,” said Al Mubarak.
“Under his very special leadership our first team has accomplished so much, whilst continuously playing, and constantly evolving, a City style of football that is admired the world over. Like every City fan, I am looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Guardiola had successful spells as manager at Barcelona and Bayern Munich before he joined City in 2016. He is Barca’s most successful manager with 14 trophies in four years, including three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues. He then won three Bundesliga titles in a row at Bayern. Guardiola added: “Khaldoon never pushed me.
“He never told me ‘Pep you have to do it’. He respects me a lot and it is an example of how we have been since day one. He gives his opinion, I give my opinion and after everyone works in the way he believes he should for the benefit of the club and the whole organisation, from the top until the bottom. Lately we decide ‘OK we will do it’ and after the decision with the family was right, so I said let’s do it.”
