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Manchester City chairman Khaldoun Al Mubarak has confirmed that Pep Guardiola threatened to quit “100 times” during his decade-long tenure as manager, adding that this time he knew the Spaniard “really meant it”.
Guardiola, 55, resigned at the end of the season Leading the club to 20 titles in 10 years, including 6 Premier League titles and one Champions League win.
He had a year left on his contract but said at his last press conference that the club needed a “new manager” and “new energy”.
Speaking in his annual interview with domestic media, Khaldoun said he was aware that the departure would become a reality, adding:
He added, according to the BBC. “Over the years I’ve always resisted it and always brought it back because I knew it was always the solution.”
Before last month’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea (1-0), Guardiola was asked if his visit to Wembley Stadium would be his last, and he replied:
But the funny way he delivered the line and his quick exit from the room raised some questions, adding to the growing speculation.
After the draw with Bournemouth on May 19 that clinched Arsenal’s Premier League title, Guardiola was asked if he would continue in charge of the team next season and said he would have to speak to Khaldoon. His decision was confirmed three days later.
“He is more than just a club manager. He is a friend to me. We’ve become close friends over the years, and I don’t know if he’ll admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist.”
He stated in his statements. “There is no doubt that we have gone through many ups and downs, and during the downturn, he has resigned 100 times in these ten years.
He continued. “As you all know, there is the story of the false shepherd. In Pep’s case, when he says, “I’m resigning,” it doesn’t mean he’s actually resigning. Don’t take it too seriously, you have to deal with it.”
Guardiola joined the Celestial club in 2016 and has extended his contract in May 2018, November 2020, November 2022 and November 2024.
“He never imagined he would stay more than four years and then more than five years,” Khaldoun said. “So he was always thinking, even in his fourth and fifth year, ‘OK, how much is left? How much is left?’ “And he always had to do it the right way.”
He added: “Surely there will come a time when it becomes real.”
Guardiola’s former assistant Enzo Maresca, the ex-Chelsea manager, has been identified as the most popular candidate to take over the job, with Al Mubarak concluding his remarks by saying:
