Pep Guardiola spoke to the media today. (Image: Getty)
Pep Guardiola has admitted he could soon be sacked by Manchester City despite signing a new contract extension this week. Speaking to the media ahead of his team's match against Tottenham on Saturday, the Spaniard was immediately asked why he chose to put pen to paper.
After initially joking and answering “the weather”, Guardiola then candidly declared that he would not be here until June 2027 if results did not improve.
“I didn't want to get to next September and everyone was asking me 'is this the end of Pep, are you going to re-sign?' he said. “The contract is there, for two years, but I know that if the results are not good, it will not be two years.”
City enter the weekend on the back of a four-match losing streak, the first time that has happened to Guardiola at one club during his managerial career. And he added that if this painful race continues, he could even disappear by January.
“I have incredible, legendary players in the team here, but we have to perform. But if we don't perform, our fans, our president, will say what is happening? We have to change. So we are all under pressure.
“It might take a month and I won't be here, if the results continue. But I think what we've done, we deserve to be here, what we've done over the last eight years, we deserve to extend the contract.
Guardiola has lost four games in a row as manager for the first time in his career. (Image: Getty)
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Despite his fears, the development almost certainly means Guardiola will still be at the club when the outcome of the case over City's 115 alleged financial fair play breaches is known. And he vowed that whatever the decision, he would not jump ship of his own accord.
“I said it six months ago. It's not because I'm extending the contract that I'm pretending how nice Pep is. I said six months or a year ago, when other clubs accused us, what would happen if we were relegated? I will be here. If we are in the Conference or elsewhere, we will reach the Premier League.
The 53-year-old also confirmed his team had suffered another hammer blow. With a number of players set to return against Spurs, it appears Mateo Kovacic has returned from unavailable international duty.
“Kovacic is injured,” Guardiola said, pontedl. “It will take some time, a few weeks or a month. John (Stones) trained well yesterday, Manu (Akanji) trained well yesterday and Nathan (Ake) is coming back. Only Ruben (Dias) is out but I 'hope it will be, I'll be back soon.'
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Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1979411/Pep-Guardiola-Man-City-press-conference