Pep Guardiola insists he will NOT leave Manchester City this summer if they win the Treble, as the manager looks forward to the ‘challenge’ of defending their Premier League title
- Manchester City are two wins away from completing a famous Treble
- They secured their ninth ever Premier League title on Saturday after Arsenal lost
- Manager Pep Guardiola has insisted he will not leave the club this summer
Pep Guardiola insists he will not be tempted to walk away from Manchester City even if they land the Treble.
The City manager also said the club’s pending Premier League charges for financial breaches, which he wants resolved ‘as soon as possible’, will have no bearing on the length of his stay at the Etihad Stadium.
With the Premier League title in the bag and an FA Cup final against Manchester United and Champions League final against Inter Milan to come, Guardiola could become only the second manager in English football history to win the three biggest trophies available in one season.
His team still have to complete their league campaign with games at Brighton tonight and Brentford on Sunday before focusing on the two cup finals.
The chance of going out on a high, and leaving before the Premier League charges are heard, has led to speculation that Guardiola could leave this summer.
Pep Guardiola has insisted he will stay at Manchester City if they win the treble this season
The Cityzens are now just two wins away from completing a famous season in 2022/23
But he still has two years left on his deal and quashed the idea of a departure.
Guardiola said: ‘Right now I am not thinking about leaving, but who knows? But I am not thinking.
‘I would like to continue here next season independent of the results. I would like it, but I don’t know what I am going to feel, winning or losing the two chances we have ahead of us.
‘My feeling is that I have a contract, and when I sign, I want to respect the club. I will stay next season while there are 115 breaches against us. Don’t worry, we will be there.’
Guardiola urged a quick resolution to that matter, with some lawyers predicting that the case could drag on for as long as four years.
‘What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible, then if we have done something wrong everybody will know it, and if we have — like we believe — as a club for many years done things in the right way then the people will stop talking about that.
‘We would love it tomorrow, this afternoon better than tomorrow. Hopefully they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best because, in the end, I know that what we won, we won on the pitch.
‘Let’s have it as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone.’
City won a third Premier League title in a row on Saturday as Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal
Guardiola also dismissed the idea that City will be untouchable next season as ‘stupid comments’.
Asked about his movitation, he said: ‘I’m scared to lose, I don’t want to be criticised, I want respect from my players.
‘Next season will be tough because all clubs want to beat us.
‘That is the challenge. Next season, during one year we will defend our crown.
‘It belongs to us for one year and we will work for it. If they want it, they have to do it better than us.’
