Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has moved to quash mounting speculation about his future, insisting he is "happy" and "wants to stay" at the Premier League champions.
Contingency Plans and Succession Rumours
Reports emerged this week suggesting the club's hierarchy has begun formulating contingency plans should their long-serving manager decide to end his historic tenure at the Etihad Stadium next summer. The rumours even linked former Guardiola assistant and current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as a potential successor.
However, Guardiola, who is in his tenth season in Manchester and under contract until 2027, was unequivocal about his current stance. Speaking ahead of City's weekend clash with West Ham, the Spaniard emphasised that his future will be dictated by results and his own feelings, which he says are currently positive.
"My Business is Unfinished"
"I'm happy here, I want to stay here. What can I say? Always results decide," Guardiola stated. He acknowledged that the club will eventually choose a successor to continue their era of success, but for now, he is focused on improvement.
He pointed to the disappointing 2024-25 campaign as a key motivator, expressing excitement about the ongoing rebuild. "I'm excited because there is a margin to improve, to do it better. That is what I like," he explained. "Last season was a really, really tough season and I didn't give up and I was there. This season is much better in terms of many things I'm seeing and still I'm here."
Driven by the Challenge of Improvement
Guardiola made it clear that his drive comes from visualising how his team can progress. While City are not at the stratospheric level of their 2023 treble-winning season, they remain competitive on all fronts this term.
"In the Champions League we are fourth with two games left, in the Premier League we are (up) there and (we have) the Carabao Cup semi-final. That is what motivated me to wake up early this morning," he said.
He outlined his personal benchmark for departure: "The moment I feel that it is done and with the players I cannot squeeze more – or I can't visualise how we could do better – then I will go home. Still I have the feeling." For now, that feeling is one of commitment, with Guardiola adamant his work at the Etihad is not yet complete.
