Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has revealed that Pep Guardiola threatened to quit “100 times” during his decade-long tenure as manager, comparing the empty threats to Aesop’s fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Guardiola left the club last month after 10 successful years, during which he secured 17 major honours.
Mubarak, who described himself as Guardiola’s “psychiatrist”, said he was instrumental in convincing the manager to stay on multiple occasions. “When he says ‘I quit’, it doesn’t mean he’s quitting,” Mubarak explained. “You don’t take it that seriously, you have to manage him.” Guardiola initially signed a three-year deal and agreed four extensions, but was hesitant each time.
The chairman noted that he always knew when Guardiola genuinely intended to leave. “He knew – and I knew that he knew – and that’s why it was the right thing for him,” Mubarak said. “I did not fight this at all because I knew this was the time he meant it.” Enzo Maresca has been lined up as Guardiola’s replacement.
Mubarak also addressed speculation about striker Erling Haaland, following a stunt by Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme, who held up a Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name on it. While City have threatened legal action, Mubarak praised Haaland as a “leader” and a “goalscoring machine”. He expressed confidence that City will continue to win titles, stating: “We are far from peaked.”
