Guardiola quit ‘100 times’ before leaving, says Man City chairman

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said that Pep Guardiola had considered quitting “100 times” before he finally stepped down at the end of the season.

Guardiola resigned after a decade at the Etihad Stadium during which he secured six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy.

Al Mubarak explained that, even though Guardiola achieved remarkable success, the Spanish coach often thought about resigning during the club’s low points.

“Inevitably over these last 10 years we’ve had a lot of ups and some downs, and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years, just so you know, just for the record,” he told City’s media channels on Thursday.

“There’s the story as you all know, The Boy that Cries Wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says ‘I quit’, it doesn’t mean he’s quitting. You don’t take it that seriously – you have to manage him.

“Whenever he quits or whenever he thinks it’s time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time where I know it’s actually the real time – and we reached that. I knew it and that’s why I didn’t fight it.”

Guardiola finished his tenure with 20 trophies for City, including the FA Cup and League Cup in his final season.

The 55‑year‑old stepped down after admitting he no longer had the energy to push the club forward.

– ‘Far from peaked’ –

City have not won the Premier League for two seasons and finished seven points behind champions Arsenal this term, leading to claims that the club is no longer the dominant force it once was.

Responding to the criticism, Al Mubarak said: “We are far from peaked. We are used to – because it’s in our DNA – winning. This is a club that is designed, built to win.

“Obviously with the additions we’re going to make this summer, I am very confident. I think next year we’re going to come back very strong.”

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is expected to be appointed as Guardiola’s successor shortly.

Maresca won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea and spent the 2022‑23 season as Guardiola’s assistant at City.

Asked about City’s managerial succession plan, Al Mubarak said: “What I can say at the moment is we’ve gone through a very thoughtful and structured process and the team is convinced, I am convinced, that we will bring in the right manager for this club.

“Just be patient with us. Very soon we’ll announce it and you will be very comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible.”

AFP

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