Pep Guardiola declares he will stay at Man City even if they are relegated to the CONFERENCE

By ROHITH NAIR, REUTERS 14:08 22 Nov 2024, updated 17:13 22 Nov 2024

• Pep Guardiola says he will remain at Man City until the end of his new contract 
• Guardiola has signed a two-year extension to keep him at City until 2027 
• Will Ruben Amorim be Man United's saviour? LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he would stay to the end of his contract with the Premier League champions even if they were relegated, a day after he signed a two-year extension that will keep him at the club until 2027.

Guardiola, who joined City in 2016, has won 18 trophies with the club including six Premier League titles and their first Champions League.

City are embroiled in a hearing over alleged breaches of the league's financial fair play rules, however, which could potentially see them face points deductions, a fine and relegation if found guilty.

Guardiola has always defended City, saying that he trusts the owners, and the Spaniard said relegation would not cause him to leave the club.

'I said six months ago, when all the clubs accused us to have done something wrong, what happened if we are relegated - I will be here,' Guardiola told reporters ahead of Saturday's home game against Tottenham Hotspur.

'Next year, if we are in the Conference we will come up to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now.'

Guardiola said he had agreed a new deal in 'just two hours' and when asked why he signed a two-year extension, he joked saying it was because he liked the Manchester weather.

'It's a good question. I don't want next season in September, October, November, 'It's the last year of Pep'. I don't want to be in that position,' he added.

'I would like to stay for two years but I know if the results are not good it will not be two years.'

Guardiola lost four matches in a row for the first time in his managerial career, before the international break, but he brushed it aside saying they are also the only club to win four league titles in a row.

'When you are here eight or nine years, you live all the scenarios and situations. You are able to lose four games in a row. At the same time, you are able to win four Premier Leagues in a row,' he said.

'The difference is most teams are able to lose four in a row in different competitions but just one team won four Premier Leagues in a row. Both sides of the coin can happen.'

But with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri sidelined for potentially the rest of the season, Guardiola was dealt another blow with Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic suffering an injury on international duty.

'It will be a while, three weeks or a month, more or less,' Guardiola said.

Ruben Dias remains sidelined while John Stones and Manuel Akanji have resumed training. Nathan Ake is also set to return to training