Pep Guardiola adamant he wants Man City stay but admits: 'If I don’t win, I’m in trouble'

Pep Guardiola insists he is not thinking about walking away from Manchester City
AFP via Getty Images

Pep Guardiola insists he won’t walk away from Manchester City – even after admitting the challenge of chasing down Liverpool could be beyond his Premier League champions.

The Catalan dismissed suggestions he will quit the Etihad at the end of the season amid growing claims he is showing the strain of maintaining his incredible success with City.

Guardiola has won five out of six major domestic trophies over the past two years – but comparisons have begun to be drawn with his fourth and final season at Barcelona, which led to him taking a 12-month sabbatical.

Barca were pipped to the La Liga title by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid that year – but Guardiola is adamant Liverpool will not drive him out of English football.

He said: “If the people say ‘Do I want to stay?’ I want to stay. I don’t have any reasons to move from here.

"I am incredibly satisfied to work with this club, with these players, and if the people think I am going to resign or be sacked for these results and nine points behind, the people don’t know me.

“I like to be in this challenge. I love to be in this position. And if the club wants me next season, I want to be here 100 percent."

Guardiola’s contract runs until 2021, which will make City his longest job in management – five years.

“I want to live in this city because I know lovely people here and I want to work and live with them,” he said.

“I want to be here and if they decide the results are getting worse, they are going to take a decision, that’s normal, it’s not because I am friends with Txiki (Begiristain) that I am going to stay for the rest of my life.

“I am here because I win. If I don’t win, I’m in trouble. I know that, but I’m incredibly satisfied to work in this city and this club and I want to help this club to get better. I still enjoy working with these players a lot and I would like to stay longer. If the club wants, I will stay.”

After back-to-back titles, Guardiola goes into Saturday’s game with Chelsea sitting fourth in the table and nine points adrift of league leaders Liverpool following a 3-1 defeat at Anfield before the international break.

“Why should people think I’m not happy here?” he added. “Because we lost at Anfield or I’ve lost three games this season? That’s an odd reason to say I’m not happy or satisfied to be here.

“The real situation is 198 points in two seasons, that is exceptional.

“The first season at Anfield we had one shot on target, but the last game we made 18, more corners, everything more in the most difficult stadium in the world against an incredible opponent. That’s my job.

“The moment I will leave is when I feel my team don’t follow me to play at Anfield in the way we played.

In Pictures | Liverpool vs Man City | 10/11/2019

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“At that moment I’d say, ‘Wow, I miss my team,’ and after I would call my boss and say, ‘Guys, maybe You have to sit and think about it.’ But I don’t have that feeling.”

Guardiola admits the title may be beyond his team this season – but has challenged his players to chase down Klopp’s side.

“We don’t have a joker in our pocket,” he said. “Nine points against this team…

“But I know from all around the world (they think) the Premier League is done, so if that happens we’ll try again next season. And my players will be there.

“We have two options – give up or don’t give up. It depends on our mind. I think the way we played at Anfield especially, we are not going to give up. Maybe we won’t win, but we are not going to give up.”

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