‘Difficult to find motivation’ – Guardiola casts doubts on new deal

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has raised the possibility of leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of next season.

Guardiola created English football history by leading his City team to four consecutive league titles.

This brings his personal tally to six, a number surpassed only by Sir Alex Ferguson, who has 13.

On May 25, City will attempt to become the first team to complete the domestic double in consecutive seasons.

In total, Guardiola has won 17 trophies since arriving at City in 2016.

In 2019, City became the first team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup in the same season. Last season they emulated Manchester United by winning the Treble, beating Inter Milan in Istanbul and lifting the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

“Last year, after Istanbul, I said ‘it’s over, there’s nothing left’,” he said.

“But I have a contract and I start to think ‘no one has played four games in a row, why don’t we try?’. And now I feel like it’s done, so what’s next?

“Now I don’t know exactly what the motivation is because it’s hard to find it when everything is done.”

Guardiola’s current contract expires at the end of next season, by which time he will have been at City for nine years.

Asked by Sky Sports about his future, Guardiola said: “The reality is that I am closer to leaving than staying. We spoke to the club and I feel like I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years – we’ll see.”

Guardiola said he needed to be informed by Match of the Day presenter – and former Barcelona star – Gary Lineker about the double two years in a row.

“He told me that no team has played in consecutive Premier Leagues and FA Cups,” said Guardiola, who has won 12 league titles with three clubs in 16 years as manager.

“I want my players to enjoy two or three days and then prepare for the final. Why shouldn’t we work as hard as possible to do what we have to do?”