Pep Guardiola says he could stay at Manchester City after the end of the season.
Coach Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of the next campaign.
Following City’s historic fourth consecutive Premier League victory, Guardiola raised doubts about his own future when he said he was “closer to leaving than staying”.
The Spaniard has been in charge of City for eight seasons and has won the league on six occasions, part of a total of 17 trophies.
Speaking to reporters in New York ahead of City’s pre-season game against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Guardiola said nothing had been decided.
“I didn’t say I was leaving,” he said.
“Nine years at the same club is an eternity. I do not rule out extending the contract. I want to make sure it’s the right decision for the club and the players.
“When I decide, I will talk to my CEO and sporting director. But I want to start the season and see how everything is going and how we are connected. Then we will see.”
Guardiola has said he hopes to be in charge of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup to be held in the United States next summer, but is unsure about the tournament itself, which is at the center of a dispute between FIFA and the main players’ unions.
City could end up playing 75 matches over the course of the season, starting with the Community Shield with Manchester United at Wembley on August 10 and potentially ending in the Club World Cup final in the United States on July 13.
Striker Erling Haaland says it is impossible for any player to be rested for so many matches.
“It’s difficult to be sharp if you play 70 games a year,” Haaland said.
“You can see at the Euros how tired people will be. Some will have a lot of vacation. You have to work with the people around you to be the best version of yourself.”
Not that Guardiola seemed to have much sympathy for the Norwegian.
Guardiola allowed City players involved in the final stages of the Copa América and Euro 2024 to choose when they would return to pre-season training because he did not want them to return exhausted.
Norway, for whom Haaland plays, failed to qualify for the Euros.
“You have to rest more,” Guardiola said of Haaland. “If he’s tired, go to bed early. Tired is an excuse.”
