Guardiola to sign one-year contract extension at Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is understood to have agreed to extend his contract until the end of next season.

Pep Guardiola has agreed to a contract extension to stay at Manchester City for at least another season, according to widespread reports in British media.

The City manager, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining the club in 2016. City have won six Premier League titles in seven years and secured their first Champions League.

City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old would extend his stay into a 10th season, with the deal including an option for an additional year. Guardiola also signed his two previous contract extensions at City during the November international break.

Under the Catalan coach, City became the first team to win four straight English league titles. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season – matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1999. The club also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup that same year.

The Spaniard managed boyhood club Barcelona from 2008-12 and spent three years in charge of German giants Bayern Munich, winning three league titles at each club, before joining City, who are currently second in the Premier League, five points behind Liverpool after 11 games.

After Manchester City won five trophies in 2023, Pep Guardiola was named FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 on January 15, 2024 [Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Guardiola’s City journey hits troubled waters

There had been speculation that Guardiola’s time could be coming to an end with City, with the club’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, a close ally of Guardiola, having already confirmed his departure at the end of the season.

City, meantime, face 115 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English football. Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league. The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September – when a closed-door hearing was scheduled – that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year.

The English champions return to action on Saturday, looking to snap an unprecedented losing streak for their manager, who has lost four consecutive games for the first time in his coaching career.

Hit by the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury, City’s drop in pace in the Premier League comes after defeats by Bournemouth and Brighton. They also lost 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon in their last Champions League outing and were eliminated from the League Cup by Tottenham – the team they face on Saturday.

The retention of one the most decorated coaches in football history, however, would be a huge boost to the morale of City players and fans.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies