Pep Guardiola admits he wouldn’t still be at Manchester City if he hadn’t led the club to the success he has done, as he reaffirmed his stance that he won’t immediately join another club when he finally leaves the Etihad. Guardiola, who is out of contract next summer, is set to embark on his seventh season at City, with an impressive return of four Premier League titles and five other major trophies in that time. With another title defence getting under way at West Ham on Sunday, Guardiola says he remains as motivated as ever — even if that motivation may have changed from taking City to the top of the Premier League to continually improving. Asked what motivates him ahead of the new campaign,
Pep Guardiola said: “Improve the team and play better. This is the main reason I’m still here. I’m sad because we lost the Community Shield but especially because we didn’t play as much as we can do. The only thing I’m here is to make the team play better and players individually can play better. When I see the team on the touchline I want to like it. If we lose, sooner or later, the Premier Leagues. Nothing is eternal, not even this team who have done many good things in the last few years. We can improve. Otherwise when I feel with the players I have we can’t do the next step. The reason is we can do better, this is the only reason, the only one. I’m not leaving here thinking we have to win the Premier League, what happens if we lose, if we don’t win the other trophies? I know losing tournaments is more normal than winning, losing games can happen. It will happen sooner than later with us. Important is the stability of the club, to do it again as a competitor. This is the way. Since day one, since I start with the second team in Barcelona, always is like this. Everyone knows the titles are there but I’m not thinking what will happen in 11 months if we win or lose. What happens in training sessions tomorrow to go to West Ham to beat them. This is the only thing. If we win it will be genius, if we don’t we will be failures. Nothing is going to change.”
With that warning of an inevitable drop-off in success in mind, Guardiola said the trophies he has delivered so far are the only reason he remains at City, adding that his unresolved future won’t depend on City winning the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola said: “No, for that reason if I’d won the Champions League two years ago what sense should I be here now, if we won I’d have to leave. My life doesn’t depend, I’d like to do it, everyone tries to do it. It’s not an obsession, it’s a dream or target. I’m aware how difficult the opponents are and how difficult is the competition. People might say it’s an excuse but I’m not here to win it. Of course I want to, it’s the same with Munich, with Barcelona I won it twice. Every year I want to win it. I didn’t feel a failure the two years at Barcelona and three with Bayern we didn’t win. We won it but at the same time I’m not the master of the universe. We try it, we were closer last season, we try this season because we qualify last season, we try again, important teams in this country, all the clubs right now start the season with a main target to qualify for the Champions League more than win the Premier League. For the stability of club, for the prestigious of the club, many things. I wouldn’t leave in 11 months if we don’t win the CL this season. I’d be the happiest man on the planet. We want to try to do it but will not be the reason. I’m here because we won, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I have good professionals, also my friends but my friends are not stupid, it’s a business and they need results. I’m here because we won together. This is why I stay here. Mainly most of the time I’m here in these facilities, lots of hours and after I go home. I like my life and I like my job and do it with people I like. I’m happy with the staff, backroom staff. Six years. We know each other quite well. The staff I know them they know me we don’t make rules, everything is fluid. We know each other, not just the players. I can be happy with players, with the backroom staff, hierarchy. If there was trouble I wouldn’t be here seven years. Everything is fluid, I don’t keep perspective on the future. I’m pretty sure I’m happy here, if at the end if I don’t stay it’s not because I want to move to another place, if I stop it’s because I want to take a break. This is my thoughts right now.”
Ilkay Gundogan is excited that Erling Haaland gives Manchester City qualities that they have previously lacked.
Ilkay Gundogan said: “He is looking really sharp. He is scoring goals in the games that we are playing in training. He scored in his first game for us. What you can see is that he definitely has the hunger and the desire to score goals. He is enjoying that a lot and I think that is also one of his main qualities, to get himself in these positions where he is able to score and then having the right mentality to score goals. His physique that he brings to the team gives us more flexibility. We finally have someone that can go into aerial duels, so it adds a lot of value to our team. Also, off the pitch he seems like a really good guy, so obviously we are very grateful that he is here.”
