The future of Pep Guardiola has dominated the news cycle over the past week. City’s manager is in the final season of his current contract. What the City manager decides to do for next season and beyond is set to dominate headlines before a decision is made. But based on his comments during his pre-game press conference ahead of City’s Premier League clash with Wolves the fire still burns for Guardiola. That is good news for Manchester City. City are hoping that their manager will extend his tenure in charge of the club.
Speaking before City’s clash with Wolves Pep Guardiola explained that he still loves his job. He told the media that if he didn’t he would step away from being a manager. Guardiola explained: “I like my job, I love what I do. In terms of titles, it is done. I don’t speak on behalf of Txiki [Begiristain], but between Txiki and myself, when we arrived, we never thought we would do it in the way we have done it. But still, I like to come here every morning to work. Thinking of the messages I have to tell them, the training sessions I have to prepare. This is the reason I am a manager. If I don’t feel this, I won’t just leave City, I will not be a manager.”
Competition drives Pep Guardiola and it forces him and his team to raise their game.
There is another factor that drives Pep Guardiola. That is the competition he and his team face every season. The will to compete and prevail helps keep Manchester City and their manager at the top of the game. Guardiola’s rivalries with Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho have driven Guardiola and his team. The emerging rivalry between Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side and Guardiola’s all-conquering City side is quickly becoming the next major rivalry in Guardiola’s career.
Guardiola explained that the competition he faces makes him a better manager. He used the epic tennis rivalry between Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as a reference point to explain how competition improves him as a manager. He explained: “To be the best manager is not important. To say Djokovic is better than Nadal, Nadal better than Federer, Federer better than Djokovic. All three are exceptional. They make tennis.”
The City manager further explained his tennis analogy when he added: “Watching their finals was unbelievable. They make you feel like every shot is going to explode. For some it will be Djokovic, others will be Nadal, others will be Federer. With my contenders, it’s the same. They make me a better manager. Jurgen Klopp made me a better manager, Jose Mourinho made me a better manager, Mikel Arteta now is making me a better manager. We need that.”
Summary
Pep Guardiola isn’t talking like a manager who is set to walk away from Manchester City or management. He still thrives on the competition he faces each and every week. That drive helps him maintain his and his team’s standing in the game.
It is also clear that Pep Guardiola still loves his job at Manchester City. He said as much yesterday. Furthermore, it is clear to see everytime Manchester City step onto the pitch. It is for this reason that in my opinion it would not be a shock to see Pep Guardiola extend his stay at Manchester City. With rising challengers in Arsenal and Arne Slot’s Liverpool side the competition is still there that Pep Guardiola craves. The hope is that he does sign a contract extension in the coming weeks and continues to compete with the best managers at Manchester City.