AfriPulse
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has revealed that departing manager Pep Guardiola considered quitting the club “100 times” before eventually stepping down at the end of the season.
Guardiola brought an end to his remarkable decade-long reign at the Etihad Stadium after winning six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League crown and a host of domestic trophies, cementing his status as one of the most successful managers in football history.
Despite the unprecedented success, Al Mubarak disclosed that the emotional Spaniard frequently contemplated walking away during difficult periods.
“Inevitably over these last 10 years, we’ve had a lot of ups and some downs, and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years, just so you know, just for the record,” Al Mubarak told the club’s media channels.
“There’s the story, as you all know, of the boy who cried wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says ‘I quit’, it doesn’t mean he’s quitting. You don’t take it that seriously; you have to manage him.
“Whenever he quits or whenever he thinks it’s time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time when I know it’s actually the real time, and we reach that. I knew it, and that’s why I didn’t fight it.”
Guardiola leaves Manchester City after winning 20 major trophies, including the FA Cup and League Cup, in his farewell season.
The 55-year-old recently admitted he no longer possessed the energy required to continue driving the club forward, bringing an end to one of the most dominant managerial eras in English football.
City Confident of Strong Comeback
Manchester City have endured a relatively difficult period by their lofty standards, failing to win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons and finishing seven points behind champions Arsenal this term.
However, Al Mubarak dismissed suggestions that City have peaked.
“We are far from peaked. We are used to it because it’s in our DNA, winning. “This is a club that is designed and built to win,” he said.
“Obviously, with the additions we’re going to make this summer, I am very confident. I think next year we’re going to come back very strong.”
Anthony Nlebem
Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.
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