Pep Guardiola. (AP Photo)
Amid the charges Manchester City face over alleged breach of the financial fair play rules, the Spanish mastermind suggested that he would defend the Mancunian side, who have treated him with love and respect since his arrival on the English shore.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola opened up on his affection for the Premier League side he has helped revolutionise amid the 115 charges the club faces over the alleged breach of financial fair play rules.
The verdict on the same is expected to come in around the year 2025, but the Spanish mastermind suggested that he would defend the Mancunian side, who have treated him with love and respect since his arrival on the English shore.
“I’m part of this club, deep inside of my bones. I am the manager, the person at the club who talks more through all the media, to send messages to fans,” Guardiola said.
“And, of course I am going to defend my club, I trust them, the owner, the chairman, the CEO, and all the people working here, for many, many years,” he continued.
“I know them quite well, much more than any of you. Of course there are situations in the eight and nine years, some of them expected, some of them more tough to deal with. No complaints. You do what you have to do,” he added.
The fans of the PL side have commissioned a banner requesting the 53-year-old to extend his stay with the champions by penning a contract extension. The banner is set to be unfurled during City’s home game against Fulham on the weekend at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola joked about paying the bill for the banner, which has the request for the genius to sign a contract extension printed in his native tongue of Catalan.
“They have to give me the bill so I can repay them for the banner. What can I say? Thank you so much. I felt so much love since the first day I came here,” Guardiola said.
“I love this club and it will always be that way. It cannot be different from the way they treated me from day one,” he reflected.
However, he side-stepped the question of contract extension by stating, “I said in the beginning. I am not going to talk about this subject. When it is going happen, it is going to happen,”
Manchester City face a gruelling season competing on multiple fronts including the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, following the governing body’s urge to the competing sides to field their best outfit at the pan-continental showpiece.
“We will go with all the squad. We don’t go for one game right? I don’t understand how this player is stronger than the other,” Guardiola said.
“Maybe the stronger player for them is in really bad conditions. I’m not going to tell them before which players will play. I will decide,” he signed off.