MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Into the final year of his contract at Manchester City, questions are being asked again about Pep Guardiola’s future.
The latest came after Wednesday’s Champions League game against Inter Milan, with an Italian journalist asking if Guardiola could see himself working in Italy one day.
“I love English football, it is fantastic, really enjoyable. They leave you alone to get on with the job. That doesn’t happen anywhere else,” the City manager said.
Guardiola has already stayed at City for longer than any of his other managerial jobs – and longer than many expected when he was appointed in 2016.
It will be nine years by the end of the season, compared to four at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.
“It’s a great club. I really feel good being here,” he said.
Guardiola likely knows he will never find another club like City in elite European soccer. Backed by the spectacular riches of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, he has been allowed to build a team in his image, with exorbitant amounts spent to assemble a squad that has enjoyed unprecedented dominance of the Premier League.
He has close relationships with his immediate superiors at the club – CEO Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who he previously worked with at Barcelona – and he is idolised by the supporters.
That’s a difficult package to walk away from and whenever the possibility has arisen, Guardiola has been convinced to extend his contract.
It has reached that point once again where he must decide if he has the energy or will to go on for longer.
The outcome of the hearing into more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches that was due to start this week could also be a factor.
Jurgen Klopp’s decision to stand down at Liverpool last season was evidence of the toll soccer can take on managers. For long periods he matched Guardiola stride for stride in the battle for supremacy – and even halted City’s rule when winning the title in 2020.
The intensity of their rivalry forced each man to greater heights and in January Klopp made the shock announcement that he needed a break from it all.
“It is not what I want to (do), it is just what I think is 100% right,” the German said at the time.
Guardiola did likewise when taking a 12-month sabbatical after his first job at Barcelona. He’s now been in continuous employment since taking over at Bayern in 2013 – winning league titles in all but two of those 11 seasons.
Those are the levels he has been operating at and that dominance should not be confused with an easy ride – particularly during his time in England when Klopp’s Liverpool and latterly Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have pushed City to the limits of their powers to remain at the summit.
Arteta has added a new dimension to England’s top flight by transforming Arsenal’s fortunes since leaving his role as Guardiola’s assistant to take over at The Emirates Stadium in 2019.
He takes his team to City on Sunday as the man likeliest to seize Guardiola’s crown.
City vs. Arsenal, Guardiola vs. Arteta. These are now the biggest rivalries at the top of English soccer.
Two seasons ago, Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the standings, but was eventually beaten to the title by City. No other team had spent so long in first place without being crowned champion.
Last season, Arsenal went even closer when taking the race down to the last day of the campaign, but eventually finished two points behind City.
Arteta has signed a new three-year contract, which is a statement of Arsenal’s faith in him to continue to challenge Guardiola.
Over the last two years, however, Arteta – like Klopp before him – has discovered the extraordinary levels required to topple City.
After topping the standings for so long in 2022-23, Arsenal recorded its most wins in a Premier League campaign – 28 – last season and still ended up empty-handed.
A return of 89 points was the club’s second highest in the Premier League era – one short of the 90 achieved by its ‘Invincibles’ team that won the title in 2004.
Arsenal also ended a winless run against City dating back to 2016 – taking four points from two games against its title rival and still came up short.
So there is little evidence of Guardiola wilting in the face of a fresh challenger. He won a treble of trophies, including a first Champions League for City, in 2023 and an English record fourth successive top division title last term.
City is already two points ahead of Arsenal going into Sunday’s match and the only team with a 100% record at the start of the season.
If this is to be Guardiola’s final season, he is already leading it from the front.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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