Pep Guardiola has brought to Manchester City a period of success which is unprecedented in their history.
In the six full seasons he has been at the club, his side have won the Premier League in four of them. Bearing in mind it took him a year to acclimatise to English football, the haul of league titles and domestic cups since has been exceptional.
However, even the best of relationships grow stale. Guardiola only managed three years amongst the strong personalities at Bayern Munich, and even at Barcelona, the club which is his home, he was fatigued before his fourth season had reached its end.
Having signed on an initial three-year contract, which has twice been extended, Guardiola brought up the possibility last season that he may be feeling tired of life at City. Although the club has been moulded to accommodate him, it’s only natural that so many years at the top level will be a tiring experience for the Catalan coach.
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Conversations have been ongoing about whether he could be coming towards the end of his time at the club. Much may come down to how this season progresses. A strong trophy haul, or the Champions League success which has eluded him thus far, could see Guardiola given a new lease of life.
Pep Guardiola contract details at Man City
After three years at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola joined Man City in 2016. He signed an initial three-year contract, that would see him through to 2019.
After an initial adjustment period, he found domestic success in 2017/18, with his team racking up over 100 points as they won the league. With a year left on his contract, he signed an extension that would see him through to 2021.
He entered the 2020/21 season without having renewed his contract, and it was accepted that he could leave at the end of the season. However, a new deal was agreed, and his contract was extended until 2023.
While there’s no public figure on how much Guardiola earns, most estimates put his salary between £15-20 million a year.
The Daily Express reports his wages sit at £385,000 per week, which could make him higher paid than any of his players. In truth, his take home pay could be even more, considering the number of incentivised clauses and bonuses likely included in his contract.
Given his standing in the game, and the financial firepower at Manchester City’s disposal, it’s understandable that Guardiola would be amongst the best-paid managers in world football.
When does Pep Guardiola leave Man City?
With Guardiola’s contract set to expire in 2023, speculation has been rife on whether or not his deal will be extended again, or whether it’s time for him and Man City to part ways.
Speaking on the eve of the 2022/23 season getting underway, Guardiola said: “I wouldn’t change my life here one second. It’s seven seasons already. We spoke with the club,” he said.
“Middle of the season, end of the season, we will talk again about how we feel and decide what’s best for the club. I said many times if they want it I’d like to stay longer but at the same time I have to be sure.
“It’s not the second or third season, it’s many years already and I have to see how the players behave. I don’t want to be a problem, sometimes when you extend things and you force it it’s not good so we you have to go through it and relax.
“This kind of situation happens when it’s going to happen in a natural way. If you force it it’s not going well. We will see what happens during the season and how we feel and the best decision for the club is going to be taken.”
Guardiola left Barcelona after feeling fatigued by the demands of the job there, and only lasted the three yards of his initial contract at Bayern Munich. At Manchester City, it’s a different story.
The club was prepared for Guardiola’s arrival before he joined, and it was always clear that the decision-makers wanted him to be as comfortable as possible, so he could remain at the club for a significant period of time.
Pep Guardiola trophies at Man City
After taking over in 2016, Pep Guardiola spent some time getting used to English football, and success wasn’t immediate for him. His first year also saw him making significant changes to the City squad.
However, he soon found his feet. He won the Premier League in three of the next four seasons, as well as picking up an FA Cup in 2018/19. On top of that, he won the League Cup four seasons in a row.
In the six completed seasons since he arrived in English football, only two of them have seen another team win the Premier League – Chelsea in 2016/17, and Liverpool in 2019/20.
However, both of those clubs have also won a Champions League – unlike City. Liverpool won the competition in 2018/19, when City completed a domestic treble. Chelsea won the competition in 2020/21, beating Guardiola’s side in the final thanks to a Kai Havertz goal.
It means Europe’s greatest honour still eludes City, and Guardiola has now gone a full decade without lifting the Champions League trophy.
In the 2021/22 season, City suffered exit in the semifinals of the Champions League… but did go on to pip Liverpool to the Premier League title on the final day.
Season | Premier League finish | Trophies |
2016/17 | 3rd | None |
2017/18 | 1st | League, League Cup |
2018/19 | 1st | League, FA Cup, League Cup |
2019/20 | 2nd | League Cup |
2020/21 | 1st | League, League Cup |
2021/22 | 1st | League |
Manchester City managers
City have not been a top flight-team for the entirety of the Premier League era, having bounced between the top three levels of English football, before Kevin Keegan brought the team up in 2002.
Since that promotion, they have stayed a Premier League team, and with increased investment from their owners, the ambition at the club has increased too. Stuart Pearce, Sven-Göran Eriksson, and Mark Hughes are notable names to have managed the club.
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However, the era of modern success really began with the arrival of Roberto Mancini in 2009. The flamboyant Italian brought silverware back to City, with Premier League title. He was replaced in 2013 by the understated Manuel Pellegrini, who continued the success with another league title. He then made way for Pep Guardiola, who has made winning a habit.
Here’s the record of every City boss during their current Premier League stay.
Name | Years | Honours |
Kevin Keegan | 2001 – 2005 | First Division title* |
Stuart Pearce | 2005 – 2007 | None |
Sven-Göran Eriksson | 2007 – 2008 | None |
Mark Hughes | 2008 – 2009 | None |
Roberto Mancini | 2009 – 2013 | 1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup |
Manuel Pellegrini | 2013 – 2016 | 1 Premier League, 2 League Cup |
Pep Guardiola | 2016 – | 4 Premier Leagues, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cups |
*First Division refers to the second flight of English football, now the Championship.
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