Pep Guardiola speaks after Man City’s draw against Bournemouth (Image: Sky Sports)
Pep Guardiola insisted he will sit down and talk to his superiors at Manchester City in the coming days, with it expected he will leave the club at the end of the season. City’s title bid was brought to an end with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday night. The result confirms Arsenal are the 2025-26 Premier League champions. Just 24 hours before the match at the Vitality Stadium, the news leaked that Guardiola will leave this summer.
Questions about Pep’s future were banned pre-match but the legendary Catalan coach was put on the spot after City’s prospects of becoming champions for the seventh time under him were officially ended on the south coast. Guardiola, who has spent 10 years at City, told Sky Sports: “I can say I have one year of my contract. With the conversations I’ve had for many, many years, always from my experience when you announce – whatever you announce – during the competition is a bad, bad result.
“The first person who I have to talk to is the chairman. Because we both decided when we finish the season we will sit and we will talk. It’s as simple as that. When we finish the season, we will see and we will talk. After we will take the decision.
“I have one year of my contract, I will not tell you here but I have to talk to my chairman, my players, my staff. I’m the happiest man on the planet in this club. It is extraordinary.
“Of course, the season is over for us. We wanted to arrive in the last game with our fans [competing], but I know they will come [to the Etihad Stadium] because they’ve seen in 10 seasons really good in many, many moments.”
The 55-year-old added in his post-match press conference: “With the club, I always talk. But not now. The first thing you should understand, I have to talk with the chairman first. We will talk in the next few days.
“First, we have to talk with the chairman what we have to do. I’m fine. Now is the moment with the chairman to talk. After that we will see what happens. Next season, we will be back. City will be back. We will be competing to the end in the competitions.”
Guardiola also sent a message to Arsenal and his former City assistant manager Mikel Arteta on becoming the first Gunners side to win the league since 2003-04.
He said: “On behalf of all Man City and my team, congratulations Arsenal, Mikel [Arteta], his staff, backroom staff, all the players, fans, for this Premier League – they deserve it!
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Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Man City with a year still remaining on his contract (Image: Getty)
“That’s a question for him but I’m pretty sure it will be special. They put a lot of effort and work in. Yeah, congratulations.”
Pep elaborated in his press conference: “[I need to] congratulate Arsenal, Mikel and the backroom staff, the fans for the Premier League which they deserved.
“I would love to have arrived in the last moment. Today the fatigue was there. Bournemouth had 12 days to prepare. The impact from the fresh players was not good enough. We fought a lot and we prepare next season.”
The six-time Premier League-winning boss felt that City’s fixture list counted against them. He continued: “I would love to arrive in the last moment against Aston Villa. Today we missed that pace, situation that is required to play against Bournemouth. they are a really good side.
“The travel to London for the Chelsea [FA Cup final] game meant it was not a really good final. Our calendar in this part of the season was really tough.
“Let me talk to the chairman. I love the fans more. I love that place. Let me talk about my club. I was incredibly focused on my job.”