"We are going to come up and come up and come back to the PL" - Guardiola vows to stay at Manchester City even if they are relegated
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has promised to stay at the club, even if they get relegated. This comes amidst rumors that the Cityzens might be forced down the tiers of English football if they are found guilty of financial irregularities.
They are currently facing a whopping 115 charges from the Premier League, following long-term investigations into their books and financial records. While the club have remained adamant about their innocence, a guilty verdict could even see them get relegated.
Despite these ongoing issues, Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester City. In a press conference afterward, he made it clear that he would stay at the club irrespective of what happens in the future. He said (via Irish Independent):
“I said six months ago, not because now I’ve extended my contract. I said when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, (and people asked) what happens if we are relegated, (I said) I will be here.
“Next year, I don’t know the position of the Conference they are going to (put) us, (but) we are going to come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I knew it then and I feel it now.”
About his decision to renew his contract with Manchester City, Guardiola added:
“Sometimes something can ignite in yourself to say that is the moment to stay here. In just two hours, we did it. Maybe I am a little bit arrogant but I think we deserve to continue for what we have done in the last years.
“But I’m not naive enough to think I am going to stay because we have a contract or what we have done in the past. Maybe in a month I am not here if the situation is not going well. We have to do it again.”
The manager will hope he can continue to find success at the Etihad Stadium, having led them to four Premier League titles in a row. In the meantime, they have an upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad in the league on November 23.
What are Manchester City's 115 charges about and when will the case conclude?
Manchester City have been charged for breaching the Premier League's financial fair play rules across a nine-year period. The timeframe of the accusation sits between 2009 to 2018.
According to the Daily Mail, 54 of those charges are due to "failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information." Another 14 charges are because they did not "provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation. Among others, 35 charges are for their "failure to cooperate with Premier League investigations."
The trial for all the charges started on September 16 and is expected to conclude by the summer of 2025.
