Earlier than final month’s FA Cup remaining victory over Chelsea, Guardiola was requested whether or not the go to to Wembley Stadium could be his final. He replied by saying “no means”, and that he had “yet another 12 months [on his contract]”.
However the playful means through which he delivered that line and his fast exit from the room raised a number of eyebrows, including to the mounting hypothesis.
Guardiola was requested after the draw at Bournemouth on 19 Could whether or not he would nonetheless be in cost subsequent season and he replied by saying he needed to speak to Khaldoon. His resolution was confirmed three days later.
“He is extra than simply the supervisor of the membership,” mentioned Khaldoon. “To me, he is a buddy. Over these years we now have change into shut mates and I do not know if he’ll admit it, however I think about myself his psychiatrist.
“Inevitably we now have had lots of ups and a few downs and within the downs, he should have give up 100 instances over these 10 years.
“There may be the story as you all know, The Boy that Cries Wolf. Within the case of Pep, when he says I give up, it doesn’t suggest he is quitting. You do not take it that significantly – you must handle him.”
Guardiola joined the membership in 2016 and signed contract extensions in Could 2018, November 2020, November 2022 and November 2024.
Khaldoon mentioned: “He by no means thought he would keep greater than 4 years, then greater than 5 years. So in his thoughts, even 12 months 4 and 5 it was at all times ‘OK, how rather more time? How rather more time?’ And it at all times needed to be executed within the right means.
“There was at all times going to be one second the place it was going to be actual.”
