Pep Guardiola has confessed a contract "is just a piece of paper," less than six weeks after extending his Manchester City deal.
The Catalan coach signed an extension in November, just a few short months after a dramatic comeback on the final day of the season handed his team the Premier League title. It will be a challenge to triumph for a third year in a row, though, with Arsenal sitting seven points clear of the reigning champions after the weekend's fixtures.
City fell short at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon, going ahead through Erling Haaland only for Demarai Gray to rescue a point for the visitors. Arsenal did not suffer a similar slip when they travelled to Brighton later that day, going ahead inside two minutes and winning 4-2 to extend their lead at the summit.
"The moment I feel something is wrong, I will resign or not renew my contract," Guardiola said, per Marca. "I will not stay as [Sir Alex] Ferguson or [Arsene] Wenger.
"The contract is just a piece of paper. I extended my commitment to the club because I feel the team can still do it well under my leadership.
"In the end, it's all about the result. If we get tired of each other, I'm not going to stay until the end because of the contract."
How long will Pep Guardiola stay at Man City? Have your say in the comments section!
Back in October, before he signed his new deal, Guardiola insisted there would be no meltdown when he left the Etihad Stadium. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has been with the club since 2016 and has won four Premier League titles along with multiple domestic cups.
"There will be zero problems (when I leave)," he said. "I am 100 per cent convinced about that. They know the strategy. They know what they have to do right now, after the World Cup, next season and then the following seasons. When a club depends on one person, they have problems because the club is not solid, it is unstable.
"The foundation of the club is why the team is solid. If the club just depends on Pep, then it is not doing really well in this period. If the club depends on one player - like the striker who scores the goals - then that will not be a good team. The club are the most important words and every decision we make is because we are thinking about the club and the day after tomorrow, and for the next years and the future.”
When he agreed terms on an extension the following month, the 51-year-old spoke of the support he had from within the club. "I can’t say thank you enough to everyone at the club for trusting me," he said. "I am happy and comfortable, and I have everything I need to do my job as best as possible."
