- 23 hours ago
'Too much caviar!' - Guardiola will leave Man City if he can't motivate them
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 22 Jan 2023 13:09 GMT
- 3 min read
Pep Guardiola admits he would leave Manchester City if he was unable to motivate his players with the champions five points off Arsenal's Premier League-setting pace this season.
Five points is far from insurmountable, although the Gunners could make that eight if they win their game in hand over Manchester United on Sunday.
Even an eight-point deficit could be clawed back, but City's recent performances have been a cause for concern for Guardiola.
READ: Guardiola planned to leave Man City for Barca
City were beaten 2-1 by rivals Manchester United last Saturday, and were trailing Tottenham Hotspur by two goals before a Riyad Mahrez-inspired comeback saw them win out 4-2 on Thursday.
Having also been dumped out of the League Cup by Southampton, the manager has now spoken out.
OFFICIAL: Pep Guardiola has signed a new contract at Man City until 2025 📝 pic.twitter.com/leGecFzjPU
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) November 23, 2022
Guadriola: 'If I lose the team I can't be here'
"I won four Liga titles in Spain [with Barcelona] in a row and it was not the same going for the fifth," he said. I was not starving enough - too much caviar!
READ: Stop blaming Haaland for Man City's problems!
"Real Madrid beat us to the league that year. I understand how my players feel but I am here to stop it. The chairman knows that. I want to be here otherwise I would not have signed, but if I lose the team, I lose something. I cannot be here.
"The club has to move forward. These goals we have given away like the second against Manchester United are not acceptable. Our fans want the second half against Spurs more often. This is what we have to do."
Guardiola signed a new contract with City in November, tying him to the club until 2025, and with 11 major honours since he arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016, his job is far from in danger.
His City stay is already his longest yet in club management, though - Guardiola had four years at Barcelona then three at Bayern - and the players should heed his warning if they want him to stay until 2025 and beyond.
