Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City's recent struggles played a part in his decision to extend his contract with the club, with City currently trailing rivals Liverpool by five points after just 11 games of the Premier League season.
The 53-year-old manager, who would have been out of contract on July 1 next year, has now agreed to a new two-year deal which will see him remain at the Etihad until 2027 – marking an 11-year tenure since his arrival in Manchester.
Despite a trophy-laden spell at the Etihad Stadium, including 18 major honours, Guardiola's new contract comes amidst a period of difficulty for City, having lost four consecutive matches across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
Speaking about his decision to stay, Guardiola said: "Now I cannot leave. Maybe the four defeats were the reason why I felt I cannot leave."
The Spaniard, who had previously been non-committal about his future, admitted he had considered leaving until recent weeks.
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He confessed: "Since the beginning of the season I was thinking a lot in the moment, I will be honest, I thought (the season) should be the last one. But in the same moment the situation comes, the problems we have in the last month, I felt now was not the time to leave. I don’t want to let the club down, I would say."
"I felt the confidence from the chairman (Khaldoon Al Mubarak) and Txiki (Begiristain) and everyone, and I had the feeling I have to do it," Guardiola said. City have dominated the Premier League for the past four seasons, with Guardiola's leadership bringing them six titles.
The pinnacle of his tenure so far was last summer when they clinched the treble by defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
"The treble was a dream come true and the Champions League, especially for this club and of course we make the four in a row which no team has done before," Guardiola added. "It has been amazing.
"But you have a past, been lessons and mistakes that we have overcome to arrive in the moment where you are more stable and more consistent. We have to recover that because right now we don’t have it and that’s the target we have to do."
The news of Guardiola’s commitment is a significant boost for City, who are awaiting the verdict on whether they will face sanctions after being accused of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules, charges they vehemently deny.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep’s journey with Manchester City will continue; allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game.
"His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large.
"This renewal will take Pep beyond a decade of coaching Manchester City and the opportunity to continue to re-write the managerial record books."
