Guardiola plays down talk of early Man City exit | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says he has not spoken with the Manchester City owners and directors about walking away from the club at the end of the season.

The City head coach’s current contract expires at the end of next season but recent reports have claimed that Guardiola is considering leaving the club at the end of this campaign, and that Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is being lined up as a possible replacement.

“There are not discussions,” Guardiola said when asked about his future. “End of the subject. There are not discussions.

“I will not be eternally here. I said in my second or third season here, I will not be here forever, or any of us in this world.

“But there’s not discussions. What’s going to happen is going to happen. Of course the club must be prepared for everything, for the players, for the CEOs, except the owners unless they decide to sell the club which I think is not going to happen.

“The rest, the club has to be prepared but that subject is not on the table right now.”

Pushed on whether he will definitely be at Manchester City next season, Guardiola said: “I answered that question two questions before.

“I’m here. What is going to happen, who knows that? Who knows? Whether I had a ten-year contract or a six-month contract.

“Football changes a lot so now I’m focused on West Ham and go for a few days with my dad and that’s all. Then come back for Nottingham, Sunderland, Chelsea, Brighton and all the stuff ahead of us.

“The last three or four years around this time you ask me this question.

“Sooner or later, I don’t know, at 75 or 76 I will quit Manchester City but I understand that question when I have the end of the contract but you said it perfectly, I have 18 months.

“I’m so delighted, happy, excited, about the development of the team. That is all I can say but that question happens every single season at certain points.

“I said many times, the club and myself are incredibly connected in terms of the decisions we have to take and what’s going to happen is going to happen.”