“Three more years” – Pep Guardiola comments on coaching staff exit reports ahead of FA Cup final | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has reacted with characteristic wit to speculation surrounding potential exits among his Manchester City coaching staff this summer.

There have been reports this week that City fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor will leave the club this summer, adding further noise to an already significant upcoming summer of change at the Etihad Stadium.

The speculation arrives in the context of ongoing uncertainty over Guardiola’s own future, with the 55-year-old having delayed a decision on extending his stay beyond the current season.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, Guardiola addressed the backroom speculation in the most Guardiola way possible.

Guardiola: I’ll extend the contracts of all my assistants by three years!

Asked about the reports linking his coaching staff with summer exits, Guardiola could not resist. “No, I extend the contract of all of them, three more years,” he said, before adding with a smile when pressed: “No.”

The one-word clarification drew a predictable laugh but behind the humour lies a genuine subplot that will shape the club’s direction heading into next season.

The potential departure of long-serving members of Guardiola’s backroom team has inevitably fed speculation about the manager’s own intentions, with many reading the exits as a sign that a wider change at the top is imminent.

What is the wider context for the coaching staff speculation?

Buenaventura has worked alongside Guardiola since his time at Barcelona and is one of the most trusted figures in his staff.

Mancisidor arrived at City in 2020 and has overseen the goalkeeping department across a period that has included the arrivals of Ederson, Stefan Ortega and most recently Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The potential departures of both men could be significant indicators of what lies ahead for Guardiola himself – with the two having been among the most consistent presences in his backroom at the Etihad Stadium.

For now, Guardiola’s focus is on Wembley. The question of who will be in his technical area next season – and indeed whether he will be in it himself – is one that will dominate the summer once Saturday’s final is done.