Pep Guardiola hints at 10-year Manchester City extension in candid response to former assistant | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that he may not think about taking a break from management for another 10 years, speaking this week.

The Catalan coach’s long-term future has often been a subject of intrigue, particularly given the level of sustained success and intensity that has defined his nine-year spell in charge at the Etihad Stadium so far.

Pep Guardiola’s current contract runs until the summer of 2027, and while speculation over what comes next continues to swirl, the 54-year-old shows little sign of slowing down both in terms of energy and drive for more success.

It was only this past summer that City’s backroom reshuffle – including Carles Planchart’s departure – highlighted the natural evolution taking place. Planchart, who worked as a performance analyst, recently suggested the City boss may benefit from stepping away from management soon to recharge.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s clash with Everton, Guardiola was quizzed on Planchart’s recent comments in which the former analyst at the Etihad suggested the Catalan should bring an end to his stay soon.

“He’s right! But in 2035, I will start to think about it,” Guardiola responded, in what some could perceive as a hint towards another contract extension beyond his current expiry date at Manchester City of 2027.

Guardiola added, “Absolutely, I think in life it’s the best when you have a new project constantly. When you do the same for many, many decades or years or centuries, always it’s completely different. But I think, and I said many times, that comes naturally.

“It comes when the club, or in this case the manager, or the players feel it. We are not the same like we start 20 years, or 30 years, or 10 years ago. We are completely different. But that is a question of many, many reasons, and when that happens, it happens in a natural way, and especially in that club and the relation I have since with the chairman, the last person, so, so close.

‘We are incredibly honest about that, when we feel that it is the moment to make another step for the club, for everyone. But not just about me, about how many people – the backroom staff, or even my assistant coaches that left; it’s normal.

“Everyone has his own desires, wishes, and that is normal. But now I am still here in front of you!”

Pep Guardiola’s latest comments come amid a run of key updates from the manager over the last few weeks, from defending Nico Gonzalez following his error against AS Monaco, to downplaying Erling Haaland’s emotional reaction post-match.

The Manchester City boss has continued to project a sense of calm and continuity, despite the ongoing evolution within the squad and staff, taking encouragement from results but mainly the level of performance throughout the last few weeks.

Should Guardiola remain at the Etihad beyond 2027, he would mark well over a decade in charge – an unprecedented managerial tenure in modern football. With a renewed emphasis on integrating young talents, and a smooth transition in leadership on the pitch, the groundwork for a long-term future appears to be quietly taking shape.

For now, Pep Guardiola remains fully focused on maintaining Manchester City’s pursuit of domestic and European success, but his light-hearted “2035” remark may yet prove to be more than just a joke, and certainly one to watch over the course of the next 12 months.