Guardiola tried to quit '100 times', says Man City chief

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Pep Guardiola finally called time on his legendary Manchester City career this season, bringing an end to a decade of unprecedented dominance in English football. While his departure sent shockwaves through the blue half of Manchester, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has revealed that the Catalan coach had actually threatened to walk away on countless occasions throughout his tenure.

The boy who cried wolf

Al Mubarak opened up about the unique psychological challenge of managing the world's greatest coach. The chairman admitted that Guardiola’s intense nature often led to emotional moments where the manager felt he could no longer continue at the Etihad Stadium before he ultimately decided to walk away from his role at the end of the season.

"Inevitably we have had a lot of ups and some downs and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years," Al Mubarak revealed. "There is the story as you all know, The Boy that Cries Wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says I quit, it doesn't mean he's quitting. You don't take it that seriously - you have to manage him."

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A friendship beyond the dugout

The relationship between the chairman and the manager was a cornerstone of City’s success, which yielded 17 major trophies including six Premier League titles and the elusive Champions League. Al Mubarak explained how their bond evolved into a deep friendship that allowed him to talk Guardiola back from the brink during those difficult periods.

"He's more than just the manager of the club," Al Mubarak said. "To me, he's a friend. Over these years we have become close friends and I don't know if he will admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist. Throughout these years, I've always fought it and always brought him back because I knew that was always the answer."

Knowing when it was real

Despite the previous false alarms, the City chief knew that this time was different when Guardiola expressed his desire to leave with one year left on his deal. The 55-year-old manager had previously signed multiple extensions in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024, but the fire that kept him going eventually needed a rest.

Explaining the final decision, the chairman added: "But in this particular one, I think he knew - and I knew that he knew - and that is why it was the right thing for him and it was the natural thing. He never thought he would stay more than four years, then more than five years. So in his mind, even year four and five it was always: 'OK, how much more time? How much more time?' And it always had to be done in the correct way. There was always going to be one moment where it was going to be real."

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The search for a successor

City are now looking to a future without their greatest-ever leader, with former assistant Enzo Maresca currently the frontrunner to take the hot seat. While the transition is a seismic shift for the English giants, Al Mubarak has urged the City faithful to remain calm as the board finalises its decision.

Regarding the appointment of a new boss, the chairman stated: "Just be patient with us. Very soon we will announce it and you will be comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible."