London (AFP)
He embodies the beautiful game "à la Barcelona" and has set himself the mission of bringing European triumph to Manchester City: Pep Guardiola extended his contract as coach of the English club on Thursday until June 2023.
"Manchester City are pleased to announce that Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract with the club," the Citizens wrote in a midday statement, ending a facade of suspense.
On the side of the club as the coach, the desire to continue the adventure started in 2016 had been expressed many times.
Neither the loss of the league title last season after two consecutive coronations (2018 and 2019), without ever having managed to really upset Liverpool, nor the painful elimination in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Lyon (3-1) had seemed to weaken the link between the institution and the man.
At 49 and in just over four years, the Catalan has left his mark on the club, which has not hesitated to put its destiny entirely in its hands.
With football director Txiki Begiristain and president Ferran Soriano, he forms a real "Barça-connection" at the heart of the Emirati club.
- Devouring thirst for success -
Trained in the Catalan club, where he played for 11 years as a midfielder (1990-2001), it is also there that he switched to the coaching career (2008-2012).
A first experience already crowned with three championship titles (2009-2011), two Spanish Cups (2009, 2012) and above all two Champions League (2009, 2011).
Before arriving in the north of England, he had made a detour through Bavaria and experience at Bayern Munich rich in titles - three championships and two German Cups in three seasons.
A devouring thirst for success that he was able to transmit to City.
He "led the team to eight major titles (two league titles, an FA Cup, three League Cups, two Community Shields, editor's note)", but above all he "transformed (his) style of play" , underlined the club in its press release.
The philosophy of his City is inspired by that of Barça in its main lines: a pronounced taste for possession of the ball, a big pressing and a very elaborate collective game.
But Guardiola also likes to experiment with endless tactical variations, requiring players with great versatility and a keen sense of adaptation that only a wealthy club like City can offer him.
- "Continue to improve" -
He has a match winning rate of almost 74% with the English club, similar to what he had already achieved with Barcelona (72.5%) or Bayern (75.2%).
He set some records that could last, for example becoming the first manager to reach 100 points in a Premier League season in 2017/2018, the year his team had also been the most prolific in history with 106 goals scored.
"The challenge for us will be to continue to improve and evolve, and I am very motivated to help Manchester City in this," he said in the statement.
Because, more than recognition for services rendered, this extension will be an opportunity for the Catalan to try to erase this little taste of unfinished business linked to his repeated failures in C1.
Since the two trophies with Barcelona, he has regularly failed in his quest for European glory, sometimes with strong strategic choices fiercely discussed afterwards.
"That's what I'll be judged on. If we don't win (the Champions League) in my last period here, then I will have failed here. I know that," he said in February.
With this new contract, he has given himself three chances - the current season and the next two - to overcome this curse and finish convincing the handful of skeptics who do not see him as the best coach in the world.
© 2020 AFP