Pep Guardiola stood in front of the cameras and spoke calmly, but his words carried weight, reassurance, and a quiet message to Manchester City fans who have been worried about one thing more than anything else. The future. Rumours had been flying. Questions had been growing louder. Whispers about Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City had started to feel familiar again, like an old fear that never fully goes away. But on this night, Guardiola chose to speak clearly, honestly, and from the heart.
He said he wants to stay at Manchester City for as long as possible.
Those words alone were enough to calm many nerves, but Pep did not stop there. He went deeper. He spoke about feelings, motivation, unfinished business, and why trophies alone have never been the reason he wakes up in the morning. With 18 months still left on his contract, Guardiola dismissed talk that he could walk away at the end of the season. In fact, he even suggested that he could still be in charge at the Etihad as far ahead as the 2027/28 season.
For Manchester City supporters, that sounded like music
Guardiola arrived at City in 2016 and changed everything. changed how the team plays, how the club thinks, and how success is measured. League titles, domestic dominance, European glory, records broken, standards raised. He has done it all. And yet, despite winning almost everything possible, he insists he is not finished.
He admitted openly that he has already achieved everything in terms of trophies. There is nothing left to prove. No medal missing from the collection. No personal record left untouched. But still, he feels excited. Still, he feels alive in the job. Still, he feels that pull when he walks onto the training pitch every morning.
What keeps him going is not silverware. It is the players. It is the daily work. It is the process of improving individuals and shaping them into a stronger collective. Guardiola said he still enjoys seeing players grow, seeing them understand his ideas better, seeing the team evolve through the season. That feeling, he explained, is why he remains hungry.
Manchester City’s current position in the league adds another layer to his motivation. After a shaky start to the campaign, City now sit just two points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. Slowly, steadily, the machine is warming up again. Guardiola has always believed that the team that grows best during the season is the one that wins the title. And once again, City look like a team finding their rhythm at the right time.
Inside the club, preparations for life after Guardiola have always existed. That is nothing new. For almost a decade, City have planned for the possibility that Pep might leave at any moment. That is simply the reality when you have a manager of his stature. But this time, there is a different feeling around the training ground. Those close to the club say Guardiola has new challenges, new motivation, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Last season tested him more than most people realised. City’s form dropped badly at one point. Confidence dipped. Performances fell off a cliff. Many managers would have cracked under that pressure. Many would have checked out mentally. Guardiola did not. He stayed. He fought. He refused to give up. He reminded everyone of that when he spoke. Last season was really, really tough,” he said. “And I didn’t give up. I was there.”
Those words matter. They show commitment. They show pride. They show a man who does not walk away when things get difficult. This season, he says, feels better in many ways. He likes what he sees on the pitch. He likes what he sees in training. Most importantly, he likes how he feels inside.
Guardiola has always said his future depends on one thing above all else. His feelings. Not trophies. Not contracts. Not pressure from outside. If he ever feels he can no longer motivate his players, if he ever feels his message is no longer getting through, that is when he will leave. That principle has never changed since the day he arrived at City.
And right now, his feeling is good.
He admitted that feelings can change. He is honest enough to say he does not know what the future holds. But in this moment, he feels connected to his players. He feels challenged. He feels invested. And because of that, he wants to continue for as long as possible.
There are still things driving him forward. Guardiola has enjoyed the chance to rebuild parts of the squad again, bringing in young talent and shaping them in his image. Players like Rayan Cherki, Nico Gonzalez, and Nico O’Reilly represent the next phase of the project. New ideas. New energy. New problems to solve.
For Pep, rebuilding is exciting. It gives him purpose. It keeps him sharp.
He also spoke about the idea that winning trophies is not what truly motivates him anymore. Of course, he wants to win. Of course, he wants the Premier League and the Champions League. But that is not why he wakes up early, studies training sessions, and obsesses over details. Winning, he said, is just the reward at the end.
What really drives him is the journey.
The daily work. The improvement. The small steps forward. Seeing the team understand his ideas better. Watching players grow in confidence and intelligence. That is where his satisfaction comes from. He described the moment of lifting a trophy, enjoying a parade, receiving praise. Then, two days later, it is over. The question becomes, “What’s next?” That is Pep Guardiola in a sentence. Always looking ahead. Always restless. Always searching for the next challenge.
He also made it clear that external issues, including the charges hanging over the club, are not what will decide his future. Those are not what keep him awake at night. His decision will always come down to whether he feels useful, motivated, and capable of pushing the team forward.
For Manchester City fans, this message was powerful. It was reassurance in uncertain times. It was a reminder that Guardiola is not someone who stays out of comfort or leaves out of fear. He stays because he believes. And he leaves only when he feels it is time.
There has always been talk about Guardiola wanting a break one day. Wanting rest. Wanting to try international football. Those ambitions still exist somewhere in the background. He has never hidden them. But for now, they are not loud enough to pull him away from Manchester.
Instead, he sees a team still growing. A title race still open. A project still alive. The Etihad remains his home. The training ground remains his playground. The players remain his responsibility.
Pep Guardiola has not set a date for his departure. He has not hinted at a farewell. He has not closed any doors, but he has made one thing clear. He is still here. He still cares. And he still feels that Manchester City have unfinished business. For a club that has been shaped so deeply by one man, that matters more than any headline or rumour.
As the season continues and the pressure rises, Guardiola’s words will echo louder. Every win will feel like confirmation. Every setback will test resolve. But for now, Manchester City move forward with their leader still at the helm, driven not by fear or obligation, but by feeling.
And as long as that feeling remains, Pep Guardiola is not going anywhere.
