By Oyinlola Awonuga (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment, Fashion and Sports Desk)
Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year deal that will keep him at Manchester City until the summer of 2023.
The 49-year-old has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups since joining in 2016.
Guardiola told City’s website:”We have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies, and we are all very proud of that success.
Having that kind of support is the best thing any manager can have.”
The former Barcelona manager’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of this season.
Guardiola’s current five-year stay is already the longest commitment he has made to a team since becoming a manager in 2008.
If he sees out the contract, he will overtake Joe Mercer and go second on the club’s list of longest-serving post-war managers, behind Scot Les McDowall who took charge of 592 games between 1950 and 1963.
In total, City have won 181 of the 245 matches under Guardiola, a win rate of 73.87%.
Chairman Khaldoon Mubarak said: “Pep’s contract extension is the natural next step in a journey which has evolved over many years.
“It is a product of the mutual trust and respect that exists between him and the entire club. It also goes to the stability and creativity at the heart of our football operations.
“Importantly it is a validation of the football structure and philosophy that has been built over more than a decade and to which he has contributed so much.”
