MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola clarified comments about his future on Friday and said he had no plans to leave the Premier League champions when his contract runs out in 2023.
The Spaniard was quoted this week telling a Brazilian financial conference that he wanted to take a break before a possible move into international football.
“I am not thinking to leave after two years,” he told reporters ahead of City’s Premier League game at home to Arsenal on Saturday.
“I can leave maybe in two months when the results are not good or the organisation is tired of me or I cannot handle better these players. I can leave in three months like I can leave in five years.
“What I said… is after my period at Manchester City I will take a break. That’s for sure. It can be in one month, in two years, three years, five years. Right now, today, I don’t have reasons to leave.”
City have their sights on Champions League success after being beaten in last season’s final by Chelsea.
“I am more than committed to this season, we are going to try to do it better, especially to play better, that is my target this season,” Guardiola said.
“So when I’m finished I’ll take a rest a little bit, because 12-13 years almost without much of a stop, I wanted to do something else. And after that maybe a new team or a national team if someone wants me.
“But I didn’t say in two years I’m going to finish my career in Manchester City.”
The 50-year-old Spaniard arrived in Manchester in 2016 from Bayern Munich.
He took a sabbatical between leaving Barcelona in 2012 and joining Bayern in 2013.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)
