London, Nov 20 Head coach Pep Guardiola has extended his stay as Manchester City after signing a new contract which will see him at the club until the end of the 2022-2023 season.
"Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the club and in the city itself, by the players, the staff, the supporters, the people of Manchester and the chairman and owner. Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies and we are all very proud of that success," Guardiola said in a statement.
"The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited and about helping Manchester City do that," he added.
Guardiola's current deal was due to end at the end of the current campaign but the new deal gives him the chance to improve on the two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and the two League Cups he has won with Manchester City since joining from Bayern Munich in 2016, with the Champions League the club's main target.
Since joining Manchester City, the 49-year-old has had a transformational effect on the Club's playing style and has guided the team to eight major trophies, setting a series of significant records along the way. In total, the team has won 181 of the 245 matches under his in charge - a win rate of 73.87 per cent - winning a piece of silverware every 31 games he has overseen.
His current five-year stay is already the longest commitment he has made to a football club since becoming a manager in 2008 - and this extension will see him overtake Joe Mercer and put him second on the club's list of longest-serving post-war managers.
"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," City chairman Khaldoon Mubarak said.
"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," he added.
( With inputs from IANS )
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