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Pep Guardiola Addresses Man City Exit Rumors Following Bournemouth Draw

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PEP GUARDIOLA has not confirmed whether he will depart from Manchester City at the season’s conclusion.

The Sky Blues manager faced further questions about his future following tonight’s 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth – a result that secured Arsenal their first title in 22 years.

Tonight’s battle at Bournemouth may be Guardiola’s penultimate match as Manchester City manager
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Only Sir Alex Ferguson with 13 titles, has claimed more Premier League championships than Guardiola’s six
Credit: Reuters

This came just a day after rumors surfaced suggesting he will exit the Etihad this summer.

While Guardiola stated he has one year remaining on his contract, he refrained from committing to anything beyond that.

When asked directly about the next chapter of his tenure at City, Guardiola replied: “I would say that I have one more year of my contract, and the conversations I have many, many years – whatever you announce… during the competition is a bad result, and the first person I have to talk to is my Chairman.

“When the season concludes we will see, and afterwards we will make a decision.

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“I have one more year on my contract, and I won’t share details here as I need to speak with my Chairman, players, and staff because when we strive for the FA Cup, Champions League qualification, and Premier League success, my sole focus is on achieving the team’s highest potential. That’s what we’ve accomplished.

“I’m the happiest man on the planet to represent this extraordinary club.

“Certainly when this season concludes for us, we aim to connect with our fans in the last match. I know they will support us, and in ten seasons they’ve been fantastic in many moments, which is what we need to continue until the end.”

The draw dashed City’s championship aspirations.

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Guardiola might be ready to bid farewell after Sunday’s match against Aston Villa
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Brought back by Eli Junior Kroupi’s goal in the 38th minute, the Citizens responded in stoppage time with Erling Haaland, but it wasn’t sufficient to secure a victory.

Although we have yet to hear from Guardiola directly, the upcoming days will certainly heighten speculation that Sunday’s match at home to Aston Villa could be Guardiola’s final appearance in the Etihad dugout.

When asked prior to the match if the speculation affected him personally or disrupted preparations, Guardiola curtly responded: “Zero. Absolutely zero!”

According to reports, should he depart, his former assistant and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is poised to take over.