Pep Guardiola has explained the role Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak played in his decision to sign a new contract with the club.
City have announced that Guardiola has penned a new two-year deal to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium to 2025. Should Guardiola see out the new deal then he will spend nine years at the club, five years longer than he has spent coaching any other side.
Pep explained that multiple factors influenced his decision, including the support he receives from the club, the players at his disposal and the happiness of his family to stay in Manchester for another two years. He also opened up on his relationship with City chairman Khaldoon, explaining that discussions over a new contract began at the end of last season but that he wasn't pressured into committing his future to the club.
READ MORE: Why Pep Guardiola decided to sign new Man City contract
"The first time we were together was six months, seven months ago, just after we won the Premier League and beat Aston Villa," Guardiola said.
"I flew to Abu Dhabi and in that moment we started the conversation. He said, 'Why don’t we try to be together a little bit longer?'. But in that moment, right after Aston Villa, was not the right moment because I should talk with my family a lot and see if the players and staff are, we are quite comfortable together, but I wanted to know after back-to-back titles how is the chemistry between each other.
"In that period, Khaldoon never pushed me again. Never told me, 'Pep, you have to do it'. He respects me a lot. It is the example of how we have been since day one.
"He gives his opinion, I give my opinion and after everyone works in the way he believes he should for the benefit of the club and the whole organisation, from the top until the bottom. Lately we decide, okay, we will do it and after the decision with the family was right, so I said let’s do it."
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