Pep Guardiola says he would not have been able to forgive himself if he had walked away from Manchester City in the most testing period since he took charge.
Guardiola takes the reigning champions to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday, aiming to improve on the 2-2 draw with Brentford last time out.
The City head coach has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles, in less than nine years at the club. He ended uncertainty about his future by signing a new two-year contract last November after a run of four consecutive defeats.
But City's form continues to suffer and they sit in eighth place ahead of Sunday's clash with Ipswich.
“Sometimes we don't appreciate or undermine the fact that we are suffering. That's life,” Guardiola told Sky Sports News.
“People always think that we have to be happy all the time, we have to show on social media how happy we are. That's a mistake, life always goes up and down and if it happens, it happens, and of course it does .” a big challenge.
“I'm here, so if I feel like I can't cope, the club wouldn't forgive myself if I said I'm leaving now. I wouldn't forgive myself.”
“Absolutely, that doesn't mean it will recover. I don't know, but at least I won't regret for a second that I didn't try it. Not for a second. And I work and I try to do it. Not for a second, impossible.
“I think the majority of players want to do it. The majority of players want to try because I know how they run and how they suffer. But suffering is part of life, it's never perfect. That's life itself .
“You can't win all the competitions you play for just one reason: because it's impossible! Even for me it's impossible. But in terms of the whole period I've been here over 500 matches, 485 or 490 were a dream comes true, was a paradise.
“We may have had one bad season, or two bad seasons, that's what happens in life. So we overestimate success in life too much, too much. We're trying to get back with the club and we'll do our best doing.”
Pep: Haaland can 'visualize' his future at City
City have been given a huge boost ahead of Sunday's match with the news that Erling Haaland has signed an extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, the longest contract in the Premier League and one that will see the striker join the club until 2034.
“When Ferran (Soriano, Man City CEO) told me, I said: 'Sorry, can you tell me again!?' Because I couldn't believe it. It's never happened before.
“After that it happened, but I don't think one pushed the other. I think both [parties] wanted it.
“It's great news for the club, I hope [and expect] he is happy, otherwise he wouldn't do it. It is very important to have this incredible talent, this unique player and striker for the club for the next ten years.
“He wouldn't sign a contract if he couldn't visualize his future as a footballer at this club, and the potential and the challenge here – that would be impossible.
“I'm very happy, especially happy that he did it at not an easy time for us in terms of results. And to do it at this moment, I think it means a lot for the confidence in everyone at this club.”
“He knows in ten years, I don't know what will happen, but he will have different backroom staff and players. So I think he will sign because of course he sees City in the Premier League and he sees the potential.” [and] that the club has been at the top for many years.
“I think the fact that he enjoys playing in the Premier League is a great compliment to the Premier League, to the whole organisation, to everyone and he wants to play for the club for many reasons: incredible clubs, incredible teams, vintages.” It gets better every year, and that's it.”
Watch Ipswich vs Man City live on Sky Sports Premier League from Sunday 4pm, kick-off 4.30pm.
Comments