Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman of Manchester City, has disclosed that Pep Guardiola threatened to resign on numerous occasions during his tenure as manager, likening the Catalan's empty threats to the classic fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Guardiola departed the club last month after a decade of unprecedented success, securing 17 major trophies, including multiple Premier League titles.
Chairman's Revelation
In a candid interview, Mubarak revealed that Guardiola repeatedly voiced his intention to quit, but these declarations were often not genuine. 'Over these years we have become close friends. I don't know if he will admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist,' Mubarak said. 'So I had to help him over the years. There's the story as you all know, The Boy that Cried Wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says 'I quit', it doesn't mean he's quitting.'
Mubarak explained that Guardiola initially signed a three-year contract in 2016 and extended it four times, in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, but each time he was hesitant. 'You don't take it that seriously, you have to manage him. He never thought he would stay more than four years, then more than five years. So, in his mind, even year four and five it was always: 'OK, how much more time? How much more time?''
The Fable Analogy
The chairman drew a parallel between Guardiola's behaviour and Aesop's fable about a shepherd boy who falsely cries wolf, leading to disbelief when a real wolf appears. 'I would say I always had a very clear understanding with Pep, because of that analogy of the Boy that Cried Wolf. Whenever he quits or whenever he thinks it's time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time where I know it's actually the real time, the real moment Pep decides actually it's time,' Mubarak stated.
He added that there were moments when Guardiola needed reassurance, and Mubarak would persuade him to stay. However, there came a point when the manager's desire to leave was genuine. 'He knew – and I knew that he knew – and that's why it was the right thing for him and it was the natural thing. I did not fight this at all because I knew this was the time he actually meant it.'
Future Prospects
With Enzo Maresca tipped as Guardiola's successor, Mubarak expressed confidence that Manchester City would continue to dominate. 'We are far from peaked. I look at where the club was in 2008, and then I look at every part of the last 18 years. Roberto Mancini brought that first Premier League title, we will never forget those moments. It was a great period then – a first FA Cup win. And then Manuel came in, same thing, another Premier League title and more success. Then Pep, and it was getting that mindset, that DNA of a winning club.'
Mubarak emphasised that the club is built to win. 'This is a club that is designed, built to win. What Pep has given us has taken us to the next level, and we're so thankful for what he's helped build here.'
Haaland Speculation
The chairman also addressed recent speculation about Erling Haaland, following Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme's claim that a clause in the striker's contract would allow a move. While City have threatened legal action, Mubarak praised Haaland's leadership. 'He was always a leader from the first day he stepped into this club. He comes in with such character and charisma and of course, when you are a superstar, when you are a goalscoring machine like he is, inevitably you're a leader and he's got that personality.'
