Pep Guardiola: Manchester City confirm they have won race for outgoing Bayern Munich coach
Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed he will make way at the end of the season
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City have confirmed that Pep Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season.
The Premier League club revealed that the current Bayern Munich manager has agreed a three-year deal.
Current Etihad boss Pellegrini spoke about the news at the end of a press conference on Monday, confirming that despite only extending his contract to 2017 last summer, that he had been kept informed of the club's choice and preferred to make the news public.
Former Barcelona coach Guardiola, who has won two Champions League titles, announced he would be leaving his current role at Bayern Munich late last year. Soon after, he said that choice had been made so he could work in England, sparking frenzied speculation over which club it would be who he joined.
Manchester City were always considered the front-runners, but he was also linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
In a statement, the club said: “Manchester City can confirm that in recent weeks it has commenced and finalised contractual negotiations with Pep Guardiola to become MCFC Head Coach for the 16/17 EPL season onwards. The contract is for three years. These negotiations were a re-commencement of discussion that were curtailed in 2012.
“Out of respect for Manuel Pellegrini and the players, the Club wishes to make its decision public to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation. Manuel Pellegrini, who is fully supportive of the decision to make this communication, is entirely focused on achieving his targets for the season ahead and retains the respect and commitment of all involved with the leadership of the Club.”
Speaking at the end of a standard press conference to preview City's Premier League game against Sunderland on Tuesday, Pellegrini revealed he knew about the change a month ago.
"Before we finish I will tell you that I talked with the club and I will finish my contract on the original date in June," he said.
"We extended the contract one year more but with the clause that one of the club or me may not use that extended contract. So, I will finish here on the original date, June 30.
"There has been a lot of speculation about things, but they (the club) are not doing anything behind me. I knew this one month ago. I don't think it is good to have speculation about different things. I prefer to finish (by announcing) today - that is why I have told the press and told the players. I told the club two weeks ago that I would do it."
Despite today's announcement, the club will be keen for the news not to distract from their current season in which winning an unprecedented quadruple remains a possibility. The club are three points from the top of the Premier League, in the final of the Capital One Cup, face Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup and take on Dynamo Kiev in the last-16 of the Champions League.
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