ABU DHABI: Manchester City’s chairman, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, has revealed that no sooner had Pep Guardiola’s team secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, than thoughts turned immediately to a fifth.
Speaking to the club’s official website in his annual end-of-season review, Al-Mubarak discussed the latest title success, the team’s Champions League campaign and Pep Guardiola’s value to the club.
Here are some of the highlights from the first part of his interview.
On winning four titles in a row:
“Since 1926, five teams have attempted to win four times in a row — Huddersfield, Arsenal, you had Liverpool in the 80s and then you had Manchester United attempt it twice. None of them succeeded. So over 100 years of English football, never was any team able to achieve four Premier League championships in a row. So once that sinks in, you start really appreciating the magnitude of what was achieved. The difficulty, the challenge, the tenacity required.”
On setting new goals:
“What next? Five in a row. That five in a row in our minds happened the second that final whistle (blew) against West Ham. I remember going down to the pitch and telling almost everybody I saw. Fantastic result, (I) was so proud. But now we’re going for five in a row.”
On the Champions League performance:
“Let’s be clear. We didn’t lose a single game in the Champions League. No team actually beat us in 90 minutes or 120 minutes. We lost, at the end of the day, (to) the jeopardy of penalty kicks. And penalty kicks, winner or loser, it’s a flip of a coin. We played against the most decorated team in Europe. But there’s always a silver lining, that gives us more hunger, more tenacity, you can see today. And I think I reflect accurately how our coaching staff, how our management team, how our leadership, the board, the owner, His Highness Sheikh Mansour, and, of course everybody in our staff — everybody feels obviously proud and delighted with what we achieved this year.”
On Pep’s contribution
“It’s hard to put in words what Pep has given this organization and this club. You can look at just (the) records for history’s sake. He has racked up almost every record in the book, managerially. And for us as a club and for many of our players over the last eight years, it’s been incredible. The records are there and these are records that I think will be very, very hard in the future to ever break.”
On Pep’s future with the club
“With Pep, we’ve had this conversation many times over the years of the contract. Pep has always been fully committed to this club and fully committed to every contract he signed with us. I have no doubt that will always continue. The decision on his future is always a decision we take together, thoughtfully, at the right time. As we always have done, (we) find the right solution that works for Pep and works for us.”
About Phil Foden:
“I’ve had the privilege of watching Phil develop from being an eight year old, a young player at the academy. And as he’s grown, from age group to age group, and then making it all the way to the first team. I think throughout that journey it was clear to all of us where Phil was going. It was always about giving him the right environment and ecosystem and the right development framework around him to help him grow to what he is today — arguably one of the most decorated English football players ever.”
On MCFC’s pipeline of talent:
“It’s very sustainable. We are very careful and keeping that squad fresh with a mixture of new players coming in, players leaving, and then a boost from the academy. That tells you everything. We always maintain that balance.”
On losing the FA Cup final:
“Very disappointed. It was a game everybody wanted to win. It’s the FA Cup. It’s against Manchester United. It’s doing the double double back to back. So from that perspective, very disappointed. But you have to think of the silver lining. One of the things you always want to avoid is complacency. You never want to be content. And I remember, in that dressing room, you can see the players are very angry, very upset.”
