"Pep Guardiola's Future with Manchester City Following Champions League Triumph" - The Guardian

With Manchester City's recent win as European champions and treble winners, Pep Guardiola may find himself questioning how much longer he can manage his ultra-successful team. However, the team's dominance and unstoppable nature may be just the drive the Catalan needs to continue leading them to victory.

After the team's recent victory against Internazionale, Guardiola seemed both exhausted and defiant when asked about the upcoming season, stating "Don't ask me about next season," but later insisting that there will be no falling away when defending their titles. Guardiola's tenure, however, remains a poser he has often considered throughout his seven-year reign with the team. Prior to signing a fresh two-year deal at the start of the past season, some of Guardiola's confidantes were surprised when he did so given his tendency to only remain at a club for a finite time.

As one of the elite rank of clubs favored to win every competition they enter, the pressures of constantly being the favorite can be immense, and has often been discussed by Guardiola. This pressure may have even contributed to his recent focus on bringing the European Cup to Manchester City. Winning the Cup had been a goal for the chairman, sporting director, and chief executive, and Guardiola saw it as motivation for his players.

That motivation led to City's first European Cup and Guardiola's third as a manager, securing the treble for the team and securing Guardiola's status as an all-time great. However, questions remain about how much longer Guardiola can continue managing Manchester City, especially with rumors that eyebrows will be raised if he stays beyond the next two seasons. Any departure in summer 2025, for instance, would eliminate any possibility of overtaking Sir Alex Ferguson's remarkable trophy record at United of 13 Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two European Cups, one European Cup-Winners' Cup, one European Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one Fifa Club World Cup.

Guardiola's City honours roll currently stands at five Premier Leagues, one European Cup, two FA Cups, and four League Cups. He has already equalled Ferguson's tally in European Super Cups and Fifa Club World Cups, but still has a long way to go before overtaking the trophy record held by the legendary United manager. Regardless, Guardiola has already surpassed Ferguson's trophies-per-season metric, achieving 12 trophies at a rate of 1.74 per season, compared to Ferguson's 28 trophies at a rate of 1.05 per season, indicating his ongoing success with the team.

Might this tempt Guardiola? Ten years is an age in elite management yet Guardiola will be only 62 in 2033, 12 months younger than Carlo Ancelotti is now, and as the XI that sealed Champions League glory hardly teems with gnarled veterans he may have to construct only one more great team to outstrip Ferguson.

Of those who lined at up in Istanbul, Ilkay Gündogan may be 32 and Kevin De Bruyne 31, but Ederson is 29, Ruben Dias and John Stones 26 and 29, Nathan Aké and Bernardo Silva 28, Rodri 26, Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji 27, and Erling Haaland 22.

Guardiola has proved his regenerative powers by evolving the rampant Sergio Agüero-David Silva 100-point/domestic treble vintage into domestic and European kings so replacing Gündogan, De Bruyne, and whoever else may depart in the coming years appears no problem.

And there is another reason why he may be drawn, yet again, to extend his tenure. At 52 and in his prime, where else would he go? Coaching in Italy remains a target but could he really enjoy what he does now at a Serie A side, or elsewhere?

Because as much as the all‑conquering City is the team that Pep built, in this golden second phase of Sheikh Mansour’s ownership, in which Soriano and Begiristain were headhunted to give him the best possible chance of success, this is the club configured for the man from Santpedor.