Pep Guardiola clarified his 'I will quit' comments ahead of Manchester City's final-day trip to Fulham in the Premier League.
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Pep Guardiola knew the question was coming. Of course he isn't going to quit Manchester City.
He had sensationally suggested he would do so on Tuesday night, late into the evening after Kevin De Bruyne's departure. But he was keen to walk back on that particular idea on his final pre-match press conference of the season.
"I was laughing when I said that, I'm not going to quit," Guardiola clarified. "But the expression is the same, I don’t want players at home with their families when the team is playing. Everyone needs the chance to play and compete for the best of all of us, that is the most important thing."
Guardiola back-tracked on his quit threat but doubled down on the insistence that City cannot go into next season with as big a squad as the one they have ended this campaign.
"It is not healthy," he continued. "For any of us, for them especially, for the club, me, anyone. The club knows it and the club completely agrees with me, so we're going to find the best way for all of us."
That means players will have to leave even if Guardiola won't. He has spoken about wanting a squad around the 21 or 22 player mark, allowing for a third-choice goalkeeper and one other to be left out each week, compensating for injuries and accepting that the academy may have to be used in emergencies.
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He wouldn't divulge the transfer plan for reducing the squad on Tuesday and wasn't going to reveal it on Friday. His primary focus of course is the final day trip to Fulham where a win will seal Champions League football, and then he probably wants a holiday. His mischievous nature in his last two press conferences suggest he's letting go a little as the end is in sight of a forgettable season.
"We will see, Now I'm just focussed on Sunday. After the club will take the decision," he said of players leaving, before adding: "If I knew [how many players would go] I'm pretty sure I wouldn't tell you, that’s for sure."
The reporter who posed the question then, maybe wisely, decided to move on to another question, but Guardiola hadn't finished.
"Do you expect I'm going to tell you four or five players, I am going to tell you the names, who would leave and the signings who are going to come?" he asked with a smile.
"Do you think I am going to answer you. You think I'd tell you how many players will leave before a massive important game, read out the 22 players out who are in the squad [will stay]?
"Come on, it's not going to happen. You should know it."
When he puts it like that, he has a point. The trick with Guardiola, however is that you never know when a generic question will get a blockbuster answer.
It's always worth asking even if the risk is that he will snap back or joke around. (He also confirmed in a round about way that 22 is the magic number for his ideal squad size, so that's something.)
So Guardiola maybe wasn't in the mood for much transfer talk but he did show that he is in a mindset where he feels strongly about his squad next season and relaxed enough to let loose a little bit at the end of this one. Ironically, his promise to quit should reinforce his commitment to City this summer and beyond.
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