Guardiola extends contract with Man City after record-breaking season

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension to the end of the 2020-21 campaign on Thursday.

47-year-old Guardiola, who joined in the summer of 2016, has just overseen the best season in the club's history with claiming the Premier League title, 19 points ahead of second-placed Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Guardiola also led the City to become the first top-flight club to collect 100 points in a season and broke records for goals scored in a Premier League campaign (106), the most victories and best goal difference.

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Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement, "In his two seasons with us, he has fostered an incredible spirit within the squad and significantly contributed to our progress both on and off the field. In doing so, he has embodied the passion and commitment we all have for the club."

Named as Manager of the Year by League Managers Association earlier this week, Guardiola said, "I enjoy working with our players every day and we will try to do our best together in the coming years. As a manager, you have to feel good to be with the players - and I feel good.”

"I will focus on the desire of my players to become a better team and every day, that' s what I will try to do - to improve on the pitch and improve our players. We have a young squad with an average age of 23 and we want to keep taking steps forward and maintain the levels we've achieved this season," added Guardiola.

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His deal means this is the longest commitment he has made to a football club since becoming a manager in 2008.

The Spaniard managed Barcelona from 2008-12 and spent three years in charge of Germany's Bayern Munich before joining City.

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Guardiola has won 77 of his 113 games in charge at City - a win ratio of more than 68 percent - and the 32 league wins he managed this season are the most he has achieved in a single campaign, beating the 31 with Barcelona in 2009-10.

He has now won 23 major trophies in nine seasons as a manager.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency