Man City manager Guardiola signs contract extension: reports

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a new contract to extend his stay at the Premier League champions until 2026, British media reports said on Tuesday.

Guardiola's current deal, signed in 2022, was due to expire at the end of this season. The new contract reportedly includes an option for a further year, according to The Athletic.

The 53-year-old, who joined the club in 2016, has led City to six league titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League triumph as part of their treble win in 2023, along with a FIFA Club World Cup and four League Cups.

The Spaniard managed boyhood club Barcelona from 2008-12 and spent three years in charge of German giants Bayern Munich, winning three league titles at each club, before joining City.

'Go ahead and doubt us'

Questions are being asked of Manchester City's title defense after they slipped five points behind leaders Liverpool but center back Ruben Dias has told the critics to write off City's chances at their peril.

City slumped to a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions with a 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League recently, marking the first time Pep Guardiola lost four games in a row in his managerial career.

City, who are chasing an unprecedented fifth straight Premier League title, were also dumped out of the League Cup by Tottenham Hotspur.

"I would say, please doubt us, doubt us, feel welcome to do so," Dias told British media.

"When we did the treble, we even called it the dark January. We had a tough period. But it is what it is.

"What matters is how you bounce back from these moments. That's why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together.

"We don't find people to kill, we find people to bring into the cause and fight together. That's what we need to do once again. Until it's done, it's not done."