In an explosive and deeply revealing end-of-season interview, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has pulled back the curtain on the intense psychological management required to sustain the club’s decade-long golden era.

Al Mubarak shockingly disclosed that legendary manager Pep Guardiola threatened to quit the club “100 times” during his ten-year tenure, comparing the Spaniard’s frequent empty departure threats to Aesop’s famous fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Guardiola, 55, officially called time on his monumental Manchester City career last month. Arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, he transformed the landscape of English football, guiding the Cityzens to an astonishing 17 major honors, including six Premier League titles and a historic UEFA Champions League crown.

Yet, beneath the glittering surface of relentless trophy parades lay an underlying narrative of emotional fatigue, hesitation, and a constant internal battle over how long he could sustain his elite-level energy at one club.

Managing the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’

According to Al Mubarak, keeping the hyper-intense tactician motivated required him to step far outside the traditional boundaries of a football club chairman.

Over a decade of close partnership, their professional relationship evolved into a deep personal bond, leading Al Mubarak to play an entirely unexpected role behind the scenes.

“We have become close friends. I don’t know if he will admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist,” Al Mubarak revealed to City’s in-house media.

“Inevitably over these last 10 years we’ve had a lot of ups and some downs. And in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years, just so you know, just for the record.”

The chairman explained that navigating Guardiola’s periodic declarations of resignation became a routine administrative task rather than a cause for panic.

“There’s the story as you all know, ‘The Boy that Cried Wolf’. In the case of Pep, when he says ‘I quit,’ it doesn’t mean he’s quitting. You don’t take it that seriously—you have to manage him. There are the moments that are not real and he actually needs someone to bring him back.”

Guardiola initially joined City on a standard three-year contract, never genuinely believing his stay in Manchester would extend past four or five seasons.

Though he went on to sign four separate contract extensions—in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024—the chairman noted that every single renewal was met with severe hesitation from the manager.

Even during years four and five, Guardiola’s mind was constantly occupied by the exhausting question: “OK, how much more time? How much more time?”

The Final Decision: Knowing When it Was Real

Despite having one more year remaining on his contract, Guardiola’s final exit materialized swiftly at the conclusion of the 2025/2026 season. Signs of the impending departure began to surface late in the campaign.

Following a dramatic match against Bournemouth on May 19, Guardiola hinted that his future hinged on crunch talks with Al Mubarak. His official exit was finalized just three days later, closely following an emotional FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.

Al Mubarak confessed that unlike the previous 100 instances where he aggressively fought to change Guardiola’s mind, he instantly knew that this time, the Spaniard’s energy was genuinely spent.

“I would say I always had a very clear understanding with Pep,” Al Mubarak reflected. “Whenever he thinks it’s time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time where I know it’s the real time, the real moment Pep decides it’s time. And I will tell you I did not fight this at all because I knew this was the time he actually meant it.”

Guardiola’s final public remarks echoed this sentiment, as the 55-year-old admitted the club desperately required a “new manager” and “new energy” to prevent stagnation.

Life After Pep: The Maresca Era and Summer Targets

With the Guardiola chapter firmly closed, Manchester City is wasting no time planning its future. The club has identified former assistant manager Enzo Maresca as the primary candidate to succeed the Spaniard. City is currently locked in advanced negotiations with Chelsea over compensation packages for the 46-year-old Italian tactician, who left Stamford Bridge after an 18-month stint.

While fans grow anxious for an official confirmation, Al Mubarak urged patience, asserting that a thorough, structured selection process has guaranteed the arrival of an elite replacement.

“Very soon we’ll announce it and you will be very comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible for this club,” he stated firmly.

Furthermore, the chairman adamantly dismissed any notions that City has peaked, pointing out the club’s structural resilience built under previous managers Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

To ensure continued dominance, Al Mubarak promised swift, efficient maneuvers in the upcoming summer transfer window—even after Nottingham Forest rejected City’s opening bid for midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Additionally, the club remains fiercely protective of its current superstars. City legal teams have recently threatened lawsuits against Real Madrid presidential hopeful Enrique Riquelme, after the candidate brazenly paraded a Madrid shirt featuring Erling Haaland’s name, claiming a contract clause would allow him to hijack the Norwegian goalscoring machine.

“This is a club that is designed, built to win,” Al Mubarak concluded. “We know exactly what we want to do in the summer, we know exactly who we are targeting, and with the additions we’re going to make, I am very confident next year we’re going to come back very strong.”