City president on Guardiola: I didn't fight for him to stay - I knew the moment had come

Pep Guardiola left Manchester City after 10 years, leaving behind a club that had become huge.

With him, the "citizens" broke many records, won many trophies, played amazing football, and everything came to a close in 2023 when City became European champions for the first time in history.

Ten days ago, Guardiola had the kind of farewell that many dream of, and now club president Haldun Al Mubarak has spoken out about the Catalan's departure.

He revealed some interesting things about his relationship with Guardiola...

"He might not admit it, but I was like a psychiatrist to him," says Al Mubarak, adding:

"I had to help him for years. Not when everything was going smoothly, when it was easy, but in challenging times. In 10 years there were many ups and a few downs. And during those difficult times he probably threatened to leave 100 times."

Their relationship was full of respect and honesty.

"You know that story about the boy who cried wolf. In Pep's case, when he says, "I'm leaving," it doesn't mean he's really leaving. You don't have to take it too seriously, you have to know how to manage the situation. I always had a clear relationship with Pep. Whenever he wanted to leave or thought it was time, I would always convince him to come back. But I knew that the moment would come when that departure would become a reality," said Al Mubarak.

And it happened at the end of May.

"We came to it this year. And I knew it, that's why I didn't fight the decision. All these years I've always fought because I knew it was the right thing to do. But in this particular case, I think he knew, as I knew. I didn't object at all because I was sure that this was the only time when he said he was going - he really meant it," Al Mubarak concluded.