Pep Guardiola has joked that he will retire from management if his Manchester City side win the treble for a second successive season.
City wrote their names into the history books in 2022-23 wen they became just the second English club after Manchester United to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
The Champions League was the one trophy that had agonisingly eluded Man City, but Guardiola successfully steered the club to their first-ever triumph in Europe’s most prestigious club competition courtesy of a slender 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the final.
Guardiola has now won 15 trophies as Man City manager since joining the club in the summer of 2016 and the Citizens are still chasing down further silverware this season.
Man City have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and have a favourable FA Cup third-round tie against Huddersfield Town to look forward to in January, but they have a battle on their hands to retain the Premier League title this term.
Indeed, the Citizens – who are bidding to win a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League crown – have failed to win each of their last four league matches, with three consecutive draws followed by a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Guardiola stated before the loss at Villa Park that his Man City side “are going to win the Premier League” this season, and although they are yet to reach the halfway point, the reigning champions have slipped to fourth in the table and sit six points behind current leaders Arsenal.
The 52-year-old is well aware of the challenges facing his City side across all competitions and has reiterated how difficult it is to compete for silverware on multiple fronts at the highest level.
Speaking to Amazon Prime before the clash with Villa, Guardiola said: “If we win the treble this season, I’ll retire. That’s for sure.
“I know it is extremely difficult, how many incredible teams have been in England. And just one with Sir Alex Ferguson has done it and ourselves last season.
“When we spoke, prepare well for the first game and how we try to do it and then the second and now the third.
“We will see our level and the competition itself dictates your level, the opponent dictates, the challenge is higher but in September, October, November, thinking about the title, forget about it.”
Man City will be looking to return to winning ways when they travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town on Sunday afternoon, before facing Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League group stage three days later.