Guardiola signs contract extension with Man City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension to the end of the 2020-21 campaign, the English Premier League (EPL) champions have announced.

Guardiola, who joined in the summer of 2016, has just overseen the best season in the club's history, winning the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion, in addition to the League Cup secured in March after a 3-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley, reports Xinhua news agency.

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

"I am so happy and excited. It's a pleasure to be able to work here," Guardiola said on Thursday.

"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," he added.

Guardiola, 47, 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.

--IANS

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