Guardiola ignoring speculation over his future
Pep Guardiola's future at Manchester City beyond the 2025-2026 season is unclear, but the Spaniard refused to speak on the speculation ahead of his side meeting Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Prior to the international break, Guardiola led City to Carabao Cup glory as it beat Arsenal 2-0, lifting the trophy for the fifth time, while it still has a chance of winning a domestic treble this season.
City trails Arsenal by nine points in the Premier League, but Guardiola's side has a game in hand, and it faces Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
Guardiola's current City deal expires at the end of the 2026-2027 campaign, bur reports have emerged that he could leave at the end of this term.
The 55-year-old did not give away any hints when asked about his immediate future at the club.
"I spoke many times about that," Guardiola said, referring to the time he still has left on his current deal.
Instead, he wants to focus fully on the meeting with Liverpool.
This will be the seventh FA Cup tie between City and Liverpool; the Citizens progressed from the first two after replays in 1955-1956 and 1972-1973, but the Reds have since won each of the past four, most recently in the 2021-2022 semi-final en route to winning their most recent FA Cup trophy.
City has already completed a Premier League double over Liverpool this season, and could win three successive meetings with the Reds in all competitions for the first time since March 1937, when it won four in a row.
Indeed, the side to beat most recently Liverpool three times in a single campaign was West Ham United in 2015-2016.
Nevertheless, Guardiola anticipates a tough test against Arne Slot's side at Etihad Stadium.
"They have been the biggest rival," Guardiola said.
"It is a team that made an incredible investment last season to be there for many years.
"They are a top contender with top-class players. Hopefully we can perform at the level that we did against Arsenal to reach the next step [in the competition]."

































