Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has vowed to stay with the Citizens even if they are relegated to League Two next season.

There has been growing speculation that the 47-year-old could leave the Etihad after the Manchester club were banned from European competitions for two years by UEFA, with Juventus reportedly waiting in the wings to hire him.

However, Guardiola reportedly told his squad he is committed to staying with City until the end of his contract:

“Look, whatever league we are in, I will still be here. Even if they put us in League Two, I will still be here. This is a time for sticking together.”

The Spaniard’s current deal expires in 2021, and while he has hinted in the past that he would like to extend his stay at the club for longer, the ban from Europe may well have altered his thinking on his long term future.

Even so, Guardiola seems 100% committed to City for the next eighteen months, and while it is expected that they will still be playing in the top flight next season, it remains to be seen whether the Premier League will impose their own sanctions on the club, in addition to UEFA.

A points deduction may well be a possibility, and that would certainly hand an advantage to other title challengers such as Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and even Manchester United.