Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has revealed that Pep Guardiola threatened to leave the club on roughly 100 separate occasions over the course of his decade in charge — but that this time, Khaldoon knew the resignation was genuine.

Guardiola, 55, brought his nine-year stint at the Etihad to a close at the end of this season, having guided the club to 17 major honours, among them six Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph. Despite having one year left on his deal, the Spaniard declared in his final press conference that the club required "a new manager" and "new energy."

A friendship built over a decade

Speaking in his annual address to the club's in-house media, Khaldoon described a relationship that extended well beyond the purely professional. "He's more than just the manager of the club," Khaldoon said. "To me, he's a friend. Over these years we have become close friends and I don't know if he will admit it, but I consider myself his psychiatrist."

The chairman recalled how previous threats to walk away were never taken at face value. "Inevitably we have had a lot of ups and some downs and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years," he said. "There is the story as you all know, The Boy that Cries Wolf. In the case of Pep, when he says I quit, it doesn't mean he's quitting. You don't take it that seriously — you have to manage him."

This time, however, Khaldoon sensed the difference. "Throughout these years, I've always fought it and always brought him back because I knew that was always the answer. But in this particular one, I think he knew — and I knew that he knew — and that is why it was the right thing for him and it was the natural thing."

Signals that a departure was coming

Ahead of last month's FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, Guardiola was asked whether the occasion would mark his last appearance at the ground. He insisted "no way" and pointed to the year remaining on his contract — though the casual manner of his response and his swift exit from the room left many watching with questions unanswered.

Those questions deepened after the draw at Bournemouth on 19 May, when Guardiola indicated he still needed to speak with Khaldoon before confirming his future. Three days later, his departure was made official.

Khaldoon also shed light on Guardiola's complicated relationship with the passage of time at City. "He never thought he would stay more than four years, then more than five years. So in his mind, even year four and five it was always 'OK, how much more time? How much more time?' And it always had to be done in the correct way. There was always going to be one moment where it was going to be real."

Guardiola first joined the club in 2016 and went on to sign contract extensions in May 2018, November 2020, November 2022, and November 2024.

Search for a successor under way

Guardiola's former assistant Enzo Maresca has emerged as the front-runner to take the reins, with Manchester City understood to be in advanced talks with the ex-Chelsea manager. Khaldoon stopped short of confirming the appointment but urged supporters to remain patient. "Very soon we will announce it and you will be comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible," he said.