On Wednesday, Mundo Deportivo reported that, thanks to an impasse in negotiations for Sergio Roberto’s renewal, the player’s agent Josep Maria Orobitg has flown to England for meetings with Pere Guardiola.
Mundo Deportivo made it very clear the trip wasn’t related to Pep Guardiola renewing his Manchester City contract: ‘His contract ends in June 2019, but his renewal is not the issue that concerns them today and for which he has traveled.’
The two agents were said to be sorting out ‘day-to-day matters’ surrounding Guardiola.
Despite the clarity of the reason having nothing to do with a renewal, rumours have been encouraged, and that seems to have annoyed Mundo Deportivo.
In a Thursday article, it’s explained ‘anyone who knows’ Guardiola is aware he feels he hasn’t succeeded at Manchester City yet because he hasn’t won a trophy so doesn’t ‘deserve’ a renewal: ‘No matter how good things are, no matter how much interest the club has, he doesn’t want to prolong until he raises a trophy with City.’
Just to ram home his point further, and explain Guardiola’s specific reasoning, Mundo Deportivo’s Miguel Rico stated those who believe the agents are sorting out a renewal are wrong: ‘It won’t be like that. Pep, at Barcelona and Bayern, drained the contracts. At City 
he will do the same and while he doesn’t reach his personal goals, his environment and the club may talk and talk about things, but the substance will continue to depend on the personal position of the coach.
‘Guardiola, who is one of those who preach by example, couldn’t demand everything of his players if he, with unmistakable gestures like this, did not demand it of himself.’
It very much sounds like Guardiola, at least according to his fans at Mundo Deportivo, simply isn’t the type of manager to go after a pay rise and renewal until he feels he’s fully deserved it.
There’s an obvious comparison to be made here, we’ll leave that to others.
