by Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City
I AM an ethical man, and that does not come cheap. My employers are currently accused of financial misdealing and I have warned them: with no money, I am not here.
They only have to look at my record to know I am telling the truth. I began with Barça, where I bought only the best; then Bayern, which I found limiting because Germany is too unattractive a prospect for young millionaires. Then City.
I came here why? For the challenge. For the project of building a club that could rival the greatest in the Premier League. And because here at City money simply rains down from the air.
My vision cannot be compromised by anything less. How can one create a squad that truly loves the ball when one is forced to play a mere £45m winger? Would Picasso paint a portrait if told ‘sorry, we could not afford green’?
The charges laid against my club are serious. And I promise the players and the fans that if they are found to be true and the club faces restrictions on spending, I will be out and City will not be my friend anymore.
How can I work in an environment where I do not stumble across bricks of unmarked high-denomination bills in every corridor? How can one even build a team without leisurely picking the cream of other clubs’ players?
Such a game is not really football. It is budgetary management, coin-shuffling, balance-sheet-checking. It is a game for an accountant. Not an artist.
Should City fail me, I shall take my leave. It has always been my way. Even as a player I chose Qatar over England. Without the purity afforded by immense, unchallenged wealth I cannot survive.
I believe this is the secret of my achievements: I have never once worked with a team who were not already rich and winning everything. It saddens me that other coaches choose to debase themselves with less.
It is a moral line for me. If City are compromised, I would take my skills to a league that appreciates them, like Ligue 1 and Paris Saint-Germain.
For I am compelled to do what is right for football. For Pep. And that is, and is always, a fucking shitload of money.
