Guardiola: I am grateful that people want me to renew but if we hadn't won so much they would throw stones at me
The Catalan trainer has discussed his future with the team ahead of Sunday's encounter against Valencia and stated that Xavi could return for the crunch clash
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has spoken about his current contract situation, declaring that he is grateful supporters are keen for him to stay at the club.
The 41-year-old's current deal expires in the summer and the trainer has remained coy on his future, refusing to declare his intentions to sign a new contract.
Barcelona are currently 10 points behind rivals Real Madrid in La Liga and their hopes of retaining the trophy they have won for the previous three seasons look slimmer by the week.
However, the fans of the Catalan side are keen for their coach to continue his stay at Camp Nou, something Guardiola is happy about.
"I am grateful that people want me to renew, but if we hadn't won so much they would throw stones at me," the former midfielder told reporters during a press conference on Saturday.
"I am grateful that the club haven't put a time limit on my decision. If they need to know then I will have to let them know [my decision].
"I have already told you a thousand times. I would renew for five or six years, but you know the opinion I have. It's a personal choice [to sign one-year deals], it has nothing to do with the club.
"I've said many times that there is nowhere better to be than here, but I have to feel it myself. I cannot work at a demanding club if I'm not convinced I can be strong enough."
With Real Madrid entertaining Racing Santander on Saturday, Guardiola's men could find themselves 13 points behind the leaders by the time they come up against Valencia on Sunday.
However, Guardiola refused to talk about comebacks, instead choosing to look at his team's current situation on a game-to-game basis.
"We are too far away to think about hypothetical comebacks. We are only thinking of the next game," he added.
The coach then turned his attentions to this weekend's opposition and picked out the position on the pitch where Valencia are at their most dangerous.
"[Jeremy] Mathieu and Jordi Alba always attack against us well down the left, although Valencia are dangerous in other areas too. It is certainly important that we create chances and try and go about our business as usual, playing the game with possession," he stated.
Guardiola concluded by informing reporters that Xavi could feature in the game, despite missing the side's last two matches with a calf problem.
"He has trained with us. We will see tomorrow how he reacts and then decide."
However, the fans of the Catalan side are keen for their coach to continue his stay at Camp Nou, something Guardiola is happy about.
"I am grateful that people want me to renew, but if we hadn't won so much they would throw stones at me," the former midfielder told reporters during a press conference on Saturday.
"I am grateful that the club haven't put a time limit on my decision. If they need to know then I will have to let them know [my decision].
"I have already told you a thousand times. I would renew for five or six years, but you know the opinion I have. It's a personal choice [to sign one-year deals], it has nothing to do with the club.
"I've said many times that there is nowhere better to be than here, but I have to feel it myself. I cannot work at a demanding club if I'm not convinced I can be strong enough."
With Real Madrid entertaining Racing Santander on Saturday, Guardiola's men could find themselves 13 points behind the leaders by the time they come up against Valencia on Sunday.
However, Guardiola refused to talk about comebacks, instead choosing to look at his team's current situation on a game-to-game basis.
"We are too far away to think about hypothetical comebacks. We are only thinking of the next game," he added.
The coach then turned his attentions to this weekend's opposition and picked out the position on the pitch where Valencia are at their most dangerous.
"[Jeremy] Mathieu and Jordi Alba always attack against us well down the left, although Valencia are dangerous in other areas too. It is certainly important that we create chances and try and go about our business as usual, playing the game with possession," he stated.
Guardiola concluded by informing reporters that Xavi could feature in the game, despite missing the side's last two matches with a calf problem.
"He has trained with us. We will see tomorrow how he reacts and then decide."
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