Mr Guardiola, though, was always more Catalan than Spanish. He is a strong supporter of Catalonia’s independence, and spoke out in favour of an illegal separatist referendum in 2017. Little surprise,

Pep Guardiola has said he has to "prove himself" all over again after Manchester City's six-game winless run and added the only reason there are not more questions about whether he should be sacked is because he's won six Premier League titles.

Guardiola committed himself to it, and not merely by putting pen to paper. He cited the reality that, six months ago, City were crowned champions, FA Cup finalists, a side only knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Real Madrid.

Not particularly because of him,' came Arne Slot’s immediate response when asked if the reason he came to the Premier League was to compete against the best managers in the world, Pep Guardiola being foremost of that.

Manchester City’s collapse in the last few weeks has been as epic as it has been shocking. Five straight losses and a six-game winless run is not what you would associate with the reigning Premier League champions.

Manchester City face the daunting task of playing Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. It looms as a crucial Premier League fixture for Pep Guardiola’s side for a multitude of reasons.