Was the City manager really about to sensationally quit moments after taking his side to their highest-ever point as Club World Cup champions?
The signs were there, before the semi-final he spoke of the Club World Cup 'closing the circle' of his time at City, with all the trophies available to win now won. Surely not. Not now.
"The last eight years, it's over," Guardiola said, but crucially, he quickly began talking about starting a new chapter. "Now it's Christmas time, buy another book and start to write it again." And breathe.
The Club World Cup win would serve as a fitting final chapter to any books being written about Guardiola's transformational reign at City.
It's not the biggest or best trophy they will win, but it gives them the status they have been craving since 2008 to be the best team in the world.
It's a full circle moment, just over 25 years to the day that they lost to York in the third division. City fans have sung their dreams into reality now they really are the best team in all the land and all the world.
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