The Manchester City manager said it was a great gesture from the Club owner, who recently bought the trophy at auction before offering to loan it back to the National Football Museum in Manchester, where it has been housed since 2005.
A forerunner of the FA Cup in use today, it is the first silverware City won when we beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 in the 1904 Final to become the first professional football club from the city of Manchester to win a major honour.
With concerns the trophy - considered by The Arts Council to be an item of International Historic Significance - would be privately purchased and taken overseas and Guardiola is delighted it will be able to remain in Manchester.
“A great gesture,” he said at his press conference ahead of City’s FA Cup third round tie against Birmingham City.
“This Club does exceptional things. [It is a] class gesture.
“It’s the first trophy City won, the first one in Manchester and we can have it and put it in the National Football Museum.
“Top class.”
To commemorate City’s 1904 FA Cup victory, a documentary has been produced by CityTV which charts the story of the Cup Final and the Club’s journey in the competition up to the present day.
A trailer for the documentary has been released today ahead of the full launch on mancity.com on Saturday 9 January.
