MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini said he has enough faith in his own ability to dismiss constant speculation that Pep Guardiola is being lined up to replace him.
The Chilean has spent two-and-a-half years in charge at the Etihad Stadium with the spectre of Bayern Munich manager Guardiola, who worked with Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano at Barcelona, looming over him.
And fresh reports from Catalonia suggested that Guardiola will take over from Pellegrini, who signed a new contract in August, next summer.
But Pellegrini, who won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup in his first season in England, accepts such talk is a fact of life at major clubs and insists it does not bother him.
"Everyone can make rumours, write or talk about different rumours," he said in a news conference.
"It's not a lack of respect about me. This is the profession. It is that way. In every big team -- Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United -- it is the same thing. You must have trust in your work, that's very important."
Pellegrini knows Guardiola from their time as managers in La Liga but said they do not discuss the topic of the Bayern coach replacing him.
"The last time I saw Pep was the game we played [against Bayern] a year ago," he added. "I don't talk about those things -- it is part of our profession."
Pellegrini said his belief in his own methods and record has always sustained him.
"The only confidence I have is always about my work," he stated. "I think that is only way you must try to demonstrate the kind of manager you are. I never have any problem about my work, so it doesn't matter what they say. If not, it's impossible to work in this club - but not just in this club, but every big team."