Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has announced his intention to take a break from football once his current contract with the club expires, but he remains uncertain about whether he will ultimately retire from the sport. �
The 54-year-old signed a two-year contract extension in November, committing him to the Etihad Stadium until June 2027. This will mark his longest managerial stint, surpassing his four years at Barcelona and three years at Bayern Munich, both clubs where he also enjoyed playing careers. �
Under Guardiola’s leadership, Manchester City has experienced an unprecedented era of success, securing six Premier League titles and their first Champions League trophy as part of a treble-winning season in 2022/23. However, the current season has presented significant challenges for the team. �
Speaking to ESPN, Guardiola stated definitively, “After my contract with City, I’m going to stop. I’m sure. I don’t know if I’m going to retire, but I’m going to take a break.”
Reflecting on his legacy, Guardiola added, “How I want to be remembered, I don’t know. All coaches want to win so we can have a memorable job, but I believe that the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City had fun watching my teams play. I don’t think we should ever live thinking about whether we’re going to be remembered. When we die, our families cry for two or three days and then that’s it – you’re forgotten. In the careers of coaches, there are good and bad ones, the important thing is that the good ones are remembered for longer.”
Currently sitting in fourth place, Manchester City, who are set to play Wolves on Friday, were initially considered strong contenders for a fifth consecutive Premier League title. However, they have experienced a significant downturn in form. With only four league games remaining, they trail champions Liverpool by a substantial 21 points and are now engaged in a battle to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
Despite the league struggles, Guardiola’s side has reached their third consecutive FA Cup final, where they will face Crystal Palace. He described the current season as one of “great learning,” admitting that he did not anticipate such a sharp decline in City’s performance. �
“I knew there would be a moment when we would fall, but we fell a lot,” Guardiola conceded. “We didn’t expect to be so far, but we can’t win them all. What we did during 10, nine years was exceptional, but now we have to sit down and learn to try to understand what we need to produce in the future.”
It is worth recalling that Guardiola mentioned in December his intention not to manage another club after his tenure at City concludes, although he did leave open the possibility of taking on a national team role in the future. �
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