Hardly any coach has had such an impact on world football in recent years as Pep Guardiola. But now the Catalan is considering stepping back from football—at least temporarily.
“When my contract with Manchester City expires, I will stop. I’m sure of that,” Guardiola announced on ESPN, adding: ‘I don’t know if I’ll end my career, but I’m going to take some time off.’ In December, the 54-year-old had announced that he would not ‘take over any other team’ after leaving City, but even then he left open the possibility of becoming a national coach. This is also in line with his recent statements.
It therefore still seems realistic that Guardiola will not be seen as a club coach after his contract expires in 2027. On the other hand, his statements continue to leave room for speculation. In November, the 54-year-old extended his contract with Manchester City ahead of schedule by another two years.
If he fulfills this contract, he will have been coach of the Skyblues for a full eleven years – no other club has kept him for anywhere near that long. He coached FC Barcelona for four years and spent three seasons at FC Bayern Munich.
Guardiola knows about “exceptional achievements”
Guardiola has been at the helm in Manchester since 2016, and under his leadership, the Citizens have enjoyed the most successful era in the club’s history. Six championships and victory in the 2022/23 Champions League stand out. In the current season, City are lagging a little behind and have long since dropped out of the title race.
“What we achieved in ten, nine years was extraordinary,” said Guardiola, admitting that he ‘knew we would fall at some point. But we fell hard. Now we have to sit down and learn to understand what we need to do in the future.’
