Pep Guardiola insists he’s nonetheless planning to take a break from teaching, which may very well be so long as 15 years, after he leaves Manchester Metropolis.
Guardiola has loved beautiful success all through his 9 years at Metropolis, successful 18 trophies, together with six Premier League titles, the Champions League, the UEFA Tremendous Cup and the FIFA Membership World Cup.
Total, he has taken cost of 533 video games at Metropolis, greater than he did at Barcelona (235) and Bayern Munich (162) mixed, whereas successful 376 of these matches.
However Guardiola’s facet completed final time period with none of the 4 main trophies of their grasp, for the primary time for the reason that Spaniard’s first marketing campaign in 2016-17.
The 54-year-old signed a two-year contract extension with Metropolis in November, extending his time in cost by to 2027.
It’s not but clear when Guardiola plans to step away from the Etihad Stadium, however he has no intention of adjusting his plans for a sabbatical when that point comes.
“I do know that after this stage with Metropolis, I’m going to cease, that’s for certain. It’s determined, greater than determined,” he instructed GQ Spain.
“I don’t understand how lengthy I’ll cease for, a 12 months, two years, three years, 5, 10, 15, I don’t know. However I’ll depart after this spell with Metropolis as a result of I have to cease and give attention to myself, on my physique.
“I’ve spent 4 or 5 months this 12 months in each away stadium with the gang chanting, ‘You’ll be sacked within the morning. They’re going to fireside you’.
“There’s no different occupation, architect, trainer, physician, journalist… the place 60,000 folks ask you to lose your job.
“Once you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time if you go down. It’s human nature. It’s a course of that needed to occur, it occurs, it took longer to occur, and when it did, it went deeper than we may have imagined.”
#OnThisDay in 2016, we unveiled @PepTeam as our new supervisor!
An unforgettable 9 years! pic.twitter.com/iAxSzyWfQ2
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) July 3, 2025
Metropolis had gained 4 Premier League titles in a row earlier than final time period, however a mid-season drop in kind noticed them ultimately end 13 factors behind champions Liverpool.
They had been additionally knocked out of the Champions League on the play-off stage, their earliest exit beneath Guardiola within the competitors, whereas they had been overwhelmed within the FA Cup last by Crystal Palace.
Nonetheless, Guardiola doesn’t see 2024-25 as a failure.
“It hasn’t been that unhealthy,” he stated. “Ultimately, we reached the ultimate of the FA Cup and completed third; we didn’t end twelfth!
“In hindsight, we’ll see that it hasn’t been such a nasty season. However we did go many months with out successful a recreation.
“We went 13 or 14 video games with no win, and that was … it had by no means occurred earlier than. Nevertheless it places you in your house.
“Even once I was successful, I didn’t really feel we had been something particular. Now that we haven’t gained, I don’t really feel like a failure.
“Talking on behalf of Manchester Metropolis, it has been very wholesome for us. As a result of success can confuse you.
“It hasn’t confused us for a few years, however this 12 months the gamers have been injured quite a bit. I believe it will likely be excellent for the following 5 or 10 years. And subsequent 12 months, we’ll do higher.”
Metropolis start the 2025-26 marketing campaign at Wolves on August 16.