Pep Guardiola has vowed to “take a break” as he revealed when he is “going to stop” as the pressures of the Manchester City job have become evident in an interview.
Guardiola has been City boss since 2016, having taken charge of 524 matches. That’s more than double he managed at Barcelona, where he started his management career (firstly with Barcelona B).
He began at Barcelona’s first team in 2008, his first season the 2008/09 campaign, meaning he’s now coming to the end of his 16th season as a manager at the top level.
This season has not been the best, with City struggling to come close to their reputation as the best side in England over the past five years. They’re likely to finish third at the highest, but could potentially be as low as sixth.
Guardiola has told ESPN that when his City tenure comes to an end – due in 2027 – he’s not going straight back into management, and may never do.
“I want people to remember me however they want,” Guardiola told ESPN as part of the second series of “Premier League Encounters” on Disney+.
“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. 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.
“I’ll tell you that the most important thing is not what people think of you, after all, our lives as footballers have been very good. There are new challenges as a coach, I don’t know what will happen in the future and in the end that doesn’t matter.”
It is not clear if Guardiola plans to take a break in 2027, or if he could be convinced to extend his deal in Manchester. Given he suggested at the time of his contract extension in November 2024 that this season felt it could have been “the last one”, there’s no guarantee he stays any longer than he’s due to.
He has previous for taking career breaks, doing so for a year between leaving Barcelona in 2012 and taking position as Bayern Munich boss the following summer.
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