7/28/2025–|Last update: 17:59 (Mecca time)
In a statement that rocked the world football, Spanish coach Pep Guardiola revealed that his departure from Manchester City is approaching, and that he made a final decision to temporarily retire the training after leaving the English club, without specifying a clear timetable to leave or return.
“I know that I will stop after this stage with Manchester City, this is certain. I have already been decided. I will leave because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body,” Guardiola said in an interview with the British GQ Hib magazine.
Although he did not specify when “this stage” ends, his words carried a decisive tone, indicating that the end is closer to what some expect.
From Barcelona to City
Guardiola made it clear that his decision is not related to pressure or results, but rather an internal desire that resembles what he lived when he left Barcelona or when he retired.
“Every time I knew when to say enough. It is not physically but mentally … I need a new challenge,” he said.
He stressed that his departure will be a decision stemming from his personal conviction, not from media or mass pressure.
A fiery response to the critics
And about the recent criticisms, especially after a season in which he failed to win titles as usual, the Catalan coach did not hesitate to respond, “Do they wait for me failure? Yes, certainly. I am happy to welcome them. This gives you energy.”
“When you win six titles in the English Premier League, you reach a moment when you collapse. We are human, and this is normal.”
One of the most prominent points that Guardiola, frankly, is unusual, talking about the difficulty of managing the dressing room in a star -filled team, “I have 23 players, and I choose 11 every three days. Others think I do not want them, but I love them more, because I suffer for them.”
Despite his attempts to communicate with everyone, Pep admits the difficulty of always satisfying everyone. “They say: Why did you not choose me?