Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed to Sky Sports he will “take a break” from football when he leaves the club, but he will not retire.
In the hours before City’s home Premier League game against Wolves, quotes from Guardiola in an ESPN Brasil interview emerged where he vowed to “stop” when he left his role as Man City boss and was unsure whether he would retire.
The Spaniard signed a new deal at the Etihad Stadium in November, tying himself to the club for two more seasons until June 2027.
Asked to clarify his comments by Sky Sports ahead of the match against Wolves, Guardiola said: “I didn’t say I was leaving now or at the end of the season. If they sack me, then yes!
Guardiola has been in charge of Man City since the summer of 2016
“I said that when I finish my time here in I don’t know one, two, three, four, five or years, I don’t know, I will take a break, so I’m not retired, but I will take a break, for sure.”
He added: “Do you know what a two-year contract for a manager in football means? It’s an eternity, so what I’m saying is that when I’m finished here, I will take a break.
“I will need to make a stop, that’s all.”
Ex-Man City defender Micah Richards then joked to Guardiola he should stay for another 10 years, but a smiling Guardiola replied: “It’s not going to happen.”
Guardiola has previously taken a year off after he left Barcelona before joining Bayern Munich in 2013.
Pep critical of his management this season
Guardiola admitted he has struggled this season
The Spaniard has enjoyed a trophy-laden time at City since taking charge in 2016, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League.
But City have been off the pace this season, sitting 21 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool and are scrambling to stay in the Champions League places, although they can still win silverware with an FA Cup final to come against Crystal Palace at Wembley on May 17.
Guardiola believes their injury-hit season, which included a seven-game winless run, has been a “good experience” for him.
He told Sky Sports: “What happened in November and December when we were not able to win games, of course, I thought, ‘What can I do?’
“I didn’t click, I didn’t find a way because I had the feeling the players still follow me, but I didn’t find the problems.
“I said many times, when we won the Premier League in the previous season we always had problems, always we had injuries, but not this incredible amount.
“I don’t know when a team can sustain without having the best player in the world [Rodri] all season, and the best player in the Premier League last season – Phil (Foden) has had injury problems. Kevin (De Bruyne) has come back at the end.
Man City midfielder Rodri has returned to training after recovering from an ACL injury
“There was a moment with four central defenders out, so it’s difficult to sustain every three days.
“But I should have found something, but I didn’t find it.
“For example, (James) McAtee and Nico O’Riley didn’t play and in the last period they have played, so why didn’t they play, I ask myself now.
“They have proved I was wrong and they could play and I didn’t do it so I didn’t find the way to do it. It’s been a good experience for me, and hopefully next season I can be a little bit more brilliant to find more comfortable positions with the players, and hopefully we can finish this season with the FA Cup, and especially qualify for the Champions League next season.”
Carra: Pep will deserve a year’s break
Jamie Carragher believes Pep Guardiola deserves a break when he finishes at Man City
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher believes the 54-year-old will “deserve” a break when he takes one.
He told Sky Sports News: “I think they’ll have the reset in terms of what they’ll do in the market in the summer, and there was a lot of talk of Pep maybe leaving this season, but he signed a contract this season.
“Everybody who works with him tells you how intense he is, so uncertain players can’t put up with that so long. That’s why it feels at times there is a lot of change at Manchester City in terms of personnel. If someone’s not happy, they get moved on quite quickly because even though Pep is the most successful coach we’ve probably ever seen and probably ever will see.
“It is tough working with him, so you can imagine what it’s like when he’s taken his work home with him, and he’s been here a long time as well.
“He’s been very successful and he deserves a break of a year if he needs it – if he feels he needs one, he needs one.”
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Champions League final: How to watch, dates, kick-off times – and the teams analysed
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal in the second semi-final on Wednesday night to set up a Champions League final against Inter at the end of this month.The Serie A club were beaten finalists two season ago, while PSG have never been European champions.Here The Athletic brings you all the information on the final, the finalists and how they got there.What happened in the semi-finals?Inter and Barcelona put their hat in the ring for the best Champions League semi-final of all time, with their two clashes. The first leg was a six-goal thriller at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Then came Tuesday’s second leg. Inter took a 2-0 lead before half-time, but Barcelona were level within the first 15 minutes of the second half. Raphinha thought he had won the game with his 87th-minute goal before Francesco Acerbi popped up in the box […]
Former Lakers star, head coach Byron Scott accused of sexually assaulting teenager in 1987 in new lawsuit
Content warning: This article contains depictions of alleged sexual assault.Former Los Angeles Lakers guard and head coach Byron Scott was accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in 1987 in a new lawsuit that was amended earlier this month.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA woman filed a lawsuit against Scott in December 2022, alleging that he sexually assaulted her during a team event at her high school nearly four decades ago when he was a member of the Lakers. Scott had fought to keep his name off the court documents initially, according to The Associated Press, and he was initially identified as “John Doe.”A judge denied his request in August, however, which is why he is now being named publicly for the first time. The lawsuit was then amended officially on May 1.According to the lawsuit, the incident took place in 1987 when Scott was 26 […]
Diego Souza crava placar de Central Córdoba x Flamengo na Libertadores: “Seco”
Central Córdoba x Flamengo, pela Libertadores • Divulgação/X Central Córdoba Torcedor declarado do Vasco, Diego Souza deixou a rivalidade de lado e acredita em uma vitória do Flamengo sobre o Central Córdoba, nesta quarta-feira (7), às 21h30 (de Brasília), pela fase de grupos da Libertadores. Contudo, o ex-meio-campista deixou claro que estará na torcida pelo time argentino nesta noite. Vale lembrar que no Maracanã, o Rubro-Negro foi surpreendido, sendo derrotado por 2 a 1. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Por tudo que aconteceu no Maracanã, os argentinos saíram cantando musiquinha… acho que o Flamengo vai jogar um jogo interessante. Não vou torcer pelo Flamengo, mas com a razão eu vou de Flamengo. Seco”, disse Diego Souza. Neste momento, o Central Córdoba lidera o Grupo C com sete pontos ganhos. Em segundo lugar está a LDU, com cinco somados. Na sequência aparece o Flamengo […]
ESPN open to paying SEC more to add ninth conference football game to schedule: Sources
ESPN has indicated a willingness to increase its payment to the SEC if the conference adds a ninth game to its league football schedule, sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic.There is no formal offer yet, those sources added, and the exact amount of the increase is unclear. But the sources said the additional money would likely be in the range of $50-80 million annually on top of the current deal, in which ESPN pays the conference $811 million per year to broadcast its sporting events. Both ESPN and the SEC declined to comment.AdvertisementA change in ESPN’s stance doesn’t mean the SEC will definitely move to playing nine conference games. Now the main hurdle to expanding the league schedule may be the future College Football Playoff format, which isn’t likely to be determined until at least June. That makes […]
Cicinho indica time “imparável” no futebol brasileiro: “Difícil segurar”
Cicinho é comentarista da Band (Reprodução/YouTube) Cicinho avalia que os tropeços recentes do Flamengo não tiram da equipe dirigida pelo técnico Filipe Luís o favoritismo e a força que a equipe tem na luta pelos títulos na temporada 2025. Em participação no Jogo Aberto, da Band, nesta quarta-feira (7), o comentarista do programa avaliou o duelo do time rubro-negro com o Central Córdoba, logo mais às 21h30 (de Brasília), pela Copa Libertadores. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O Flamengo vai entrar hoje em campo para ganhar, não para empatar. E o Flamengo quando entra para ganhar é difícil segurar, porque tem jogadores de extrema qualidade. Se tiver um ou outro jogador com uma dorzinha, vai entrar em campo porque é um momento chave na competição para o Flamengo”, disse Cicinho, lembrando que o time carioca é o terceiro colocado do Grupo C, com […]
Shields to make heavyweight title defence against Daniels in Detroit
Claressa Shields will return to Detroit to make a heavyweight championship defence on July 26.New Zealand's Lani Daniels will challenge Shields for the undisputed heavyweight title at the Little Caesars Arena. Shields became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing when she beat Danielle Perkins earlier this year to unify the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC belts.Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and unbeaten professional champion at super-welter, middle and super-middleweight, dropped Perkins on course to taking unanimous points decision. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Unified welterweight champion Lauren Price is targeting a future fight with pound-for-pound superstar Shields The 36-year-old Daniels is the IBF's light-heavyweight world titlist, having previously been their heavyweight champion. She is unbeaten in her last nine bouts with a 11-2-2 (1) record. The home of the Detroit Red Wings […]
Related
Champions League final: How to watch, dates, kick-off times – and the teams analysed
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal in the second semi-final on Wednesday night to set up a Champions League final against Inter at the end of this month.The Serie A club were beaten finalists two season ago, while PSG have never been European champions.Here The Athletic brings you all the information on the final, the finalists and how they got there.What happened in the semi-finals?Inter and Barcelona put their hat in the ring for the best Champions League semi-final of all time, with their two clashes. The first leg was a six-goal thriller at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Then came Tuesday’s second leg. Inter took a 2-0 lead before half-time, but Barcelona were level within the first 15 minutes of the second half. Raphinha thought he had won the game with his 87th-minute goal before Francesco Acerbi popped up in the box […]
Former Lakers star, head coach Byron Scott accused of sexually assaulting teenager in 1987 in new lawsuit
Content warning: This article contains depictions of alleged sexual assault.Former Los Angeles Lakers guard and head coach Byron Scott was accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in 1987 in a new lawsuit that was amended earlier this month.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA woman filed a lawsuit against Scott in December 2022, alleging that he sexually assaulted her during a team event at her high school nearly four decades ago when he was a member of the Lakers. Scott had fought to keep his name off the court documents initially, according to The Associated Press, and he was initially identified as “John Doe.”A judge denied his request in August, however, which is why he is now being named publicly for the first time. The lawsuit was then amended officially on May 1.According to the lawsuit, the incident took place in 1987 when Scott was 26 […]
Diego Souza crava placar de Central Córdoba x Flamengo na Libertadores: “Seco”
Central Córdoba x Flamengo, pela Libertadores • Divulgação/X Central Córdoba Torcedor declarado do Vasco, Diego Souza deixou a rivalidade de lado e acredita em uma vitória do Flamengo sobre o Central Córdoba, nesta quarta-feira (7), às 21h30 (de Brasília), pela fase de grupos da Libertadores. Contudo, o ex-meio-campista deixou claro que estará na torcida pelo time argentino nesta noite. Vale lembrar que no Maracanã, o Rubro-Negro foi surpreendido, sendo derrotado por 2 a 1. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Por tudo que aconteceu no Maracanã, os argentinos saíram cantando musiquinha… acho que o Flamengo vai jogar um jogo interessante. Não vou torcer pelo Flamengo, mas com a razão eu vou de Flamengo. Seco”, disse Diego Souza. Neste momento, o Central Córdoba lidera o Grupo C com sete pontos ganhos. Em segundo lugar está a LDU, com cinco somados. Na sequência aparece o Flamengo […]
ESPN open to paying SEC more to add ninth conference football game to schedule: Sources
ESPN has indicated a willingness to increase its payment to the SEC if the conference adds a ninth game to its league football schedule, sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic.There is no formal offer yet, those sources added, and the exact amount of the increase is unclear. But the sources said the additional money would likely be in the range of $50-80 million annually on top of the current deal, in which ESPN pays the conference $811 million per year to broadcast its sporting events. Both ESPN and the SEC declined to comment.AdvertisementA change in ESPN’s stance doesn’t mean the SEC will definitely move to playing nine conference games. Now the main hurdle to expanding the league schedule may be the future College Football Playoff format, which isn’t likely to be determined until at least June. That makes […]
Cicinho indica time “imparável” no futebol brasileiro: “Difícil segurar”
Cicinho é comentarista da Band (Reprodução/YouTube) Cicinho avalia que os tropeços recentes do Flamengo não tiram da equipe dirigida pelo técnico Filipe Luís o favoritismo e a força que a equipe tem na luta pelos títulos na temporada 2025. Em participação no Jogo Aberto, da Band, nesta quarta-feira (7), o comentarista do programa avaliou o duelo do time rubro-negro com o Central Córdoba, logo mais às 21h30 (de Brasília), pela Copa Libertadores. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O Flamengo vai entrar hoje em campo para ganhar, não para empatar. E o Flamengo quando entra para ganhar é difícil segurar, porque tem jogadores de extrema qualidade. Se tiver um ou outro jogador com uma dorzinha, vai entrar em campo porque é um momento chave na competição para o Flamengo”, disse Cicinho, lembrando que o time carioca é o terceiro colocado do Grupo C, com […]
Shields to make heavyweight title defence against Daniels in Detroit
Claressa Shields will return to Detroit to make a heavyweight championship defence on July 26.New Zealand's Lani Daniels will challenge Shields for the undisputed heavyweight title at the Little Caesars Arena. Shields became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing when she beat Danielle Perkins earlier this year to unify the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC belts.Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and unbeaten professional champion at super-welter, middle and super-middleweight, dropped Perkins on course to taking unanimous points decision. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Unified welterweight champion Lauren Price is targeting a future fight with pound-for-pound superstar Shields The 36-year-old Daniels is the IBF's light-heavyweight world titlist, having previously been their heavyweight champion. She is unbeaten in her last nine bouts with a 11-2-2 (1) record. The home of the Detroit Red Wings […]
Be the first to leave a comment