Pep Guardiola reveals plans to leave Manchester City: 'I'm going to stop' | OneFootball

After nearly a decade of unprecedented success at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has all but confirmed his intention to step away from football management once his contract at the Etihad Stadium comes to an end.

Speaking in an extended, candid interview with GQ España, Guardiola revealed:

“I know that after this stage with Manchester City I'm going to stop, that's for sure, it's decided, more than decided. I'm going to leave after this stage with Manchester City, because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body…”

The admission marks the clearest indication yet that Guardiola is preparing to walk away from a profession that has consumed him for over two decades. While no official end date was provided, the tone of the interview — personal, philosophical, and at times emotional — underscores the toll top-level coaching has taken on the Catalan.

Burnout, reflection, and the price of success

Guardiola opened up about the intensity of his job and the psychological strain it brings:

“The job of a coach is 24/7. If not, you won't get through it. The pressure on your shoulders is enormous... A friend of mine once told me I have three states as a person: euphoric, depressed, and absent. So the point is to try to stay in the middle of these.”

The City manager even joked about the physical toll his job has taken:

“As I am now, I'm 75 years old [laughs]. I'm a wreck, everything hurts right now…”

And yet, even amid exhaustion, Guardiola expressed a deep love for the game and the imperfections that come with it:

“I'm delighted to have failed. I love failures. In this society where everything has to be perfect... yes, I'm sad, I fail, and I lose. So? Name one who doesn't.”

On criticism, pressure, and perspective

Guardiola addressed the unique scrutiny managers face — and how he has learned to embrace it:

“There's no profession — architect, teacher, doctor, journalist — that 60,000 people want you to lose your job. But our profession is so well-paid we can accept this...

“If things go wrong, people comment that. Why? Because it's very emotional, pure adrenaline. It's my team against the neighbour's team. I'm going to laugh at them if I win, they laugh at me if my team loses.”

Rather than resisting criticism, Guardiola sees it as a privilege:

“In any specialty, if you were lucky enough to be observed, judged, admired, praised, criticised the same way, you'd be lucky to have the luck we have in our profession.”

A club at a crossroads

📸 Clive Brunskill - 2025 Getty Images

Guardiola acknowledged City's recent struggles, including a season that fell short of expectations:

“When you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time when you go downhill. It's human nature. We probably should've moved more players... But it's very easy to say after the fact.”

He continued:

“Players got injured a lot. And you ask: Why have they been getting injured so much when they didn't before? Because the focus is no longer on what you have to do. When the focus is no longer on what you have to do, you get injured more.”

Despite finishing third in the league and reaching the FA Cup final, Guardiola admitted the season was humbling:

“It puts you in your place... Speaking on behalf of Manchester City, it's been very healthy for us. Success confuses you.”

Final thoughts from a man ready to step away

Though Guardiola remains fiercely competitive, the pull of personal freedom is growing stronger:

“There will come a day when I'll say enough, I no longer feel like dealing with players, tactics, press conferences every three days, my boss... I'll say: Now I'm my own boss, I no longer have to set the alarm, I can decide my own life. One day I'll stop and come back later, or not...”

And yet, even with the end in sight, Pep’s motivation remains undimmed:

“The important thing is to give your all, do it well. I haven't given up on that... Next year I'm going to do better. That's what it's all about.”

Legacy and the road ahead

Guardiola’s words are likely to send shockwaves through the football world — not only because of what he has meant to Manchester City, but because his departure would mark the end of one of the most influential managerial reigns in modern football.

Whether Guardiola takes a sabbatical, retires permanently, or eventually returns to the bench, one thing is clear: his departure from City will leave a legacy difficult to replicate.

📸 MOHAMED TAGELDIN