Pep Guardiola to take 15-year break after Man City exit
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will take a sabbatical after his current contract expires in 2027, revealing the break could last as long as 15 years.
Speaking to GQ Spain, the 54-year-old reiterated that his departure from City is “more than decided,” adding that the length of his coaching hiatus remains uncertain.
“I know that after this stage with City I’m going to stop, that’s for sure. It’s decided, more than decided,” Guardiola said.
“I don’t know how long I’ll stop for, a year, two years, three, five, ten, fifteen, I don’t know. But I will leave after this spell with City because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body.”
Guardiola, the most successful manager in City’s history with 18 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, endured a challenging 2024–25 season.
The club finished without a trophy for the first time since his arrival in 2016, ending third in the Premier League and suffering an early Champions League exit.
“In every away stadium, the crowd chanted, ‘You’ll be sacked in the morning.’ There’s no other profession where 60,000 people ask you to lose your job,” Guardiola noted.
Despite the downturn, he dismissed notions of failure. “We reached the FA Cup final and finished third. We didn’t finish 12th,” he said.
“Even when I was winning, I didn’t feel we were anything special. Now that we haven’t won, I don’t feel like a failure.”
Looking ahead, Guardiola expects City to bounce back. “It’s been healthy for us. Success can confuse you. This year was different, but I think it will be good for the next five or ten years. And next season, we’ll do better.”
Manchester City begin the new Premier League campaign against Wolves on August 16.
