Pep Guardiola’s glorious spell at Manchester City looks to be coming to an end in familiar fashion
Pep Guardiola’s gave brutally honest reasons for leaving his previous clubs amid his impending departure from Manchester City.
Following a trophy-laden 10 years in charge, Sunday’s final-day encounter against Aston Villa is set to be his last at the helm. Guardiola’s tenure at City exceeds his combined periods with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. He spent four years managing Barca before taking a year’s sabbatical.
Upon returning to management, he oversaw Bayern from 2013 to 2016. While departing Barca, the club with which he is inextricably linked, proved difficult, Guardiola provided a straightforward justification, saying: “I felt as if I could no longer lift the team.”
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In the interview with Audi in 2014, he added: “We were incredibly successful. Winning 14 trophies in only four years was the greatest period in the club’s history. But gradually, I found it more and more difficult to motivate myself and to motivate the team. That is when you know it is time to walk away.”
He also departed Bayern amicably, candidly acknowledging that he didn’t extend his contract with the German powerhouse because he wished to challenge himself in English football.
After announcing his decision to leave Bavaria, he said: “I want to experience a new city and I want to work in England. That is the reason I have taken this decision.
“If I were 60, 65 years old, I’d stick with Bayern, but I think I’m too young. I need a new challenge. My career is a long way from over and when I have a new club it will be the club that makes the announcement.”
Earlier that season, Guardiola had apologised to Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who revealed: “At the Christmas party, he came to me, he told me that he was looking for a new challenge and almost apologised. It was clearly difficult for him, I’m not disappointed in him.”
Guardiola, who has previously indicated an interest in international management, may once again find himself needing a fresh challenge after a decade at City.
Speaking following the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, which handed Arsenal the title, Guardiola declined to comment on his future. He said: “With the club, I always talk but not now.
“Three, four seasons ago, when there was one year left, the first thing you have to understand, I should talk with my chairman first.
“And when I talk with my chairman, we (may) decide to have one more year, we will talk (about) everything and we will decide. We (will) talk in the next days.”
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