NEW DELHI: Pep Guardiola has revealed he intends to pause his football career after departing Manchester City, though he remains uncertain about complete retirement.
Having extended his contract until June 2027 last November, the 54-year-old’s tenure at the Etihad would reach 11 years.
His City stint surpasses his previous managerial roles, including four years at Barcelona and three years leading Bayern Munich.
Under Guardiola’s leadership, City has achieved unprecedented success, securing six Premier League titles and their first Champions League trophy as part of the 2022/23 treble, although current season performances have been challenging.
“After my contract with City, I’m going to stop. I’m sure,” Guardiola told ESPN. “I don’t know if I’m going to retire, but I’m going to take a break. How I want to be remembered, I don’t know.
“All coaches want to win so we can have a memorable job, but I believe that the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City had fun watching my teams play. I don’t think we should ever live thinking about whether we’re going to be remembered.
“When we die, our families cry for two or three days and then that’s it — you’re forgotten. In the careers of coaches, there are good and bad ones, the important thing is that the good ones are remembered for longer.”
City, currently fourth, face Wolves on Friday. Despite being favourites for a fifth consecutive Premier League title, they experienced a significant decline.
With four league matches remaining, they trail champions Liverpool by 21 points and are competing to secure Champions League qualification.
Speaking about their FA Cup final appearance against Crystal Palace, Guardiola described this season as educational, acknowledging surprise at City’s substantial decline.
“I knew there would be a moment when we would fall, but we fell a lot,” he said. “We didn’t expect to be so far, but we can’t win them all.
“What we did during 10, nine years was exceptional, but now we have to sit down and learn to try to understand what we need to produce in the future.”
In December, Guardiola stated he wouldn’t manage another club after City, though he remained open to national team management.
