Pep Guardiola gave an interesting interview in which he gushed about his love of taking Manchester City to various away grounds, suggesting the end is near.
Josep Guardiola looks back on his time at Manchester City (Image: TNT Sports)
Josep Guardiola has once again hinted that an exit from Manchester City, and possibly from management, could be imminent. Guardiola has a contract with City until the summer of 2027, but speculation continues that he could leave at the end of the season.
City have been actively considering candidates to replace the 55-year-old, who has been in charge since 2016. In December, it was reported that the club’s leaders were considering appointing former assistant Enzo Maresca to replace Guardiola, and plans for his successor have been revealed.
It has also been suggested that Guardiola, who enjoyed many successes with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, could move into a new role behind the scenes at City. There have been hints throughout the season that he could leave in the summer, and his comments ahead of City’s Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday sparked speculation among fans.
Asked if he would miss big games such as the Real Madrid game when he retires, Guardiola told TNT Sports: “Of course I will miss those games. I have incredible love for this place and I want to come. The people of Madrid have no expectations, but I have a lot of respect for this organization. They have done a lot of good things for world football.”
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“Yes, I will miss it, but I will miss not going to the Camp Nou, I will miss Bayern Munich – hopefully I can go through there and get there – and when I retire and retire, I will miss it. I will miss it because these nights are very special.”
“I’ll miss Selhurst Park too, I love it. The Premier League, these stadiums. I don’t know, I’ll miss the Champions League, but Fulham, Crystal Palace, this kind of (stadium), Goodison Park, these stadiums are one of the reasons I adore England, I adore the Premier League. These kinds of games, the FA Cup! against League One (teams)… I love it so much! But it’s going to end, right?”
Josep Guardiola oversaw a period of great success at Manchester City (Image: Getty)
After leaving Barcelona in 2012, Guardiola took a year-long hiatus from football before moving to Bayern Munich. And he spoke candidly about his plans in July, suggesting a further break could be on the cards once his time at City is right.
“I know I’m going to quit after this stage at City, that’s for sure, it’s more than decided,” he said. “I don’t know how long I’m going to stop. One year, two years, three years, five years, 10 years, 15 years, I don’t know. But I’m going to stop after this stage with City, because I need to stop and focus on myself, my body…”
“In Catalan, we say badal. Badal, badal, badal… This is what I want to do. When the train goes by, I just stop and watch the cows go by. My grandfather used to say, you look at me like a cow watches a train go by. Well, that’s it. You have to stop and watch the cows go by.”
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