Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola addressed the media following the confirmation of his upcoming departure from the club at the end of the current season. His final match in charge will be against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off at 16:00 BST.
Key takeaways from his press conference include:
Guardiola described leading Manchester City as “the experience of my life” and stated he is departing with “incredible peace” because he “gave everything for this club.”
Regarding the timing of his decision, he explained: “It’s the time. It’s a process I have felt for a while. 10 years is a lot of time and I think the club needs a new manager and new energy with the incredible players we have right now. Start to write another chapter. I did my best. I gave everything until my last drop of what I have.”
He explicitly linked his decision to energy levels, adding: “I feel I will not have the energy required to deliver every day the expectations of titles and being around the players. I know myself. It’s not because of ambition, or [that] I don’t want to try it again.”
Elaborating on the demands of the role, Guardiola stated: “The passion and energy I’ve always had since I was a little boy, I don’t feel like I will have in the future. I have to be honest to the club that gave me everything and to the people that rely on me.”
He confirmed plans to “take a step back” from football to “rest,” indicating he has “no plans” to return to coaching “for a while.”
Guardiola shared that he informed the players of his decision this morning, humorously noting that “the speech was a disaster” due to his nervousness.
The timing of the announcement today was because they “cannot fight for anything else” in terms of trophies, and he wishes to “say a proper goodbye on Sunday” at the Etihad.
He deemed it “the perfect time” to leave, as the team is “much better than last season” after a period of rebuilding.
On the North Stand being named in his honor: “Speechless. No words. They called me this morning and said the club took the decision. I like to feel that my vibe and my energy will be there forever. I like that feeling. In the bad moments, they can look for Pep and I will send good energy to the team and club.”
