Pep Guardiola is preparing for his exit at Manchester City after securing a fourth straight Premier League title, with the 53-year-old decided on his departure date
Pep Guardiola could step down as Manchester City manager at the end of next season no matter what he achieves in 2024/25.
Guardiola is fresh from securing a sixth Premier League title in seven seasons and an unprecedented fourth in succession. The Catalan has now won 15 trophies in total at City since joining the club in the summer of 2016 and is approaching the end of his tenure.
The 53-year-old’s current contract is due to expire next summer and, although the City hierarchy would like to keep him, the Daily Mail reports that he has already called time on his stint. While he hasn’t yet made that clear to his employers, Guardiola did hint at his thinking after the 3-1 win which secured the Premier League title last weekend.
DON’T SCRAP REPLAYS! Join our petition to keep the magic of the FA Cup alive!
“The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying [after next season],” he said. “We have talked with the club – my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years – we will see.
“What I want for my players is to enjoy two or three days [of this title success] and then we have two days to prepare for the final. But right now I don’t know what exactly the motivation is to do it [next season] because it’s difficult to find it when everything is done. But knowing the players and myself I know that when we are there we will say why should we not win today? Why should we not work as much as possible to do what we have to do? And I know we are going to do it [work].”
His admission and its timing surprised City supporters, who were busy celebrating yet another trophy. Guardiola has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, the Club World Cup, the Super Cup and two Community Shields at City. He has established the Abu Dhabi-owned club at the very pinnacle of the sport, but – like Jurgen Klopp, who stepped down at Liverpool this summer after eight and a half years – he is growing weary.
Speaking last weekend of the feeling after he won the Champions League last season, he said: “After Istanbul I said: ‘It’s over, there’s nothing left.’ But I have a contract, I’m still here,” he said. “Some moments I’m a bit tired but some of the moments I love and we are here winning games, looking good with new players. I start to think that no one has done four in a row, why don’t we try? And now I feel it’s done, so what next?”
City paraded their fourth successive Premier League trophy on an open-top bus tour around Manchester on Sunday. Guardiola was seen taking in the adulation of the crowd while smoking a cigar.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.