Pep Guardiola has admitted he may never return to management following his departure from Manchester City, revealing he needs time to “refresh” his personal life.
Pep Guardiola Casts Doubt on Coaching Return After Manchester City Exit
The 55-year-old Catalan coach ended his trophy-laden decade at the Etihad Stadium this summer, stepping away from the game to focus on himself.
In a candid interview filmed weeks after his exit, Guardiola expressed uncertainty about his future in football.
“I don’t even know myself what I’m going to do, honestly. I don’t know,” Guardiola said in an upcoming Amazon documentary.
“But for sure, I will not be… it will be difficult to come back. My feeling today is it will be difficult to come back.”
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss revealed his immediate priority involves rediscovering balance away from the touchline.
“I need to refresh many things in my personal life. And professionally, what I’ve found, I need to find myself a little bit in different things,” he explained.
Guardiola also spoke about his desire to simply switch off – a concept he described using the Catalan word “badar,” meaning to zone out or let time pass.
“Sitting and seeing time go by or the time crosses in front of you. That is one of my main targets I want to do,” he added.
Despite his hesitation, offers have already arrived. The Italy national team approached Guardiola about taking over this summer, but he turned down the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have moved forward by appointing new manager Enzo Maresca, who served as Guardiola’s assistant during the Treble-winning season.
The pair recently met in Barcelona, where Guardiola provided his former colleague with detailed insights into every member of the City squad to ensure a smooth transition.
Guardiola’s comments suggest his sabbatical could extend well beyond the current season.
For now, the most successful manager of his generation appears content to embrace the quiet life – at least for the foreseeable future.
