Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that exhaustion and the need for “new energy” influenced his decision to leave the club after a historic 10-year spell in charge.
Guardiola confirmed that Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa will be his final game as Manchester City manager, bringing an end to one of the most successful managerial eras in the club’s history.
The Spaniard leaves the Etihad Stadium after winning 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and Manchester City’s first UEFA Champions League crown.
Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola said he believes the club now needs a fresh direction to continue progressing.
He said: “I think the club needs a new manager, new energy with these incredible players that we have right now, and you start to write another chapter.”
The 55-year-old admitted that nearly two decades of nonstop football management had drained him physically and mentally.
He said: “I feel I will not have the energy that is required, every three days, the expectations to fight for the titles, with being in front of the players.”
Guardiola also disclosed that he plans to take a break from coaching despite remaining within the City Football Group as a global ambassador.
He said: “I will not train for a while.”
Reflecting on the demands of his coaching career, Guardiola said the pressure of elite football management had become relentless after spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
He said: “It’s not 10 years. I’ve been, except for a year in New York, I’ve been 17, 18 years, every three days, three days, three days.”
“I need to breathe a little bit and relax.
“I’ll be a while, that is my feeling right now.”
Guardiola leaves Manchester City widely regarded as the most successful manager in the club’s history after transforming the club into a dominant force in English and European football.
