MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola said he plans to “rest” after announcing his departure from Manchester City and insisted he won’t work again “for a while.”
Guardiola confirmed on Friday that he will end his 10-year reign at the Etihad Stadium after Sunday’s final game of the season against Aston Villa.
The 55-year-old has been linked with national team jobs in the future, but he’s set to take a break before deciding what comes next.
“Now rest,” Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.
“No plans to train for a while. Otherwise, I will be here. And I need to step back, I will not train for a while.”
Read more:Man City ‘should be angry’ after not winning Premier League – Erling Haaland
When Jurgen Klopp stepped down as Liverpool boss in 2024 the German coach cited a lack of energy as his main reason for leaving Anfield.
Asked whether he was experiencing the same thing, Guardiola agreed.
“Absolutely,” he said.
Check out the most impressive stats from Pep Guardiola’s 10 years at Manchester City, after the club confirmed he will leave at the end of the season.
“I feel I will not have the energy that is required every three days to fight for titles, being in front of the players.
Read more:Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah’s social media outburst: ‘We both want what’s best for Liverpool’
“I know, myself, I have that energy but I feel I will not have that. It’s been 10 years.
“The biggest decisions happen not because I don’t have that ambition or I don’t want to try it again but it’s the perfect moment and time.”
–
Guardiola said after the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday — which confirmed Arsenal as champions — that he would talk to City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak about his future.
He told the City squad about his intention to quit on Friday morning, but admitted he had felt this could be his last season “for a while.”
Read more:Real Madrid to bid adiós to captain Dani Carvajal after 13 seasons
“It’s not about when [the decision was made],” said Guardiola.
“It’s not today or tomorrow, it’s a time that you feel OK let’s do it.
“It’s not yesterday or one week ago. It’s a little bit but of course we are in competition and I need the players to be with me and me with them.
“The moment we cannot fight for anything else, that is the moment to say I want to say a proper goodbye to my people on Sunday.”
