Pep Guardiola identifies national “problem” for Academy players in English football | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes there is an ongoing “problem” with the development of Academy players in English football.

Guardiola’s comments come at a time when City’s youth system is again under the spotlight, following several high-profile Academy graduates being handed opportunities in domestic cup competitions.

Recent matches have reinforced how best to bridge the gap between youth football and the elite professional environment, and while City’s Academy sides regularly dominate at youth level, Guardiola has often stressed technical quality alone is not enough to prepare players for senior football.

That conversation was further fuelled by Manchester City’s emphatic 10-1 FA Cup third round victory over Exeter – a match that highlighted the contrast between competitive senior football in front of large crowds and the often sterile environments young players experience during their formative years.

Speaking during a recent media conference, Guardiola was quizzed for his thoughts on Manchester City’s Academy system and the quality of players being developed through into his first-team squad.

“Always I had the feeling I should look a little bit more to the academy. If I had a little regret in my tenure here in 10 years, it’s go a little bit more there. I always had the feeling that it helps you, always,” Guardiola admitted.

“But at the same time, they’re not a final product as an academy player. Maybe we’re not able to win six Premier League [titles]. Because to do that, it’s not about skills, it’s composure, what they have to do in every single moment, every single minute of the game and that gives you the time, many, many years in one team. The young lads don’t have that,” he continued.

The Manchester City boss was further questioned on whether the personality and character of the club’s young talents is also being worked on in their development, to which he responded by highlighting what he believes to be a core issue within the English game.

“The only problem in the academy, do you know what it is? It’s they play here in this stadium [Joie Stadium], with 10 people. This is a problem. The quality is there, with 10 people, with [games against] the same age,” he insisted.

“And that’s why to grow up, to be a better player as quick as possible, that’s not the way. Playing against Exeter, that is the way. You have been in front of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40,000 people, that support unconditionally, like fathers, with three kids at home – that’s the challenge.”

Guardiola continued, “Skills are there. Skills is not the question. All academies, I’m pretty sure [Manchester] United and Liverpool or the Chelsea’s, and this country loses an amount of incredible English talent players, young players. They grow up, they don’t compete.”

His remarks are likely to reignite the wider debate around the structure of English youth development, particularly the limited exposure young players receive to hostile atmospheres and senior-level pressure.

Looking ahead, Pep Guardiola’s comments may influence how Manchester City manage the next wave of Academy talents, with more emphasis on competitive senior environments rather than prolonged youth-level dominance.

For English football as a whole, Guardiola’s warning serves as a reminder that technical excellence must be matched by real-world experience, and perhaps without it, the pathway from prodigy to Premier League regular risks becoming increasingly narrow.