What life beyond Manchester City has in store for outgoing Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola is set to take a year-long sabbatical after leaving Manchester City and is considered very unlikely to return to club management, according to reports.

The 55-year-old’s impending exit from the Etihad Stadium was widely more or less confirmed in the English press on Monday evening in a development that sent shockwaves through English football, with Guardiola having hinted strongly at staying put after Saturday’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley.

Jacob Steinberg and Jamie Jackson of The Guardian have reported that Guardiola had hoped to keep his decision private for considerably longer – specifically to avoid providing a distraction as Manchester City prepared for Tuesday’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth.

Report: Sabbatical planned, return to club football very unlikely for Pep

According to journalist Sergio A. González, Guardiola is planning a year-long sabbatical following his departure from Manchester City – and it is considered very unlikely that he will return to club management at any point thereafter.

The update raises significant questions about whether the most successful manager in City’s history has effectively coached his last competitive club match.

A return to international management – Guardiola has previously been linked with the Spain and Brazil jobs – remains a theoretical possibility, though the framing of González’s report suggests even that may be a stretch.

Guardiola had been expected to make a formal decision on his future before the end of May, having previously delayed an announcement to allow himself time to reflect after an intense and emotionally demanding season.

Guardiola caught off guard by timing of announcement

The Guardian’s revelation that Guardiola was taken by surprise by the Monday night news is a particularly telling detail. However, Steve Scott has added that Manchester City’s players have known ‘for some time’ that the Catalan would be leaving this summer.

Rather than controlling the narrative around his departure on his own terms and timeline, the information entered the public domain at a moment he had specifically wanted to avoid – the eve of a crucial Premier League fixture on the south coast.

The desire to protect his players from distraction right up until the final whistle of the final game is entirely characteristic of the man.

John Stones described Guardiola as angry at half-time in the FA Cup final than he had ever seen him – a reminder that even in his farewell weeks, the competitive edge has never dimmed.

What does Guardiola’s exit mean for Man City?

Guardiola’s exit brings to an end a nine-year association with Manchester City that has produced the most dominant spells any club has enjoyed in the history of English football.

Bernardo Silva said it best on Saturday evening – “Pep being the best manager in the world, if he stays it’s obviously better.” He is not staying.

City have agreed an initial three year contract with Enzo Maresca to succeed Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, with a formal announcement on Guardiola’s exit expected at some point this week.