Hansi Flick on Pep Guardiola exit from Manchester City – “I hope he rests” | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has advised Pep Guardiola to take some time away from management after his exit from Manchester City was announced on Friday. The Barcelona icon is leaving the Etihad after a decade in the Premier League, in which he secured six titles and a Champions League.

After the story leaked on Monday night, but was not made official until Friday, when Manchester City made an announcement. The club has also announced that they will build a statue of Guardiola outside the stadium, and name one of the stands after him.

Hansi Flick on Pep Guardiola exit

Speaking in Barcelona’s final press conference of the season, Flick laughed off the idea that he could spend a decade at Camp Nou. He was full of praise for Guardiola.

“Ten years… I don’t think you’ll see me here. At 70, I don’t think this is the place to be. What Guardiola has done, ten years at a club at that level, is an incredible feat; it’s unbelievable. I’ve always said he’s the best manager in the world, and he’s proven it every single year over the last ten years. Even when things haven’t gone well, he’s always known how to handle it. His role has been fantastic.”

“When we talk about philosophy, his teams always play at the highest level, and he always finds a way to be better than the other teams. And if you look at the titles he’s won, it’s exceptional. I wish him a good rest and hope he takes his time before coming back. He is young enough to do that.”

Guardiola likely to take some time out

Speaking after the announcement, Guardiola told MEN that he was ‘absolutely running out of energy’, and was likely to be out of the game for some time.

“Rest. No plans to train for a while. Otherwise I would be here. I need to step back, I will not train for a while.”

Guardiola has often been associated with the idea of taking over a national team at some point, and after the 2022 World Cup was a target for Brazil. There has also been some suggestion in the past that Guardiola could have interest in managing England.