Guardiola: After City I’ll take a break, need to find myself | OneFootball

With his usual lucidity and without leaving room for interpretation, the Catalan coach announced in an interview with GQ Hype that after the conclusion of his contract with the English club, which expires on June 30, 2027, he will take a break from football. A decision already matured, meditated and — in his words — “more than definitive”.

Guardiola announces his future: “After City, I will stop, I need to find myself again”

“I know that after this phase with City, I will stop, that’s for sure, it’s decided. I don’t know for how long: a year, two, five, ten or fifteen. But I need to focus on myself, on my body…”.

One cycle at most, then the need to disconnect Guardiola linked his announcement to the physical and mental fatigue that comes from years at the top, with six Premier League titles won and incessant pressure to perform. A path that, inevitably, has left its mark:

“When you win six championships, there comes a time when you collapse. It’s human. Despite a complex season, we reached the FA Cup final and third in the Premier League. It wasn’t a disaster. We had difficult moments, many injuries, and this forced us to reflect on what didn’t work. But precisely because of this, I believe we will come out stronger”.

Criticisms, the process, and the culture of victory The coach also addressed the issue of criticism, always present in the world of sports, especially when results don’t meet expectations:

“I expected criticism. It’s energy. They are the same people who told me that I only won at Barcelona because I knew the team, and that in England I would never make it. In sports, you can’t always win. Losing is also part of the process”.

Barcelona: a closed chapter Despite recurring speculation about a possible return to Barça, Guardiola ruled out any possibility in a clear manner:

“My adventure at Barcelona is closed forever. It was beautiful, but it’s over”.

A final thought was dedicated to Lamine Yamal, a young talent from Barça already compared to Messi:

“Just the fact that he is compared to Messi is huge. It’s like comparing a painter to Van Gogh. It’s a good sign, but we need to let him grow”.

Towards 2027: a conscious farewell Guardiola’s future seems written: at the end of the 2026-2027 season, the most influential coach of the last twenty years will temporarily leave the benches. He will do so not for lack of stimuli, but for a deep personal need that goes beyond the field. A (temporary) farewell not improvised, but consistent with his idea of football and life: give everything, until you have something to give — then stop.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.