Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has opened up about the toll of football management and his aspirations for life beyond the game, admitting that stepping away from the sport eventually “would do me good.”
Guardiola is currently experiencing a rare struggling period at City, having recently signed a two-year contract extension despite his side suffering four consecutive Premier League defeats.
Pep Guardiola Admits “A Break Would Do Me Good”
Speaking on chef Dani Garcia’s YouTube show Desmontadito, Guardiola expressed a desire for a quieter phase of life once his time at City ends.
While reaffirming his current dedication to the club, the Spaniard reflected on the future, saying, “I want to leave it and go and play golf, but I can’t. A time will come when I feel it’s enough, and I’ll definitely stop then.”
Guardiola also ruled out managing another club once he leaves Manchester City.
“I’m still here doing what I am today,” Guardiola said. “But the thought of starting off somewhere else, with all the process of the training and so on… no, no, no! Maybe a national team, but that’s different.”
🔵❗️ Pep Guardiola: “The solution to our problems is to give me my players back and we will do it”.
“But it’s not possible right now, and I think it’s going to happen for a long time…”. pic.twitter.com/42VRJBN3uc
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 10, 2024
Speaking from Tast, a Catalan-inspired restaurant he co-owns in Manchester, Guardiola also reflected on the pressures football managers face, particularly after a string of defeats:
“You might have friends around you, but when you close that bedroom door and turn off the light, there’s no consolation. The pain of defeat, you feel it alone.”
To cope, Guardiola turns to golf, explaining how the sport helps him unwind while preparing for matches:
“A bottle of wine, a glass of wine, work and hearing: ‘Now so and so, Tiger Woods, is going to tee off.’ Watching golf while working makes me a better manager.”
Guardiola’s Plans for Life Beyond Football
Guardiola also shared a glimpse into the pursuits he hopes to explore after stepping away from the management.
These include learning French, improving his cooking skills, and dedicating more time to golf – a hobby he described as therapeutic.
“When I stop, there’s several things I want to do,” Guardiola said. “One of them is to learn French, dedicate my free time to myself so I can play golf, and then begin to learn how to cook simple things.”
