Pep Guardiola confirms he will take a break from football after leaving Manchester City in 2027. In an honest interview, he reflects on last season’s struggles, the mental toll of management, and why stepping away is now a certainty.
Pep Guardiola has opened up about his future in football, revealing that he intends to take a break from management once his time at Manchester City comes to an end in 2027.
The Spanish coach, who has been at the helm of the club since the 2016/17 season, made the announcement during an in-depth interview with GQ Hype, in which he reflected on the pressures of modern football, his own physical and mental limits, and the lessons learned from a challenging past season.
Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City runs until the summer of 2027, and while he has never hidden his admiration for the club or his satisfaction with the project, he now seems certain about stepping away from the touchline at least temporarily once that chapter concludes.
"I know that after this spell with City, I’m going to stop that’s for sure, it’s decided, more than decided," he revealed. "I don’t know how long I’ll stop for a year, two years, three, five, ten, fifteen I don’t know. But I will stop after this phase with City, because I need to focus on myself, on my body."
The declaration highlights a growing trend among top-level coaches who are acknowledging the immense physical and emotional toll of football management at the elite level. For Guardiola, who has already led Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City through countless intense campaigns filled with trophies and pressure, the idea of rest is no longer optional it's necessary.
Despite the enormous success he has had in Manchester including multiple Premier League titles, domestic cups, and a long-awaited UEFA Champions League win in 2023 Guardiola admitted that last season did not meet expectations. “We should have changed more players, but it’s very easy to say that afterwards,” he reflected. “We went many months without winning games. That had never happened before. But it puts us in our place.”
Those words reflect the humility that has often underpinned Guardiola’s coaching philosophy. While known for his tactical genius and demanding standards, he is also self-aware and reflective, willing to acknowledge missteps or missed opportunities. The 2023/24 campaign may not have brought disaster, but by Guardiola’s own high standards, it was a period that raised questions both about the squad and about his own energy levels.
As the manager of one of the most competitive squads in the world, Guardiola is constantly faced with difficult decisions something he highlighted candidly in the interview.
"I have 23 players and I choose 11 every three days… The others think I don’t want them, but it’s the opposite," he said. "How can there not be conflicts? It’s impossible."
This kind of emotional and psychological strain having to leave out world-class players week after week, while maintaining team harmony and individual motivation has been a recurring theme in modern coaching, especially for managers at clubs like Manchester City, where depth in talent means top players are often left out.
Guardiola’s comments may also be interpreted as a message to fans and the football community: behind the titles and tactics, behind the polished image on the sideline, lies a man who is reaching the limit of what he can give, and who is beginning to long for rest, reflection, and reconnection with life outside the game.
Though he did not rule out a return to management in the future, Guardiola made it clear that his next step will be to step away without any fixed timeline or obligation. Whether that break lasts one year or more than a decade, it will be on his terms.
In the meantime, Guardiola remains fully committed to his remaining years at Manchester City. The club will hope to send him off with yet more silverware, and perhaps even the elusive repeat of a Champions League triumph. But once the final whistle blows on his time in Manchester, it will not be another immediate high-profile job that awaits him it will be silence, rest, and a long overdue pause.
