Man City Boss Pep Guardiola Hints at Final Chapter in Coaching Career

Pep Guardiola Plans to Step Away from Coaching After Man City

By the time Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract ends in 2027, football may have seen the last of one of its most influential minds in the dugout.

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In a candid conversation with GQ, the City boss opened up about life after the Etihad, and it doesn’t include another touchline. “I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure,” Guardiola said. “It's decided. More than decided.”

For a manager whose trophy cabinet already groans under the weight of success, including six Premier League titles and a historic treble, the end feels both sudden and inevitable. Guardiola, now 54, acknowledged the physical and mental toll the job exacts. “I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body,” he explained.

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The Pattern of Departure

This isn’t the first time Guardiola has reached what he calls a “full stop.” Back in 2012, after four sensational seasons with Barcelona that yielded 14 trophies, he walked away. The script feels familiar.

“I think I know how to stop at the right moment,” he said. “The same thing happened to me with my coaching job [at Barcelona], there came a time when I said enough is enough.”

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Even in a season marked by mid-year struggles, Man City dropped to seventh at one point, as Guardiola kept steering the ship.

The club rebounded strongly, securing a Champions League spot and regrouping for another tilt at domestic and European glory. Still, he admits: “When you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time when you go down. That’s human nature.”

Guardiola’s Legacy

What Guardiola has built at City may well be the capstone of his managerial legacy. A relentless pursuit of excellence. A style of football envied across Europe. And now, a quiet acknowledgement that even the most driven figures need to rest.

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“I’m going to leave,” he repeated. “Because I need to stop.” If this truly is Guardiola’s final act in management, it will be remembered as one of the great closing chapters in football history.

Guardiola has won three UCL titles - two with Barca and one with Man City