Pep Guardiola, one of the most successful managers in Premier League history, is being encouraged by those close to him to consider stepping away from Manchester City, despite his contract running until 2027.
The call for Guardiola to leave comes from Carles Planchart, a long-time friend and former colleague who worked with him across several clubs, including at City. In an interview cited by FourFourTwo, Planchart made a bold yet candid suggestion that Guardiola should seek a new challenge while he still has plenty to offer.
“It’s a personal decision he’ll have to make,” said Planchart, who departed the club last season. “I think a project should last five or six years, no more. But not for him, for everyone. Afterwards, you have to regenerate. As a friend, I would tell him to look for a new project because he still has a long way to go.”
Guardiola, now 54, has transformed Manchester City since joining the club in 2016. His honours include six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a long-awaited UEFA Champions League crown, cementing City’s dominance in English football. Yet, despite this unprecedented success, questions continue to swirl around how much longer he’ll remain at the helm.
When recently asked about his future, Guardiola was non-committal but hinted at the potential for either a contract extension or a sabbatical. “I have two more years, maybe I’ll extend two more years,” he said. “So the question is when I will stop – in this year or in two years, or in four years – I will take a break. But now I feel fine, I would say.”
Guardiola’s comments suggest he still finds purpose and energy in his work with the squad. He referenced the recent Club World Cup campaign in the United States as a turning point in terms of team chemistry and motivation.
“The Manchester City team is giving me good vibes, starting from the Club World Cup in the United States. There we created something, I saw something that I liked, that we missed last season,” he explained. “The training sessions, the body language, the details, arriving on time, the backwards, how we defend throw-ins – stupid things that you realise the team is there! And that will help us to be, I think, more consistent than last season.”
Despite his renewed enthusiasm, the debate over Guardiola’s long-term future continues, especially as football enters a new era of managerial transitions. Jurgen Klopp’s recent decision to walk away from Liverpool has only added to the speculation.
For now, Pep Guardiola remains focused on the present – but the message from those closest to him is clear: don’t wait too long to make your next move.