Pep Guardiola to move on? The recent situation indicates a possible exit for the legendary manager

Pep Guardiola could leave Manchester City at the end of the current season. (Image credits - https://x.com/i/grok)

Manchester City’s turbulent start to the new campaign has been one of the top stories of the season. The team, led by the legendary Pep Guardiola, has faced major downsides this season, indicating a possible departure of the Spanish manager in the upcoming summer.

City’s poor performance this season has been very unexpected. The club’s record since November has been abysmal, with only 4 wins in 17 games played across all competitions, while losing 9. The reigning Premier League champions have also dropped out of the league title race and are currently out of the top 4 as well, being in 7th place. City also find themselves in the danger zone in the league stages of the new Champions League format. Currently standing in 22nd place, Man City are closer to the elimination zone than the direct qualification positions.

Guardiola is experiencing his worst season ever

While such a performance will be an unexpected one for any big club, what makes it even more shocking is that it is happening to a Pep Guardiola team. The Spanish manager is experiencing the worst season in his illustrious managerial career. Guardiola’s managerial career has been a phenomenal one. Pep has won all the trophies he has competed for in his 14-year-long managerial career, experiencing the epitome of success.

However, the current campaign has provided Pep with a new kind of experience, one that he would not want to remember. Guardiola experienced the worst run of results of his entire career two months ago, going 8 games without a win while losing 5 games in a row. According to Transfermarkt.com, City have a loss rate of 26.7% this season, the worst Guardiola has ever experienced in his career. Along with that, City have also conceded the most number of goals by any team in Europe’s top five leagues.

While injuries to key players appear to be the main reason for this downfall, fans speculate the possibility of another reason for the drop in performance. Some speculate about the possibility of a ‘mental fatigue’ to the Spanish manager as he is going through a very difficult phase in his personal as well as professional life.

Can Pep Guardiola leave Man City this summer?

All the chaos in Pep's life is happening amidst the ongoing FFP case against City, whose verdict, if found guilty, would lead to a 100-point deduction for Man City, forcing them to get relegated. Even though Guardiola remains confident regarding the outcome of the verdict, it would still cause a significant amount of tension for him.

While Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension just 4 months ago, stating that he feels “more in love with the game than ever,” things have changed a lot since then for the legendary manager. Problems in his personal life along with City’s downfall could take a big mental toll on the genius manager’s mind.

Mental fatigue has been a big concern in the sporting world, with many athletes and managers now publicly coming out and speaking about its repercussions. One of the biggest examples that the footballing world saw recently was of Pep Guardiola’s rival and dear friend, Jurgen Klopp. The German manager shocked the footballing world by announcing his decision to step down as Liverpool’s manager due to stress and mental fatigue. 

The situation recently hints at the possibility of a similar outcome for someone as passionate as Pep Guardiola. The stress and pressure caused from his recent experience could lead to the Spaniard taking a similar decision like his biggest competitor, Jurgen Klopp.