Pep’s Guardiola’s rationalization for quitting job says lots as Man City in turmoil

Pep Guardiola is under serious pressure at Manchester City after a run of just three wins in their last 12 matches – and the legendary manager has quit a club for similar reasons before

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has come under scrutiny after yet another defeat – taking the champions’ astonishing slump to nine losses in their last 12 games.

Phil Foden’s goal in a 2-1 loss against Aston Villa did little to lift the gloom over Guardiola’s injury-hit side, whose standards have visibly slipped since their historic treble win in 2023, with the club in turmoil on and off the pitch and still awaiting the verdict of a hearing into their alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial rules, which they deny.

It seems even Guardiola has his breaking point, reminiscent of his departure from Barcelona in 2012 after reaching the zenith of European football. With City faltering, supporters can’t help but draw parallels with Guardiola’s past, when he lifted the Catalan side to legendary status, before admitting the immense success took its toll.

“We were incredibly successful,” Guardiola reflected in a candid chat with Audi back in 2014. “Winning 14 trophies in only four years was the greatest period in the club’s history.“But gradually I found it more and more difficult to motivate myself and to motivate the team. That is when you know it is time to walk away.”

Like the Barcelona team of 2012, City have seen a decline from their previous highs due to concerns over an ageing squad. The club currently sit seventh in the Premier League, 22nd in the restructured Champions League table, and have already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup, reports the Mirror.

Guardiola, at 53, clinched his first Premier League title in his second season at City, and the club has added five more top-tier titles to its trophy cabinet in the six seasons since. However, their recent slump shows they are not exempt from the cyclical nature of sport.Players such as Kyle Walker, 34, Ederson, 31, Ilkay Gundogan, 34, and the injury-prone Kevin De Bruyne, 33, have come under scrutiny for being past their prime at City. And with a number of senior contracts set to expire in 2026 and 2027 – including Guardiola’s – it seems City may be approaching the end of an era.

There’s also the small matter of City awaiting the verdict of their hearing into alleged spending breach charges. Serious accusations of improper spending and financial doping have loomed over the club for some time now, with the outcome of that verdict expected to arrive sometime in early 2025.Between this uncertainty and the recent disappointment caused by on-field results, it appears motivation is indeed low at the Etihad. And it wouldn’t be the first time that this very issue has led Guardiola to sever ties with a club out of fear he can no longer make his desired impact.

City next face Sean Dyche’s resurgent Everton at home at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.