This Has Been the Toughest of My 16-Year Managerial Career, Says Pep Guardiola 

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has candidly admitted that this season has been the most challenging of his illustrious 16-year managerial career.

Despite his team’s unprecedented success in recent years, including four consecutive Premier League titles, City’s form has drastically declined since late October.

The Spaniard, who has enjoyed glittering spells at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, has experienced little but success throughout his career.

However, this season has been a stark contrast, with City’s Premier League title challenge collapsing and their Champions League campaign ending prematurely at the hands of Real Madrid.

Although City can still finish the season on a high note by securing a top-five spot and winning the FA Cup, as well as competing in the Club World Cup, Guardiola’s assessment of the season remains unchanged.

“It’s been the most difficult season, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s been more demanding, emotionally and in terms of preparation. Even when we didn’t win in previous seasons, it was still easier than this one.”

Guardiola has attributed City’s decline to a combination of factors, including injuries to key players like midfielder Rodri, and a drop in form from several individuals. He has also taken responsibility for the team’s struggles, acknowledging that he failed to find a way to motivate his players and secure wins.

“We had a lot of injuries, and we didn’t have the energy,” Guardiola explained. “We tried most of the time, but we were not able to do it. I didn’t find the way to make them feel comfortable and win games.” Despite this, Guardiola remains proud of his team’s resilience, saying, “We didn’t give up. We’re still fighting to qualify for the Champions League, which is a big prize, and the FA Cup.”

As City prepares to face relegated Southampton on Saturday, Guardiola is focused on ending the season on a positive note and securing a top-four finish. While this season may not have lived up to City’s high standards, Guardiola is determined to learn from the experience and come back stronger next season.