In an interview with GQ magazine, Pep Guardiola said he felt tired. Spanish media predict the 54-year-old captain is considering a 15-year break. Although this is unlikely to happen, it shows that this strategist is feeling too exhausted.
I dont know how long I will be out: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5, 10 or 15 years, I dont know anymore. However, I will leave the Etihad after this stage because I need to focus more on myself and my family" - Pep Guardiola shared.
Pep's sharing was not surprising because Jurgen Klopp, after nearly 15 good seasons with Dortmund and Liverpool (not to mention 7 years at Mainz 05) resigned in the summer of 2024 because he was exhausted and alert enough to realize that.
Last season, especially in the 4 months around Christmas when Man City's form declined, Pep Guardiola looked exhausted. He admitted that the decision to sign a contract extension until 2027 last November was partly due to guilt for the team's poor performance.
Pep Guardiola's case will have two perspectives. On the one hand, fans will admire a coach who feels so deeply responsible for the team. Many people were fired before they had the opportunity to fix the situation, while many people were willing to leave with large compensations and then leave the crisis for successors. On the other hand, many people do not find it positive if a coach has 2 years left on his contract and is thinking about a long break.
The already tiring job of a coach seems to be getting harsher. What makes Pep Guardiola feel the most severe is the line between heroes and failures. The team plays well, wins titles, everything is fine. Even though they have won the title for many years, just one bad season can make everything immediately crumble.
If we look back at the past, the exhaustion of coaches is not new. Brian Clough - the legendary captain of Nottingham Forest (75 - 1993) once described in his memoir that he did not have time to enjoy the victory on Saturday because he had to think about the match on Wednesday next week. That is not the current schedule, when Clough is even famous for his vacation in Mallorca, Spain in the middle of the season.
Although today's coaches include a team of analysts, professional coaches and sports directors to support long-term strategies. However, pressure from fans, the media and the team's internal team still made this work extremely tiring.
In 17 years since leading Barcelona in 2008, Pep Guardiola has not had a quiet season. The opponents constantly researched, analyzed data, and slashed each ball line to find a way to neutralize his tactical system. Pep's genius lies in his ability to constantly develop tactics, always one step ahead of the others.
Today's football world moves faster than ever. What used to take an entire season for the opponent to predict, now takes just a few weeks. To always be a leader, it requires a coach to constantly adapt and that is very tiring.
Fans have seen many coaches with a lot of energy and then gradually fading away and never return to the top like Jose Mourinho. When they are no longer strong enough to lead, everyone gradually slips into a state of exhaustion and gradually falls into forgetfulness.
Pep Guardiola has not reached that level. A coach's decline often does not come in the form of immediate collapse. However, no one can stand at the top forever. After 17 years of being among the world's best coaches, he has begun to feel the burden. Perhaps, the downward cycle has quietly begun. That does not mean an immediate defeat, Pep is still capable of bringing home another Premier League title.
