Even after a disappointing season, Manchester City’s management has kept faith in Pep Guardiola. Talking about this, Guardiola also highlighted the harsh realities of professional football.
“It has been a bleak season for me,” Guardiola admitted. Manchester City failed to win any major trophies this time—Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, or FA Cup. Yet, the club stood by him. Reflecting on this, Guardiola said that if he had such a season at Barcelona or Real Madrid, he would definitely have been sacked.
To emphasize his point, he mentioned Carlo Ancelotti’s example. Despite delivering many successes, Ancelotti was shown the door at Real Madrid after a poor season. Now, the experienced Italian coach leads Brazil’s national team.
Guardiola’s survival at City’s dugout is therefore surprising. Since taking charge, the 2024-25 season has been his worst. City finished third in the league, 13 points behind champions Liverpool. They exited early from the Champions League and League Cup. Even their FA Cup hopes were dashed after a defeat to Crystal Palace.
Guardiola, who brought City six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy, endured a tough spell from late October to mid-December last season, losing nine out of 13 matches and leaving the team directionless. Yet despite these setbacks, the club renewed his contract last November.
In an interview with DZAN, Guardiola said, “If the way we went through this season had happened in Spain, I wouldn’t have been in charge by October, November, or December. If it were Barcelona or Real Madrid, they would have fired me. But here, no one even questioned it. You have to be a bit more patient to find success.”
“Look at Carlo Ancelotti’s case. He won the Champions League and La Liga with Real, but now he coaches Brazil.”
Ancelotti’s spot at Real was filled by former player Xabi Alonso, who—like Guardiola—will begin a new challenge at the Club World Cup starting this Saturday.
