Pep Guardiola says he will take a break from management after he leaves Manchester City, though he does not know when he will retire.
Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension in November, extending his stay at the club until June 2027.
By that time the 54-year-old will have been at City for 11 years – he spent four years as Barcelona manager before taking charge of Bayern Munich for three.
“After my contract with City, I’m going to stop. I’m sure,” Guardiola told ESPN, external.
“I don’t know if I’m going to retire, but I’m going to take a break.”
Speaking to Sky Sports on Friday, Guardiola clarified that he won’t necessarily leave City at the end of his current contract.
“I didn’t say I’m leaving now or at the end of season or the end of contract,” he said.
“I said when I finish my time here, be it one, two, three, four, five years, I will take a break.
“I won’t retire but I will take a break. What I am saying is when I am finished here I will take a break.”
Guardiola has overseen the most successful period in City’s history, with his side winning six of the past nine Premier League titles as well as the club’s first Champions League as part of a Treble in 2022-23.
This season City have failed to reach their previous heights and are currently fourth in the table with four games left to play.
“How I want to be remembered, I don’t know,” Guardiola said. “I want people to remember me however they want.
“All coaches want to win so we can have a memorable job, but I believe that the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City had fun watching my teams play.
“I don’t think we should ever live thinking about whether we’re going to be remembered.
“When we die, our families cry for two or three days and then that’s it – you’re forgotten. In the careers of coaches, there are good and bad ones, the important thing is that the good ones are remembered for longer.”
City could still finish the season with silverware as they face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on 17 May.
[BBC]