'Difficult to come back' - Pep Guardiola considers shock retirement as exhausted former Man City boss suggests he may NEVER return to football

The 55-year-old manager, who revolutionised the English game during a decade at the Etihad Stadium, has revealed that he is unsure if he possesses the drive to manage again.

Speaking in the new Amazon documentary A Beautiful Obsession, Guardiola opened up about the mental toll of his time in Manchester. "I don’t even know myself what I’m going to do," he admitted. "It will be difficult to come back - that is my feeling today. I need to refresh many things that happened in my personal life.

"I need to find myself a little bit in different things. I need to sit and zone out for a bit. That is one of the main targets."

Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad follows a period of unprecedented success, but the extraordinary physical and mental demands of dominating the Premier League have clearly taken their toll. Finding an escape route is top of the agenda right now, but going cold turkey on the relentless adrenaline rush of top-flight management is easier said than done. The Spaniard has been open about the intensity required to stay at the summit, noting that the addictive drug of winning is both a blessing and a curse.

"It’s the joy and the pleasure to see my team play good," he added. "That’s the motto and the target when I wake up every single day. It’s so addictive, older managers retire and they want to come back and then back again. They cannot live without it."

Txiki Begiristain, Guardiola’s long-term ally and former Manchester City director of football, has encouraged his friend to embrace a life away from the sport. Begiristain, who left his post in the summer of 2025, believes that Guardiola needs to disconnect entirely to regain his perspective. The former director warned that staying within football circles would only trap Guardiola in the same cycle of high-pressure stress.

"I’ve wanted to explain this to Pep – that you can lose 3-0 but life goes on and there are amazing moments that you can live with your friends.

"But if he meets only football people and football is all he knows, he’s going to be in the same rollercoaster that he’s been living. He needs time to get out and be really out."

Before his decision to take a break was made public, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) made a significant attempt to bring him to the international stage. Legendary defender Paolo Maldini, acting as technical director at that time, revealed that Guardiola was very tempted to take the Italy job and even began sketching tactical formations during a meeting in Barcelona. However, Guardiola remained firm on his need for a hiatus.

He eventually turned down the prestigious offer from the Azzurri, prioritising his mental well-being and a much-needed rest over immediate international glory. Whether this sabbatical marks a permanent end to one of the most illustrious managerial careers in history or simply a temporary pause, the football world must now adapt to a landscape without the former Barca and Bayern Munich pulling the strings on the touchline.