Pep Guardiola has made history at every club he’s managed, and his legacy at Manchester City is no exception. Widely credited with revolutionizing the Premier League during his tenure, the Spanish coach has now opened up about his future once his current contract with City expires.
Speculation about Guardiola’s departure surfaced earlier this season, but those rumors were quieted when he signed a contract extension through June 2027. Should he fulfill that deal, he would complete a decade at the helm of Manchester City.
In an interview with ESPN Brazil, Guardiola spoke candidly when asked about how he’d like to be remembered: “I want people to remember me however they want. After my contract with City, I’m going to stop. I’m sure of that. I don’t know if I’ll retire, but I’ll take a break. How I want to be remembered, I don’t know.”
Guardiola also reflected on his impact on the fans of the clubs he coached. “All coaches want to win to have a memorable career, but I believe the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City enjoyed watching my teams play. I don’t think we should live thinking about whether we’ll be remembered,” Guardiola added.
This season, however, hasn’t gone according to plan. City were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the knockout rounds and fell out of the Premier League title race midway through the campaign. The FA Cup remains their only realistic shot at silverware this year, as they also battle to secure a Champions League spot—they currently sit fourth in the league.
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Despite the underwhelming season, City’s front office has shown continued trust in Guardiola, the club’s most decorated manager. When his contract ends, he will have coached nearly 19 consecutive years—making a well-earned break feel inevitable, even if formal retirement is still undecided.
Guardiola’s influence and the idea of a ‘Pep school’
Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in soccer history—not only for his 39 career trophies, but for the distinctive style of play he’s introduced and refined. Yet, he dismissed the notion that his coaching has established a formal “school” of thought.
“I don’t think so. Usually, when we win, people talk about a school, and when we lose, no one wants to copy it. Since we’ve won a lot, people might say I have a school, but I don’t believe that, because I don’t have a set pattern of play to build one. If I did, I’d have to open a school and profit from it—but that’s not the case.”
Guardiola cited the Dutch system, shaped by Johan Cruyff, and Germany’s “gegenpressing” approach as the most influential schools in modern soccer. However, he emphasized that Barcelona’s philosophy—where he developed as a player and coach—had the greatest personal and professional impact on his career.
