Pep Guardiola believes his managerial position would have been in serious jeopardy had he experienced this season’s setbacks while coaching Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Manchester City, under Guardiola, had a challenging 2024-25 campaign, their poorest since his inaugural season at the helm.
The reigning champions saw their four-year dominance of the Premier League come to an end, finishing third and trailing eventual winners Liverpool by 13 points.
The struggles weren’t limited to league play. City exited early from both the Carabao Cup and Champions League and suffered a surprising defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.
The most turbulent stretch came from late October through mid-December, when the team lost nine out of thirteen matches.
Despite the slump, City’s hierarchy remained supportive of Guardiola and even extended his contract in November.
Reflecting on the situation, Guardiola said: “With the year we’ve had, if this were Spain, I wouldn’t be coaching in October, November or December.
“If this were Barça or Madrid, they would have sacked me.
“But here it wasn’t even a question. You have to have a little more patience.”
Guardiola also pointed to Real Madrid’s recent change in leadership as an example.
Despite winning both LaLiga and the Champions League a year ago, Carlo Ancelotti has departed to take over Brazil’s national team.
“Look at Carlo Ancelotti,” Guardiola added. “He won the Champions League and LaLiga four days ago and now he’s off to coach in Brazil.”
With Pep still at the helm, Manchester City have begun reinforcing their squad ahead of the new season, securing the signings of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders.
Both City and Madrid are set to participate in the upcoming Club World Cup, which kicks off this Saturday.
