With the 2023/24 Premier League campaign approaching a thrilling climax, it could be a defining season for the defending champions Manchester City, as they are locked in a three-way title race with Liverpool and Arsenal. But notably, the current season signals the penultimate campaign before City boss Pep Guardiola says goodbye to the club, as his contract is due to expire in June 2025. Given that rival Jurgen Klopp has already announced his impending departure from Liverpool in June this year, Soccer Laduma's Lukhanyo Mtuta discusses the increasingly inevitable end of Guardiola's era at the Etihad Stadium and how this season could prove decisive in the Spaniard's exit from the club.
All eras have an end, Pep is no exception
It is a general rule of life that all things come to an end, and it would be hard to believe that any manager's tenure at a club would be an exception to the rule. While managerial ins and outs have seemingly been more frequent over the better part of the last decade, there are still instances where coaches retain their roles for an almost unusually long time. Many might think of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal when it comes to longevity at a club, but one of the more outstanding examples of such in the modern era is Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, who has been in charge of the Spanish giants since December 2011. The reality is that managerial stints that last over 10 years have never been so rare, particularly in the elite leagues, where results tend to dictate how long a tactician stays at a club. One side to this coin is that elite managers can, themselves, decide when to depart. This is the case for Klopp at Liverpool after he surprisingly confirmed in January that he has decided that he will step down from the helm at Anfield at the end of 2023/24. The German is set to end a glittering eight-and-a-half-year spell in Merseyside and for many staunch Reds fans, it seemed like the day of his farewell would never come, as Klopp figuratively exists in the hearts of many cult-like supporters. For Guardiola, however, the road to the end is also in sight and it could be quite interesting how this season could influence his decision.
Avoiding the inevitable
Guardiola joined the Citizens in July 2016 after spending three seasons with Bayern Munich. Similarly, he spent four years as the FC Barcelona manager between 2008 and 2014, making his current tenure with the English giants the longest spell he has had at one club. Ultimately, the 53-year-old had a bit of a reputation for winning several titles at big clubs and then leaving less than five years later. His time at City has made that perception evaporate into thin air, as he is already into his eighth season in charge. When the question of what the post-Guardiola era looks like was put forward to former player Shaun Wright-Phillips during the Premier League and FA Cup trophy tour in March, the former winger said it is really something that most City fans don't want to think about. Wright-Phillips told Soccer Laduma: "No, I only think about now, nobody knows when he is leaving, only he knows that. Let's just enjoy the Pep times and I never talk about him not being there!" While Guardiola has shown great affinity and loyalty to City, perhaps beyond what he demonstrated at Barca and Bayern, it seems highly unlikely that he will have a career spanning over decades at the Manchester team.
What more can Pep achieve?
Last season, City claimed a historic continental treble, becoming the first English team to do so since Manchester United in the 1998/99 campaign. It was also the Catalan boss' second treble triumph of his decorated career, as he had previously done so with Barca in 2008/09. This feat also put an end to the criticisms that he could never win a UEFA Champions League without Lionel Messi in his team. To date, he has won 14 major titles at City, excluding two FA Community Shield trophies. In doing so, he has also made City one of the most dominant teams to ever exist, winning five of the last six Premier League titles, including three in a row between 2021 and 2023. If one wants to poke holes in Guardiola's success though, the club would need to win the league this season in order to become the only team in England to have won four titles in a row. As a manager, this feat would see him eclipse Ferguson as the only coach to win four in a row, albeit the retired Scotsman won three consecutive EPL trophies on two occasions (1999 to 2001 and 2007 to 2009). Ultimately, this terms' title race could be crucial to Guardiola deciding to extend his stay.
The 2023/24 Premier League race, the influence it could have on Pep's future
Many coaches have admitted that it takes some doing to consistently keep players motivated, especially after winning trophies. This season alone, there's been a notable dip in the side's form, as they need another 25 points from the remaining nine league games to match their title-winning tally of 89 points last year. To make matters worse, Liverpool and Arsenal currently sit above them in the race for top honours, enforcing the idea that City are no longer as strong and motivated as they have been in seasons prior. Perhaps it is a sign that Guardiola's job is becoming a lot harder as time goes on and if they fail to win the Premier League this year, it could be a huge factor in his final decision whether to stay on as manager beyond 2025. Also, the club still faces more than 100 charges of breaching financial fair play regulations, which could result in devastating consequences like relegation and points dedication if found guilty. Although Guardiola has maintained that he stands with the club in this regard, it would seem unlikely that he would continue to oversee the club in the event that they have been demoted. His arch-rival's departure from the Premier League could also play a part, as he would ultimately lose his biggest competitor and how that could inspire Guardiola to leave as well remains to be seen.
In conclusion, the Man City boss has achieved everything there is to win in England and leaving when his contract expires is not by any means unthinkable. In fact, more recent reports suggest that he will leave, with Goal claiming that he also plans to take a break from coaching after this spell, similarly to the sabbatical he took when he left Barca in 2012.
