Man City boss Pep Guardiola explains how he knew it was time to leave after a decade in charge

MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola said he knew the end was near when he felt the energy that had driven him for a decade slipping away, as the Manchester City manager delivered an emotional explanation for his departure ahead of Sunday’s Premier League finale.

The club confirmed Friday that Guardiola would step down after Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, marking the end of a decade that transformed City into one of the dominant forces in the game.

“Absolutely,” Guardiola said, when asked if he was running out of energy. “What I have to have, I will not have.

“I feel I will not have the energy that is required, (games) every three days, the expectations to fight for titles, to be in front of the players. I know myself. I have that energy (now), but I feel I will not have it in the future.”

The 55-year-old Spaniard delivered the news to his players Friday morning and admitted to being overwhelmed by the moment.

“The speech was a disaster. I was so nervous, more than ever,” he said.

“The question is (the job) requires that passion and energy I’ve always had since I was a little boy, but now I feel I won’t have it in the future,” he told them. “I have to be honest with myself, but especially with the club that gave me everything.”

Sunday’s game means little to either City or fourth-place Villa, with both teams clinching Champions League qualification for next year, and City unable to beat Arsenal to the league title.

Instead, it will be an emotional farewell for fans after a decade that saw Guardiola and the team deliver sustained domestic dominance, including four consecutive league titles and 20 trophies.

Guardiola said his decision was driven not by a loss of ambition but by a recognition that the cycle had run its course.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

“It is time. It’s 10 years,” he said. “It’s not because I’m not ambitious or I don’t want to try again.

“It’s not good in an organization to have people for many, many years. It’s good to shake, to move, new faces. It’s really good for everyone.”

He leaves with City still competing at the top, describing the current campaign as among the most satisfying of his tenure.

“This season has been exceptional, fighting against Arsenal until the last moment, winning two titles (FA Cup and League Cup), fighting every game,” he said. “It’s the perfect moment.”

Looking ahead, Guardiola made clear he plans to step away from football for the foreseeable future.

“Now rest. No plans for training for a while,” he said. “Otherwise, I would stay here. I need to step back.

“This job, every few days, for many, many years, Selhurst Park, Anfield, Madrid, the FA Cup — now I have to live my life and see what happens.”

Guardiola spoke warmly about his time at City, describing it as “the experience of my life” and expressing gratitude for the support he received.

“Really satisfied, happy and proud,” he said. “I cannot be more grateful for the amount of love and affection I had, not just today but for many, many years.”