Pep Guardiola has suggested the possibility of a sudden and surprising retirement in 2024, while Manchester City pursues a second consecutive treble following their successes last season. The Premier League champions are currently enduring a run of four domestic games without a victory.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has suggested that he might retire if his team successfully defends last season’s Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles. Despite having a contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2025, Guardiola surprisingly stated that he would step away from coaching at the end of this season if City secures a second consecutive treble.
In an interview with Prime Video before the Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, Guardiola expressed his firm intention: “If we win the treble this season, I’ll retire. That’s for sure.” However, it remains uncertain whether he made this statement in a serious or playful manner. Guardiola acknowledged the immense difficulty of achieving such a feat, considering the rarity of treble-winning teams in English football history.
City’s triumph in the Champions League last season, alongside their Premier League dominance and an FA Cup win, marked only the second instance in English football, equalling Manchester United’s 1998/99 achievement. While Guardiola previously clinched a treble with Barcelona in his debut senior coaching season and other clubs have accomplished this feat over the years, winning it consecutively in England or abroad remains uncharted territory.
Securing a treble in consecutive seasons poses an even greater challenge, especially as City aim for a fourth straight league title—an unprecedented accomplishment in their 135-year history. Despite their recent struggles in the league, with only three victories in their last nine games and a winless streak of four after the recent defeat to Aston Villa, Guardiola might realize that the likelihood of following through on his retirement promise is diminishing.
City’s defense of the FA Cup is yet to begin, and they are scheduled to face Huddersfield Town in the third round early next month. In the Champions League, they are among the few teams to have won all of their initial five group games and have secured a seeded position for the last 16 draw, making their chances look promising in that competition.
