Pep Guardiola’s time at Manchester City has an end date.
The Man City boss signed a new contract back in November, which keeps him at the Etihad Stadium until 2027; however, Guardiola has admitted that he plans to leave the Premier League giants once his current deal is up.
This summer, the Spaniard has set about revamping his squad, and that the 54-year-old has done so successfully. While it could get even better if Man City land Rodrygo before the summer transfer window shuts.
This would put the Manchester club in a good place to challenge Liverpool and Arsenal for the big honours in England, but that is something Didi Hamann thinks the legendary coach will never do again.
Didi Hamann working as a pundit during Republic of Ireland V England.
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Pep Guardiola will not win another major trophy at Man City
Last season was only the second time during Guardiola’s reign at Man City that the Manchester club went an entire season without a major trophy, as the Premier League giants looked a shadow of the team that dominated English football for years.
Man City fans had their own doubts about Guardiola after last season’s FA Cup final defeat, but it would be silly to question the former Barcelona coach heading into the new campaign. Which is exactly what Hamann has done.
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“He’s been there 10 years now, and it’s a long time. We’ve seen with managers in the Premier League these days, usually they don’t last longer than three or four years,” the former Manchester City midfielder told the BBC about Guardiola.
“When a season starts, you’ve got to light a fire in a team with the fans and make people believe. And I’m not sure he’s got that fire any more.
“Obviously, you can never write him off because they’ve got a fantastic team – Rodri is back after a long injury, but I’m not sure they’re going to win another big title under Guardiola. I’d be surprised, to be honest.”
Pep Guardiola during Manchester City training session.
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Pep Guardiola still has many issues at Man City
Concluding that Man City will not win the Premier League this season is a fair assessment to make, but stating that Guardiola will not win another major trophy over the next two years is a bit out there, given the success the legendary coach has had at the club.
In saying that, the 54-year-old has issues that still need solving. Bernardo Silva did not like the way Man City defended transitions at the FIFA Club World Cup, which was also a major problem last season.
Heading into the summer, City also needed to add more intensity, and that issue looks to have been addressed with the appointment of new assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders, while Tijjani Reijnders will bring what is required to the midfield of the Premier League giants.
However, that will not become clear until the Premier League gets back underway this weekend, with Guardiola entering the 25/26 campaign looking to prove many people wrong.