Man City chairman reveals Guardiola nearly walked out on numerous occasions prior to eventual departure

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola was photographed with the trophy on the pitch after the English FA Cup final football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley stadium in London, on May 16, 2026, following City's 1-0 victory.

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This win marked the third FA Cup success of Guardiola’s reign and put an end to City’s run of two successive defeats in the final.

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Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has now revealed that Pep Guardiola was on the verge of quitting “100 times” before finally leaving at the end of this season, a decision that came after a decade of remarkable success.

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During his time at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola won six Premier League titles and the Champions League, but according to Khaldoon, the emotional Spaniard frequently considered resigning during low moments in his reign.

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Khaldoon explained that Guardiola's threats to quit were not always taken seriously, saying “Inevitably over these last 10 years we’ve had a lot of ups and some downs, and in the downs, he must have quit 100 times over these 10 years, just so you know, just for the record,” in a statement to City’s media channels on Thursday.

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Khaldoon drew an analogy to “The Boy that Cries Wolf” to describe Guardiola's behavior, stating “When he says ‘I quit’, it doesn’t mean he’s quitting, you don’t take it that seriously – you have to manage him.

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He noted that his approach was to convince Guardiola to stay on until it became clear that the time had come for him to leave, saying “Whenever he quits or whenever he thinks it’s time, I will always convince him to come back, until the time where I know it’s actually the real time – and we reached that.

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Guardiola ultimately stepped down after winning 20 trophies with City, including the FA Cup and League Cup in his farewell season, citing a lack of energy to drive the team forward as the reason for his departure.

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City have gone two years without winning the Premier League and finished seven points behind champions Arsenal this term, prompting criticism that they are no longer the dominant force they once were.

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In response to these claims, Khaldoon stated “We are far from peaked, we are used to – because it’s in our DNA – winning, this is a club that is designed, built to win.

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Khaldoon expressed confidence in the team's future, saying “Obviously with the additions we’re going to make this summer, I am very confident, I think next year we’re going to come back very strong.”

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Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is expected to be appointed as Guardiola’s replacement shortly, having previously won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea and worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City during the 2022-23 season.

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Regarding the managerial succession plan, Khaldoon said “What I can say at the moment is we’ve gone through a very thoughtful and structured process and the team is convinced, I am convinced, that we will bring in the right manager for this club.

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Khaldoon asked for patience, stating “Just be patient with us, very soon we’ll announce it and you will be very comfortable that we have selected and brought in the best manager possible.”