New Delhi: Pep Guardiola is arguably the best manager in the world currently and the impact he’s had on the game has been truly phenomenal. A serial winner, he’s won numerous trophies and guided his teams to multiple milestones wherever he’s gone. Currently sitting at the helm of Manchester City, the club he joined in 2016, he’s gone on to become the club’s biggest ever legend in just less than a decade.
Under his leadership, the club has won six Premier League titles, including winning four of them in a row, setting an unprecedented milestone. He’s also guided them to two FA Cups, four League Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup and one UEFA Champions League. While at Manchester City, he became the first manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to guide an English club to a European treble in 2023.
One and a half years on from that historic achievement, his future at the club is clouded in uncertainty. There’s no question mark over his capability but the uncertainty creeps in from off the field matters. Pep has never been manager of a club for so long in his career and Jurgen Klopp, the only other manager who was in a similar position to him left Liverpool citing fatigue.
However, it’s not just about the fatigue, Manchester City are currently embroiled in the sports’ “Trial of the Century”, which brings unnecessary attention and the man responsible for bringing Pep to the club, Txiki Begiristain, is set to depart at the end of the current campaign. So, is Pep’s glorious tenure at the Etihad coming to an end? Did Txiki Begiristain’s exit signal towards the beginning of the end?
Will Txiki Begiristain’s exit affect Pep Guardiola’s decision?
Both them have had a lot of success over the years. (Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Pep and Txiki go back a long way. Both of them became thick friends when they were teammates at both Barcelona and the Spanish National Team, while in their playing days and helped the club win numerous trophies during their time at the club. Post their retirement, Begiristain became the Catalan club’s director of football in 2003 and took a chance on a then-unproven manager in Pep Guardiola in 2008.
He was then once again key to bringing Pep to Manchester City in 2016, something that Pep himself has admitted in the past. The Manchester City manager has openly admitted how grateful he is to Begiristain for showing faith in him when no one else did. When Pep joined the club, he joined on an initial three year deal, which he has since renewed thrice. Before the third renewal, the manager was quoted saying in 2021, “One of the reasons I extended my contract two times is because Txiki is here. It’s a joy to work here with people like Txiki.”
Txiki Begiristain’s exit could trickle down a domino effect on two of his trusted people in Pep Guardiola and Ferran Soriano, both of whom worked with him at Barcelona. The way Pep has spoken about Begiristain in the media, it clearly shows how much love and respect he has for the man and it’s evident how much he enjoys working alongside his friend. One of the reasons that he mentioned as to why he loved working with Txiki was, “In the bad moments we are closer than ever and in good moments we celebrate together with a glass of wine.” The way Pep speaks about Txiki, it is evident that he helped bring the best out of Pep’s managerial skills and his departure will be a sore pill to swallow for the manager.
Pep Guardiola’s contract situation
Pep has been at the club for 9 years, more than he’s managed any other club for. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
The Catalan’s current contract with the club is valid only till June 2025 meaning it’ll expire at the end of the current season. Before the season started and the club were touring the USA for preseason, Pep was asked about his future at a press conference where he clarified that he never said he’ll leave the club. It’s well known how much Pep loves Manchester City and he has always remained tight-lipped on his future.
Previously, he had also casted doubts over his future when he admitted that he wanted to win four league titles in a row, something no one else has done and now that he’s done that, what’s more left for him to achieve. He has won every trophy that he possibly could with the club and has even led them to a historic treble. He has even broken some long standing Premier League records so there simply isn’t anything else left for the manager to achieve at the club.
While his relationship with Txiki Begiristain is an extremely close one, both professionally and personally, it’s expected that his decision won’t be affected by Txiki’s exit. Manchester City’s director of football was supposed to depart five years back and the club had been gearing up for his exit so it isn’t a shock for anyone, including Pep. Keeping that in mind, whatever decision the manager decides to take, it’ll be on his own accord and not because of Txiki Begiristain’s departure. It will be one of the factors in Pep’s decision making for sure, but it’ll not be the only factor.
Manchester City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain will be departing the club at the end of the current season and Pep Guardiola’s current deal at the club also expires in June 2025. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
