Manager Josep Guardiola has been told by a close aide who left Manchester City in the summer to “look for a new project” after it became clear that he was “expecting” the FFP ruling.
Guardiola, one of the most decorated managers in Premier League history, will have been at City for 10 years if he completes his contract, which expires in the summer of 2027.
During his time at the Etihad, he won 13 major titles, including six Premier League titles and the 2022/2023 Champions League.
Read more: Who will replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager?
The Catalan side suffered a dramatic drop in form last season, finishing third behind champions Liverpool and Arsenal, but are now outsiders to win the Premier League this season as they become heavily reliant on Erling Haaland and his goals.
Guardiola is expected to see his contract through to the end, but former performance analyst Carles Planchart, who worked with the manager for 18 years at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City before retiring at the end of last season, believes he should allow a certain period of time to “regenerate” before looking for a “new project”.
“It’s a personal decision that he has to make. I think the project should last five or six years, but not more than that,” Planchert told SPORT. “But not for him, but for everyone. After that you have to regenerate. As a friend, I tell him to look for a new project, because he still has a long way to go.”
“This is why he has been at City for so many years. They treated us like family and made us work as if we were at home. He didn’t feel that way at Barça or Bayern.”
“He is a football enthusiast. His life is on the green, on the grass. He is a genius, a creator. His greatest strength is the way he invents football. The difficult thing in this life is to create. The rest of us are imitators. He is number one in this respect.”
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In recent seasons, questions have arisen over Guardiola’s ability to rebuild a City squad that has seen the departure of some of its world-class players and suffered from long-term effects at the top level.
Looking back on last season, Planchert said:
“In football, you always have to be 100%. There were injuries, players were nearing the end of their careers, there was a decline in performance, including from the staff.
“Due to lack of energy, we had to fight just to qualify for the Champions League, but it was an achievement. We also lost in the cup final. It was punishment for a poor season.”
Guardiola’s future at City could depend on the verdict of the hearing on 115 FFP charges.
The 12-week hearing began backdated in September 2024, but we are still awaiting the outcome, with speculation that if found guilty City could receive points deductions or even demotions as punishment.
According to the Mirror, you may not have to wait that long.
The report said: “Premier League bosses are said to expect a decision on Manchester City’s 115 charges to be made this month.”
