Pep Guardiola's Man City future at stake after Champions League exit to Real Madrid?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium has been a talking point after they crashed out of the ongoing Champions League after their second leg defeat against Real Madrid in the knockout playoffs at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, January 19. 

Manchester City lost the home leg 2-3 to 14-time Champions League winners and they were hoping to reduce the deficit in the second leg of the knockout playoffs. However, Real Madrid new recruit Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick to increase the Los Blancos’ lead, sealing 6-3 aggregate victory and ending City’s hopes of reclaiming the European title, which they first and last won in 2022. 

This was a big setback for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City amid the dismal season. The football experts and fans had a discussion about what Guardiola’s future holds after City’s exit from the Champions League. Is the Etihad Stadium looking to move on from the Spanish manager?

Pep Guardiola is going through one of the testing times of his managerial career since taking over the coaching duties with Barcelona in 2008. Manchester City are facing 115 Premier League charges amid prolonged spell of poor form in the ongoing season. Manchester City have been struggling to replicate their performances from the previous season, and their failure to reclaim Champions League has only intensified scrutiny over Guardiola’s tactics and squad management.

As per the report, Manchester City management would not stop Pep Guardiola leaving the club if he does so. The 54-year-old has not provided a hint about his departure from the Etihad Stadium, but the club feels the need to announce its plans could be an indication that Guardiola is leaving the club. It was reported that the Manchester City management is looking to prepare the fans for Guardiola’s departure from the club in advance through media.

Another report emerged that Pep Guardiola was forced to extend his contract at Manchester City as he was interested in joining the England football team as a head coach, revealed by Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol. 

“Guardiola did not think about Manchester City last summer. He was thinking about the England national team.” Pedrerol claimed on El Chiringuito. 

“It’s an extension that he didn’t want. It was involuntary, almost forced. He signed because it was the only thing he had. He wants to leave Manchester.” he added.

After Manchester City knocked out of the Champions League, Pep Guardiola and his boys will be looking to finish in top 4 of the Premier League to make it to the next season of the European tournament. City are currently sitting at fourth spot of the points table with 44 points, 17 points adrift of table-toppers Liverpool. Looking at the current points table, Manchester City's chances of defending their Premier League title seemed to have slipped away.

The fortunes of Manchester City changed after Pep Guardiola arrived at the Etihad Stadium after a three year stint with Bayern Munich in 2016. Under the leadership of Guardiola, City became the first team to clinch the Premier League titles four times as well as first to achieve a remarkable 100-point in the 2017-18 campaign. The Blues realised their dream of clinching the Champions League in 2022.