Pep Guardiola Calls Current Season 'Most Difficult' of His Career

Pep Guardiola describes the current season as the toughest of his managerial career due to Manchester City's decline and injury issues.

Pep Guardiola described the current season as the toughest of his 16-year managerial career. Despite his usual success at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, the Spaniard struggled as City's Premier League title challenge faltered and they exited the Champions League early.

City's form plummeted from late October onwards, following four consecutive Premier League titles. Although they can still secure a top-five finish, win the FA Cup, and compete in the Club World Cup, Guardiola's assessment of the season won't change. “It's been the most difficult, that's for sure,” he said after City's Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

“It's been more demanding - much more. When you don't win it's more demanding emotionally and (in terms of) preparing and the moods and everything.

“It's been more difficult than the previous seasons when we played for the titles.”

Injuries, especially to midfielder Rodri, significantly contributed to Manchester City's decline, alongside a general drop in form from several players. Guardiola acknowledged the challenges his team faced.

“We had a lot of injuries, we didn't have the energy,” Guardiola said, accepting responsibility for the team's struggles. “We tried most of the time but we were not able to do it,” he added, reflecting on the difficulties that hindered City's performance this season.

Pep Guardiola took responsibility for Manchester City's struggles, acknowledging that he hadn't found the right approach to help his team perform comfortably and win games. “I didn't find the way to let them feel comfortable and winning the games,” he admitted.

Despite the challenges, Guardiola noted that City's situation could be worse. “But, even with that, I would say, it could be worse. I was not good enough to find a way but we didn't give up,” he said. City still has opportunities to secure a Champions League spot and win the FA Cup, which Guardiola emphasized are significant prizes: “We're still fighting to qualify for the Champions League - that is a big, big prize - and the FA Cup.”