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Pep Guardiola, the outgoing Manchester City manager, has made a heartfelt admission about his decade-long, silverware-filled tenure at the Etihad Stadium. Before leading his team for one final emotional match, the Catalan tactician revealed that his biggest personal regret revolves around the harsh manner in which he handled a former fan-favourite player.

Catalan mastermind reflects on his journey

On Friday morning, Guardiola surprised fans by officially announcing his departure this summer, bringing to an end a decade that transformed Manchester City both on and off the pitch. Reflecting on his early decisions after taking charge in 2016, he singled out his immediate treatment of long-serving goalkeeper Joe Hart as a moment that still troubles him.

Hart, who had been City’s first-choice goalkeeper, was quickly replaced by Claudio Bravo following a difficult European Championship campaign. The Englishman made only one appearance under Guardiola—a Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest—before being sent out on loan and later leaving the club permanently.

Guardiola admits his lingering remorse

Looking back at that ruthless reshuffle, the 55-year-old coach acknowledged that his approach at the time was perhaps too severe. In a conversation with Sky Sports, Guardiola confessed: “I want to confess something. I have regrets. When you take a lot of decisions, you make mistakes.”

He continued, “There is one regret I have deep inside for many years: I don’t give the chance to Joe Hart to prove himself, how good a keeper he was, you know? And I should have done. All respect for Claudio [Bravo], respect for Ederson, when he came in he was important. But in that moment I should have said, ‘OK Joe, let’s try to do it together and if it doesn’t work then OK, we change it’. But it happened.”

Unyielding tactical philosophy shaped the decision

Guardiola’s determination to implement his possession-based system led to Hart’s exclusion and ultimately laid the foundation for Ederson’s arrival to execute his signature style of playing out from the back. The Spaniard elaborated, “Sometimes I am not fair enough. I regret it for the time. In that moment, I am always stubborn in my decisions, when I believe in that. When I have doubts, I talk with people, but I was sure 100 per cent that we have to do it that way. The club supported me with that.”

A sabbatical before a new chapter

Guardiola will oversee Manchester City for the final time on Sunday against Aston Villa before stepping away for a well-deserved managerial break. After securing a second-place finish in the Premier League, he will turn his attention to a grand city-wide parade on Monday to celebrate his remarkable tenure. Following his departure, the iconic manager will assume an ambassadorial position, working closely with the club’s foundation while taking time off to recharge.