Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola blames himself for the collapse of the team.
Pep Guardiola (right) and Cristina Serra are leaving their union of more than 30 years. PDO
Manchester City is in crisis.
On Tuesday, the team already took a decisive 2-0 lead against Brentford, but collapsed in the last minutes to a 2-2 draw.
It means the reigning champions are only sixth in the league, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool. In addition, the Reds have one less game to play.
From the beginning of the week, information about the manager, which was kept secret, was also leaked to the public Pep Guardiola’s and his spouse Cristina Serran divorce.
The couple managed to be together for 30 years, and they have three daughters, the youngest of whom is now a minor.
Although the separation decision was already made at the beginning of last month, Guardiola and Serra were seen together in the Christmas break, when they went together to the theater in Barcelona.
They lived in different countries
The first rumors of a breakup arose already in 2019, when Serra moved back to Barcelona. At that time, the separation was justified by the fact that he wanted to focus on managing his own fashion company. In addition, the family’s children longed to return to their beloved Catalonia.
Today, the couple in their fifties has agreed on the most important things. Guardiola carries his own things after the family paid about 10 million euros for the mansion and moves permanently to Salford, next to Manchester.
The couple met as early as 1994, when Guardiola was already a 23-year-old Olympic futsal champion and one of the most important members of Barcelona’s “Dream Team”.
Sources familiar with the matter told Spanish media that there are no third parties involved in the breakup. The secrecy of the matter is explained by the fact that the parents want to protect the 17-year-old Valentinadaughter.
Guardiola and Serra have not commented on their divorce. PDO
The family pit is also the apple of the father’s eye. Valentina, who is still in high school, has also appeared the least in public, although she has occasionally been seen alongside her father at City’s championship celebrations.
22 years old of the older sisters Marius studied in Britain, and he is the managing director of three different Manchester companies, while the firstborn, 24 years old Maryis a social media influencer with nearly a million Instagram followers.
Although Guardiola is known for his cool-headed attitude towards life, surely even his night’s sleep has been difficult due to the end of a relationship that lasted more than 30 years.
Manchester City’s crisis burst into everyone’s consciousness at the turn of October-November. For example, in the Champions League, it led Feyenoord 3–0 until about a quarter of an hour before the end, but still lost its seemingly certain victory to a draw.
Walker out
In the next round, he was already beaten by Juventus in a match that will probably remain a credit defender by Kyle Walker for the last time in the Citizen jersey at the Euro fields.
Guardiola revealed at the beginning of January that they will try to find a new club for Walker during the January transfer window.
The starting point of the crisis is also very close to the moment when Guardiola and Serra have finally decided to put an end to their marriage.
– I’m not good enough. I am a manager and I should find answers. So far, they haven’t been found, the coach told himself after the derby loss he suffered in mid-December.
A couple of weeks ago, Guardiola wanted to clarify his own role in City’s downfall. Star player Rodrin injury is of course one important factor, but the Spaniard’s absence alone does not explain everything.
Guardiola thinks he should be able to do better as City manager. PDO
City’s passing work is slow, and the ball does not travel quickly enough from player to player. The team seems tired.
– Being a manager involves a lot of things, and it’s clear that I’ve done something wrong. After all, after a losing streak, the manager’s responsibility is incredibly tough, Guardiola said for the BBC.
– This team needs more confidence. I haven’t been able to offer it. The responsibility is mine.
Guardiola has been a full-time coach for almost 18 years. The current City crisis is by far the worst game deadlock in his entire career.
– I blame myself. I manage this group and I haven’t been able to cheer them up.