Manchester City stand 13th in the Premier League table with three points in three matches, which saw one win and two defeats.
Following their success and dominance in the past years, Man City had a pretty underwhelming end to the 2024-25 campaign with a third-place finish in the top flight and winning no major trophies.
While City were expected to return to their winning ways, the start to the 2025-26 campaign has not panned out in favor of Pep Guardiola, who signed an extension with the club last season that will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.
Now, as Guardiola & Co. will be looking to secure a win in their upcoming league match this weekend, former Man City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has claimed that he doubts if the Catalan coach has ‘still got it in him’ to win major trophies with the English club.
While speaking in association with Grosvenor Casino, Hamann mentioned being ‘surprised’ that Guardiola is still at Man City and told GOAL,
“Yeah. But I said that last year and I’m surprised he’s still there now, because everything comes to an end. They’ve changed in the last couple of years, they’ve brought quite a few players in and there’s some players who’ve been there for a few years. You need to galvanise them and light a fire within them, the team, the fans. He’s been there such a long time and I’m just not sure he’s still got it in him.”
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“I said in the summer I’d be surprised if he wins another big title. I don’t think he will. I don’t think he wins the Premier League or the Champions League. There’s always a chance to win five or six games and win a League Cup or an FA Cup. The big two trophies, I can’t see him winning.”
Hamann further went on to say that he believes Guardiola’s contract extension was just a formality and added,
“I think his contract was extended last year just to smooth things down, to keep people quiet, probably to shut people up who said, ‘It’s about time for him to go’. I don’t think they will sack him, but I’d be surprised if he’s still there in two years’ time.”
Former Man City star on Pep Guardiola potentially moving to international management
When asked if Guardiola would move on to international coaching after his tenure at Etihad, Hamann, who was at Man City from 2006 to 2009, stated that it is ‘probably the most likely’ and replied,
“It’s probably the most likely. I can’t see him working for another club in England. Is he going to come back to Germany? Bayern Munich’s probably the only one, I can’t really see that. I think international football, as he’s in his early-to-mid 50s now, is probably the port of call. But I think he’ll have a break first. If you do that job for 10 years, it’s not only the pressure of having success, it’s also the rest that comes with it. Media stuff you have to do. It’s a 24/7 job and you can very rarely switch off.”
“[Jurgen] Klopp after eight or nine years said, ‘I need a break now’. He’s been doing it longer than him. He’s probably even more intense than Klopp. So, he’ll probably have a break, and then I’m sure there are a lot of countries who wouldn’t mind his services.”
Guardiola, who was appointed as Man City’s head coach in 2016, has won a total of 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first-ever Champions League title, and will be looking to increase his trophy haul this season.
City will now host United at Etihad Stadium in the first Manchester derby of the 2025-26 campaign on September 14.
Manchester City news and related links
