Guardiola would not 'forgive himself' if he left struggling Man City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he would not forgive himself if he left the Premier League club when they are going through a challenging period.

Guardiola has won 18 major trophies during his time at City, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023, but they have struggled for form during the 2024-25 season and find themselves 15 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Though results have not been up to their usual standards during the ongoing campaign, Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension in November that will keep him in the dugout at the Etihad until 2027.

The new deal will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.

"Sometimes we don't appreciate or undermine the fact that we suffer. Life is that," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"Always people are thinking we have to be happy all the time, we have to show on social media how happy we are. That is a mistake. Life is always up and down and when it happens, it happens, and, of course, it is a big challenge.

"I am here, so when I feel I cannot handle it, the club - I would not forgive myself if now I said I am going to leave. I would not forgive myself."

An unforgettable comeback, one year ago today pic.twitter.com/NxqNdkG4jw

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Guardiola's side look on course to return to their best and are on a four-match unbeaten run in the league ahead of their meeting with Ipswich Town, though they blew a 2-0 lead against Brentford to draw last time out.

There was further good news for City this week when Erling Haaland signed a long-term contract that will keep him at the Etihad until 2034.

"Absolutely, that doesn't mean it's going to bounce back. I don't know, but at least I will not regret one second that I did not try it. Not one second. And I work and I try to do it. Not one second, impossible," Guardiola added.

"I think the majority of the players, they want to do it. The majority of players, they want to try and do it, because I know how they run and how they suffer. But suffering is part of life, it's never perfect. That is life itself.

"You cannot win all the competitions you play for just one reason - because it is impossible! Even for me, it is impossible. But in terms of all the period I've been here for 500-plus games, 485 or 490 have been a dream come true, have been a paradise.

"We maybe had one season bad, or two seasons bad. That's what happens in life. So, we overestimate the success in life too much, too much. We try to bounce back with the club, and we will try our best."

City were beaten in the EFL Cup by Tottenham in the last 16 but are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup where they will face Leyton Orient.

They will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday and have their work cut out in Europe, having only collected just eight points from six games this season.