Pep Guardiola is going through his most difficult moment as Manchester City manager. The Catalan coach appeared at the post-match press conference against Feyenoord (3-3) with several scratches on his face that he himself claimed to have inflicted, the result of desperation over the team's collapse in the final stretch of the Champions League match played on Tuesday.
"My answer was in no way intended to downplay the very serious problem of self-harm. I know that many people struggle every day with mental health problems," the man from Santpedor began by saying in a video shared through his Instagram account.
In that sense, he added: "I would like to take this moment to highlight one of the ways in which people can seek help: by calling the Samaritans hotline on 116 123 or by sending an email to jo@samaritans.org." For Pep, City's crisis of results is unprecedented in his career as a coach, being the first time that one of his teams has gone six consecutive games without a win, in addition to five consecutive defeats.
City no longer see Pep Guardiola's renewal as a clear-cut matter
Beyond the results of the last month, the alarm bells in Manchester are that Guardiola may be emotionally exhausted after eight years at the helm of the Manchester team. Injuries and defensive errors have led City to only get one of the last 18 points in play between the League and the Champions League. Against Feyenoord, the team seemed to react, but let a three-goal lead slip away in less than 15 minutes.
In principle, Pep would have everything agreed to continue in the 'sky blue' dugout, at least, for one more season. However, if the 'cityzen' bad streak continues, his future would take an unexpected turn. A year of rest, perhaps, would be the best for the 53-year-old coach, who has managed to win the Premier League in six of the eight seasons at the helm of the club.