Pep Guardiola's reason for leaving club as he's told he should now quit Man City

After Pep Guardiola was told to quit Manchester City and pursue a fresh challenge, here's what he said about leaving Barcelona following an incredible era of success

Pep Guardiola has already hinted at what might prompt him to step down as Manchester City boss.

After nearly a decade of consistent success at the Etihad, Guardiola is striving to reclaim City's domestic supremacy following a season where they finished behind Liverpool and Arsenal. Suggestions have been made that Guardiola might need a new challenge or even a complete break from football, similar to the hiatus he took between his trophy-filled tenures at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

One individual who concurs with that notion is performance analyst Carles Planchart, who worked with Guardiola at Barca, Bayern, and City before departing the Etihad at the conclusion of last season. Planchart believes a change could be beneficial for Guardiola if he wishes to prolong his managerial career, telling SPORT: "It's a personal decision he'll have to make. I think a project should last five or six years, no more.

"But not for him, for everyone. Afterwards, you have to regenerate. As a friend, I would tell him to look for a new project because he still has a long way to go."

Guardiola's reasons for leaving Barcelona provide some insight into what might cause him to depart City, as he confessed he found it difficult to inspire both himself and his players after securing 14 trophies in four years, including two Champions League titles.

In a 2014 interview with Audi, he said: "We were incredibly successful. Winning 14 trophies in only four years was the greatest period in the club's history.

"But gradually I found it more and more difficult to motivate myself and to motivate the team. That is when you know it is time to walk away."

Planchart has expressed understanding as to why Guardiola has stayed at City for such a long time, stating that the club has provided him with a family vibe he didn't experience at Barca or Bayern.

He added: "This is why he's been at City for so many years: they've treated us like family, they've let us work as if we were at home. He didn't feel that way at Barca or Bayern.

"He's a football fanatic. His life is on the green, on the grass. He's a genius, a creator. His greatest strength is how he invents football. The difficult thing in this life is creating; the rest of us are copycats. He's number one at this."

Guardiola seems to still have some fuel left at City, who have bounced back from consecutive losses to Tottenham and Brighton in August to climb to fifth in the Premier League, just three points behind leaders Arsenal. Following the international break, City resume their campaign against Everton at home on October 18.

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