Blunt Pep: 'If I were at Madrid or Barca, I would have been sacked!'

Yes, the season is over, but at least until the next begins, everyone will talk about Man City's abysmal 2024/2025 campaign. The club from Etihad Stadium entered the season as favourites in practically every competition it participated in, only to finish trophyless in the end.

Moreover, it was the first season without a silverware for the Cityzens after the 2016/2017 campaign - their first with Pep Guardiola on the bench.

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Despite the serious failure, the 54-year-old earned the club's trust and decided to stay at Etihad, though he's aware his status would have been much different if he'd worked in his homeland.

"With the year we've had, if this were Spain, I wouldn't be coaching in October, November or December. If this were Barca or Madrid they would have sacked me, but here it wasn't even a question. You have to have a little more patience," Pep said in the show Premier Corner by Guinness 0.0 on DAZN via Marca.

As a born Catalan and Barcelona's child, Guardiola had to be ecstatic following Blaugrana's fantastic season. However, when it comes to increasingly frequent comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi - whom he coached for four years at Camp Nou - Pep doesn't have a dilemma.

"Barca is very lucky to have found a kid again who has such a perspective. I'm very sorry, but for me there will be no one in the world like Messi," Guardiola concluded.