Pep Guardiola has issued a strong warning to Manchester City, saying he will walk away from the club if he’s forced to manage an oversized squad next season.
Speaking after City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth—where several senior players were left out—Guardiola made it clear he wants a smaller, more manageable group. Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Claudio Echeverri, and Rico Lewis were all omitted from the 20-man matchday squad, despite City’s strong position in the Premier League and push for Champions League qualification.
“I told the club I don’t want a big squad,” Guardiola said. “I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I will quit. Make the squad smaller and I will stay.”
The 54-year-old admitted it’s emotionally draining to leave players out completely, especially when they’ve trained hard during the week. “It’s impossible for my soul,” he added.
Guardiola reflected on the injury crisis earlier in the season, saying, “For months we couldn’t even select 11 players. Now people are back, but next season cannot be like this.”
Signed with the club until 2027, Guardiola said it’s up to the board to trim the squad. “I don’t want 24, 25, 26 players. If there are injuries, we have academy players. We manage.”
He emphasized that maintaining a lean squad is vital for team spirit: “It’s about the soul of the team. We need players to reconnect—this season, we lost that a bit.”
