A clearer picture of Guardiola, his family life & the media

Manchester City brag Pep Guardiola has ne'er experienced a play similar this successful his managerial career.

A grounds tally of defeats, an wounded crisis, uncertainty implicit his declaration and a accelerated squad rebuild approaching.

Guardiola said his slumber and fare were being affected by an "ugly" authorities of mind astir his side's crisis, and helium came to 1 post-match quality league with precise disposable "nervous" scratches each implicit his head.

In December BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague - who has authoured biographies connected Guardiola - wrote astir the City manager's "insecurities" and "huge self-doubt".

And this week Guardiola's backstage beingness has been the taxable of media headlines, with wide reports helium and woman Cristina Serra are formally separating, starring to speculative sentiment pieces astir the imaginable interaction connected his job.

Balague said: "It was each precise discreetly agreed and they asked the adjacent ellipse to support the quality quiet. They stay friends."

Here, Balague and BBC Sport main shot quality writer Simon Stone supply a clearer representation of what's going on.

Guardiola signed a two-year extension successful November to enactment astatine Manchester City until the summertime of 2027.

Guillem Balague:

"The biggest question Pep asked himself was: 'Can I enactment a mates of years much successful Manchester? Have I got the energy? Does it impact harmony successful my world?'

"And the reply was 'Yes, I can, I consciousness beardown enough'.

"He is seeing his kids turn and go independent, which is thing him and Cristina person ever encouraged."

Earlier successful the play Guardiola admitted his on-pitch worries were affecting his slumber and diet.

Guillem Balague:

"He has absorption passageway vision.

"It indispensable person got to a constituent wherever his caput was truthful overmuch successful shot that, aft a portion successful Manchester, Cristina decided to look intimately aft the household manner boutique concern backmost successful Spain.

"But they had regular meetings. It indispensable beryllium hard to person a societal beingness erstwhile the Premier League is truthful demanding."

This week Guardiola told journalists Kyle Walker wanted to permission the nine - an antithetic determination which was criticised by ex-Arsenal guardant Theo Walcott, who said Guardiola had "thrown [Walker] nether the bus" by speaking publicly.

Guillem Balague:

"Walker renewed his declaration successful September 2023. The nine mightiness person considered to determination him connected but Pep wanted to support the hardcore of the squad this summertime - which has present shown to beryllium a mistake.

"Confused and unfocused, Walker's signifier has been mediocre and others person played better. So I'm not definite what Theo is connected about."

Simon Stone:

"It did consciousness arsenic though Guardiola was mulling implicit successful his caput whether to speech astir Walker earlier helium decided to. He besides said it was Walker's quality to release, but helium wasn't there.

"I person sympathy successful this concern due to the fact that it is simply a damned if you do, damned if you don't script and it is not similar injuries, erstwhile Guardiola tends to beryllium deliberately vague - oregon obstructive.

"Guardiola fundamentally does not judge a subordinate who is trying to permission is going to beryllium committed, truthful Walker has been near retired of his squad wholly for the games against Salford and Brentford. He knows helium is bound to beryllium asked what the occupation is.

"No substance what helium says, it is going to beryllium dissected. If helium says Walker has 'a knock', what happens if helium is spotted astir municipality with nary issues. Not an casual concern but amended to beryllium truthful."

Simon Stone:

"Guardiola has ever been idiosyncratic who talks arsenic a watercourse of consciousness.

"He volition beryllium discussing 1 taxable and veer disconnected into different topics. He besides likes to woody with worldly that is bothering him - which tin sometimes, albeit rarely, pb to idiosyncratic conversations with journalists.

"However, this season, it has felt precise reflective.

"When helium has spoken determination has been a much human, susceptible broadside to Pep. Hearing the top manager of his procreation and 1 of the champion of each clip admit helium doesn't person answers, mightiness not person them and - if helium doesn't - volition person to archer his bosses they request to find idiosyncratic amended to bash his job, was extraordinary.

"There are further elements that suggest Guardiola is nether strain this play similar ne'er before, not slightest the scratches that appeared connected his look aft the 3-3 gully with Feyenoord successful November."

Guardiola had an aggravated on-pitch treatment with his goalkeeper Stefan Ortega aft Tuesday's 2-2 gully with Brentford. City conceded a precocious equaliser which Ortega fumbled.

Guillem Balague:

"It is important for him to link to the subordinate soon aft the mistake. The magic of Pep is correction. Nobody does it arsenic often, successful truthful galore places, with truthful overmuch vigor and intensity.

"That is simply a monolithic crushed arsenic to wherefore helium has taken City to the top. And helium has ever done it.

"I spot him afloat of energy, wanting to alteration matters, knowing it was hard arsenic determination is an alarming deficiency of players. But it is simply a caller trial and helium ever looks astatine hurdles arsenic challenges.

"If helium felt otherwise - for illustration if helium felt negatively oregon helium was truthful bushed helium couldn't bring each his vigor - helium would permission the job."