What's Gone Wrong For Guardiola?

I decided to sit down with L'Equipe to breakdown the psychology behind Pep’s actions.

Here are 3 questions they asked me - I think some of you may be surprised by my answers ⤵️

Q1: During Manchester City’s recent performance against Feyenoord, Pep seemed furious and even appeared with a cut on his face after the game. Do you think there is cause for concern when it comes to his mental health?

I think there should always be a concern when people show signs of poor mental health, especially when they work in a high stress environment like football. That being said, in this case I think it’s just a matter of that moment getting the best of him. He is a very passionate manager and that’s probably why he’s become one of the best at what he does. Now although having cuts on your face after a game is not a good sign, I’m sure that the mental health professionals & performance staff at Manchester City will be keeping a close eye on him & providing whatever support he may or may not need.

Q2: Does this show that Guardiola seems to have too extreme an approach to his matchdays? As Marti Perarnau said in Pep’s book that “Even the prospect of a friendly leaves him tense and robs him of his appetite”. Is he too passionate in some ways?

That excerpt from Marti is a great insight into the amount of time, energy and passion he has for what he does. Whether it’s training, a friendly or a game on the biggest stages. It shows what an incredible winner and competitor he is and that is what you want from any football manager.

For someone to be that successful in terms of trophies won, there has to be a reason for that and I believe that it’s down to Pep’s extreme desire to win and how competitive he has. Truthfully, up to this point in time, I think it’s served him well.

Q3: Generally speaking, there’s more and more talks and articles about the mental health of football players. Should the media and the world of football be more interested in the mental health of managers?

We should 100% be more concerned with the mental health of managers as well as footballers but that goes for everyone involved in competitive sport.

Football has made important progress in this area and while things can still improve, I can point to my experience currently working with a club, it’s not just their players, but also the manager and coaching staff. To help them understand that it’s not just the players that need support around mental health, psychology and mental performance. From the CEO of the club to the club employees, everyone needs support with their mental health.

Most professionals have clear start and end points to their day. In contrast, throughout my years delivering insights on elite performance as a keynote speaker across various industries, I've noticed that football stands out as a uniquely consuming profession. This intense engagement can be a tremendous asset: it transforms a career from merely a job into a full-fledged lifestyle.

However, this all-encompassing nature has its downsides. It's easy to fall into the trap of giving too much, which can lead some players and staff to the brink of burnout. Striking the right balance is crucial to sustaining peak performance without reaching a breaking point.

It’s safe to say that Pep is currently going through a rough point in his career.

Some think it’s natural, others think he’s having a breakdown.

Truthfully, only time will tell us what is really going on behind closed doors.

What do you make of Pep’s current situation?

Link to the full article: https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/-je-voulais-me-faire-du-mal-pep-guardiola-les-marques-de-l-inquietude/1523227