Pep Guardiola's close friend reveals reason for breakup of his 30-year marriage
Today at 05:09 AM
A close friend of Pep Guardiola has provided clarity and an explanation for the break up of the Manchester City manager’s 30-year marriage.
Reports in Spain broke on Monday claimed that the 53-year-old and his wife, Cristina Serra, had decided to end their relationship.
The pair are understood to remain on good terms and the split has been described as amicable.
Indeed, Guardiola was seen wearing his wedding ring during last night’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Brentford during which his side threw away a two-goal lead in the closing stages.
It has been a turbulent few months for the City boss who has struggled to articulate the reasons behind his side’s under-par performances this season.
Guardiola has cut an increasingly agitated figure on the sidelines, particularly during a run of just one win in 13 matches between late October and Boxing Day.
Whether the deterioration of his marriage played a part in his erratic touchline behaviour is a matter of conjecture, but his unwavering dedication to his job is said to have played a part in the collapse of his relationship.
‘I think they have grown apart,’ an unmanned friend of Guardiola’s told MailSport. ‘She left Manchester about five years ago to return to Barcelona. That has taken its toll.
‘He is a total workaholic and not being involved in their family fashion business together may have affected their relationship too.’
Guardiola was rumoured to have been contemplating calling time on his City tenure at the end of the current season after nearly a decade of unprecedented success for the reigning Premier League champions.
Instead, however, the former Bayern Munich boss signed a new two-year contract and has played a part in masterminding his club’s January transfer window plans which will see at least three new players join.
Guardiola, meanwhile said he needs to think about the reasons why City are prone to throwing away leads after the lost off tow more points at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Phil Foden’s second half brace had City on course for a third successive Premier League win but Brentford’s Yoane Wissa pulled one back in the 82nd minute before skipper Christian Norgaard nodded in an added-time equaliser.
The draw adds to a string of similar collapses for Guardiola’s men this season, including their derby defeat to Manchester United where two late goals from a winning position saw them lose at home to Ruben Amorim’s men last month.
‘I have to think about it,’ Guardiola said when asked why City are dropping points from winning positions.
‘We have the situation we have, I think it’s a little different to games like the United game but it’s true and I need to think about it.
‘We were close and we had chances, we didn’t take the right decisions. At the end they put a lot in the box and he (Norgaard) was there.’
Guardiola did claim that his side being inferior to Brentford from a physical point of view was a factor in them conceding the late goal.
He explained: ‘Between 2-1 and 2-2 it was good, we controlled but after that they put players in the box, they are stronger than us in that department and they equalised.
‘They put six or seven in the box for crosses and (in that area) they are better. They are taller, they are stronger with the head.
‘Of course we were tired but we couldn’t close the cross, our holding midfielders don’t have the skills to defend these type of balls because we have other types of players right now and we couldn’t defend that situation.’
