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- Tijjani Reijnders waxes lyrical of Pep Guardiola after just one season with the Catalan coach
- Guardiola ended Etihad Stadium tenure with Carabao Cup & FA Cup glory despite missing out on Premier League title to Arsenal
- Reijnders is in the United States preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands.
Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has revealed the real reason why Pep Guardiola left the club after 10 years in charge.
Guardiola, 55, won 20 trophies at the Etihad Stadium and stamped his name into the history books on countless occasions, becoming one of the greatest managers ever.
And although City fell short of a seventh Premier League title in their final season under the Catalan, it was still a very successful campaign for the Blues – who beat Arsenal and Chelsea respectively at Wembley to clinch Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory.
How did Guardiola and co fare in the title race last season?
At one point last season, Mikel Arteta’s side led the Premier League by nine points but City – rejuvenated by their shrewd January acquisitions of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo – managed to close that gap to two points as the campaign approached its conclusion.
However, dropped points against Everton and Bournemouth crowned Arsenal champions for the first time in 22 years, yet the focus on the final day was on bidding Guardiola an emotional farewell alongside John Stones and Bernardo Silva.
Reijnders, who signed for City for £45 million from AC Milan last summer, was an unused substitute for nine of Guardiola’s last 14 Premier League games in charge and has admitted that the former boss’s energy was different from when he first arrived.
I completely understand Pep’s decision, says Reijnders
“He’s a very intense coach and a football genius,” the Dutch star said in an interview with De Telegraaf, as relayed by Sun Sport.
“In a way, it’s a shame I only got to work with him for one season. But it’s his choice. He no longer has the energy to disappoint players who aren’t selected or don’t play.
“After 10 years, that’s enough. I completely understand him. When I talk about an ‘intense coach’, it’s in a very positive sense: he seeks to get the most out of his squad.”
What’s next for Reijnders at international and club level?
Reijnders is currently with the Netherlands squad in the United States preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, playing 68 minutes in a 1-0 defeat against Algeria last week, wherein his City teammate but counterpart on the day Rayan Ait-Nouri was also given 45 minutes.
The 27-year-old played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan this week that saw him face off against Manchester City teammate Abdukodir Khusanov.
As Enzo Maresca prepares to become the next Manchester City manager, It remains to be seen what the summer holds for Reijnders, whose future at the Etihad Stadium has come into question after a difficult second half of the recent season under Guardiola.
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Source: Cityxtra.co.uk
