Tijjani Reijnders explains why Pep Guardiola left Manchester City

Tijjani Reijnders said Pep Guardiola left Manchester City after ten years because the coach no longer had the energy to disappoint unselected players. Reijnders made the comment while in the United States with the Netherlands national team preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Guardiola, 55, guided Manchester City to 20 trophies at the Etihad Stadium, including a Carabao Cup and FA Cup double in his final season. The club missed a seventh Premier League title, finishing behind Arsenal, after beating Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley in the cup finals. Dropped points against Everton and Bournemouth sealed the title for Arsenal. During the title race, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal led by nine points before Manchester City, bolstered by January signings Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, narrowed the gap to two points. The final day saw John Stones and Bernardo Silva join teammates in bidding an emotional farewell to Guardiola. Reijnders, who joined Manchester City from AC Milan for £45 million last summer, was an unused substitute in nine of Guardiola’s last fourteen Premier League matches. He described Guardiola as a very intense coach who seeks to get the most out of his squad, noting that after a decade the intensity was enough. He recalled that Guardiola’s intensity was evident during a Southampton win. Atletico Madrid have reportedly registered interest in the midfielder. Reijnders played 68 minutes in a 1‑0 loss to Algeria and completed the full 90 minutes in a 2‑1 win over Uzbekistan with the Netherlands. In those games his Manchester City teammate Rayan Ait‑Nouri also featured, and he faced fellow City player Abdukodir Khusanov. With Enzo Maresca expected to become Manchester City’s next manager, Reijnders’ future at the Etihad Stadium remains uncertain.