The Spanish coach has stressed that he will take some time away from the game once he leaves the Etihad Stadium and has suggested that it could be lengthy.

Guardiola - whose contract at City runs until 2027 - said: "I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure. It's decided, more than decided.

"I don't know how long I'll stop for, a year, two years, three years, five, ten, fifteen, I don't know. But I will leave after this spell with City because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body."

City endured a difficult season last term as they ended trophyless for the first time since 2017 but Guardiola insists that the fall was inevitable after winning an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles.

He said: "I've spent four or five months this year in every away stadium with the crowd chanting, 'You'll be sacked in the morning. They're going to fire you.' There's no other profession, architect, teacher, doctor, journalist... where 60,000 people ask you to lose your job.

"When you win six Premier Leagues, there comes a time when you go down. It's human nature ... it's a process that had to happen, it happens, it took longer to happen, and when it did, it went deeper than we could have imagined."

Guardiola is confident that City will bounce back strongly in the upcoming campaign as the players seek to atone for last season's frustrations.

He said: "Speaking on behalf of Manchester City, it has been very healthy for us.

"Because success can confuse you. It hasn't confused us for many years, but this year the players have been injured a lot ... but I think it will be very good for the next five or ten years. And next year [this coming season] we'll do better."