Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that his decision to drop goalkeeper Joe Hart in 2016 is the biggest regret of his tenure at the club.
In a Sky Sports interview published on May 22, 2026, Guardiola said he should have given Hart an opportunity to secure his place in the starting lineup before making changes.
“I want to confess something. I have regrets.
When you take a lot of decisions, you make mistakes,” Guardiola said.
The Spanish tactician arrived at City in 2016 after a difficult European Championship campaign for Hart.
The club sidelined the veteran in favor of Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero, leading to loans for Hart and a permanent move to Burnley in 2018.
“There is one regret I have deep inside for many years: I don't give the chance to Joe Hart to prove himself, how good a keeper he was, you know?”
Guardiola said.
He acknowledged that while subsequent additions like Ederson proved crucial, he should have offered a collaborative trial period with Hart first.
“And I should have done. All respect for Claudio, respect for Ederson, when he came in he was important.
But in that moment I should have said 'OK Joe, let's try to do it together and if it doesn't work then OK, we change it'.
But it happened,” Guardiola said.
Guardiola noted that his strict adherence to his tactical beliefs often guided his firm management style, even when it resulted in unfair treatment of certain players.
“Sometimes I am not fair enough,” he said.
The club administration fully backed the decision at the time, driven by certainty regarding the tactical direction.
“I regret it for the time. In that moment, I am always stubborn in my decisions, when I believe in that.
When I have doubts, I talk with people, but I was sure 100 per cent that we have to do it that way.
The club supported me with that,” Guardiola said.
Following his confirmed exit from Manchester City, Guardiola outlined his immediate plans: a break from management and a new role with the club's foundation.
“Rest, no plans to train [as a manager] for a while. Otherwise I would be here!”
he said.
