Pep Guardiola seen still wearing his wedding ring as he looks stressed on first appearance since ‘split from wife of 30 years’ emerged, at London hotel before tonight’s Man City match
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been seen for the first time since news broke of his separation from his wife of 30 years, Cristina Serra.
The reigning Premier League champions arrived in London ahead of their clash against Brentford on Tuesday night.
Guardiola was seen wearing his wedding ring amid reports from Spain of his split from Serra.
Observers are asking if his relationship troubles could be behind the strange outbursts including a joke about self harming and several furious rows with fans on and off the pitch.
Manchester City’s form has nosedived and now it has emerged that he and his wife have reportedly split up having lived in different countries for five years.
Until this season this 860 mile separation – Pep in Manchester and his Cristina in Barcelona with their three children – coincided with a golden age for City and its boss.
Pep Guardiola arrived at a London hotel ahead of Man City’s clash with Brentford on Tuesday
Reports emerged on Monday that Guardiola has split with his wife of 30 years, Cristina Serra
Guardiola was seen wearing his wedding ring as Man City players arrived at their London hotel
Guardiola and his wife have reportedly split up having lived in different countries for five years
Guardiola met Serra when they were 18 in 1994 and the couple married in 2014
But last night it emerged that Mr and Mrs Guardiola have reportedly decided to end their marriage, although friends have said it is ‘friendly and cordial’ and they spent Christmas together with their children Maria, 24, Marius, 22, and Valentina, 17.
In recent months City went on the worst run in their manager’s golden career after a record four straight Premier League titles and a historic Champions League win.
Off the pitch Pep has been involved in a series of spats off with football fans who have upset him by asking him for autographs or goaded him after defeats. There has also been problems with players, including Kyle Walker’s love life drama and speculation about the future of players such as Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne.
There were also worrying comments about self-harm after he admitted scratching his own head and face until it bled during the final moments of City’s collapse against Feyenoord in November. He also spoke of the loneliness of football management as City slumped to sixth in the league with six losses, including four in a row.
Guardiola’s assessment may have taken on greater significance amid reports in Spain emerged on Monday that he has separated from his wife Cristina Serra after 30 years. They met when they were 18, in 1994, and married in 2014.
And while his place as one of football’s greatest coaches is undisputed, despite a poor start to this season, the grief of splitting with his wife, his childhood sweetheart, will also have been causing him more pain.
