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Thierry Henry has claimed that Pep Guardiola is struggling mentally following his separation from wife Cristina Serra, as Manchester City endure a difficult period both on and off the pitch.
The defending Premier League champions have been far from their usual dominant selves, sitting 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool after winning just four of their last ten league matches. Their latest setback was a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, further highlighting their recent struggles.
Amid City’s poor form, Guardiola’s personal life has also been in turmoil. Last month, reports emerged that the Spaniard had ended his 36-year marriage with Serra. According to Spanish outlet Sport, one of the key reasons behind the split was Guardiola’s decision to extend his contract at City until 2027, derailing previous family plans to relocate to the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking on Sky Sports after City’s defeat to Arsenal, Henry, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, empathized with his former coach’s situation.
"Do I feel sorry about what's happening to Man City and Pep? Yeah, I do, in one thing. It’s not easy to deal with what Pep has to deal with outside of football. I went through that when I went to Barcelona. It's not easy to deal with stuff like that, when you're not well mentally.
"You can see that he's not his usual self. I had to deal with it when I went to Barcelona, I can tell you it's not easy. No one would like to deal with that while you have to perform all the time. So I think we can understand. Now if you go back on the field, it's not good enough. I don't think that they can cope whenever a team can deal with playing them all the way to ninety minutes and challenge them and look them in their eyes all the way," Henry added.
Guardiola met Serra when he was just 18, and the couple share three children—Maria (24), Marius (22), and Valentina (17). Reports suggest tensions had been growing for years, with The Sun claiming that Guardiola’s visit to Barcelona in October for a private meeting with Serra appeared “tense.”
Despite his personal challenges, Guardiola remains focused on turning City’s season around. His team currently sits fifth in the table, an unfamiliar position for a side that has dominated English football in recent years. Next up, they face Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round, a match Guardiola hopes will help reignite their form.