‘I want to suffer, I want to feel bad’ – Pep Guardiola reveals he struggled to eat during Man City’s horror season

PEP GUARDIOLA struggled to eat during Manchester City’s miserable campaign.

The Etihad boss oversaw a first trophyless season since 2017 with a third-placed Prem finish, shock FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace and play-off round Champions League exit to Real Madrid.

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Pep Guardiola struggled to eat last season[/caption]

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He endured only his second trophyless season as a manager[/caption]

It was only the second time in Guardiola’s managerial career he failed to win any silverware — and he hopes to get his appetite back for City’s Club World Cup bid this month.

The Spaniard, 54, said: “I want to suffer when I’m not winning games. I want to feel bad. I want to sleep badly.

“My food, it tastes worse. I don’t need to eat much as I need to feel that [anger].”

Yet Guardiola does not think he needs to prove people wrong next season.

He added: “It’s to prove to myself that I can do it. I don’t want to have those feelings that last season left.

“When we win, the wine tastes better afterwards, you sleep better. I don’t know a manager who loses and sleeps like a baby.  You’ve got to worry. It’s part of your life.

“I will not judge myself or my team because of bad seasons or good seasons…

“Maybe finishing third in a season and never giving up —  otherwise you finish tenth or 12th — maybe that’s a better season than when we won the fourth Premier League in a row.

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“We faced many difficulties that were higher due to injuries, relaxation. I was not good enough… for many reasons.”

Guardiola quoted former Uruguayan president Jose Mujica,

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Guardiola is reinforcing his team for next season[/caption]

“Success is how many times you stand up when you fall down” as he bids to learn from the season’s setbacks.

The Etihad chief, who has won 12 domestic league titles across spells in Spain, Germany and England, added: “Fall down, stand up. Fall down, stand up.

“That is the biggest success. Winners are boring. It’s nice to see the losers. That’s when you really learn.”

Guardiola dismissed the idea he is an exceptional manager.

Speaking to Reuters during a break in Barcelona, he said: “Do you think I feel special because I won a lot of titles? No! Forget about it.

“Special is the doctor who saves lives. People who invented penicillin. That’s a genius. Me, genius? Come on.”

Guardiola hopes to have an injection of new blood when City kick off their Club World Cup bid in America on June 18 against Moroccan side Wydad AC.

He is set to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, 26, and also wants 21-year-old Lyon winger Rayan Cherki and Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23.

Guardiola added: “The new players will bring us energy that we need to lift the team again. We can lift trophies.”

The ex-Barca and Bayern Munich manager has no plans to leave City anytime soon.

But he added:  “I’d love to be in a World Cup, in a Euros, a Copa America. I have always thought about it…

“Stress is always there but nobody put a gun to my head forcing me to choose this job.”

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Tijjani Reijnders is expected to be confirmed as a Man City player[/caption]

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Rayan Cherki is also close to moving to the Etihad Stadium[/caption]