After a decade filled with trophies, dominance and tactical revolutions at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has finally admitted there is one decision that still weighs heavily on him.
And surprisingly, it has nothing to do with finals lost or titles missed.
Instead, Guardiola says his biggest regret at City revolves around the way he handled former goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Pep Guardiola reveals his one regret during his time as Manchester City boss 👀 pic.twitter.com/GwJqURG7oO
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 22, 2026
“I want to confess something,” Guardiola said in an interview with Sky Sports.
“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?
“And I should have done.”
A Ruthless Beginning At City
When Guardiola arrived at City in 2016 from Bayern Munich, one of his first major decisions was to move on from Hart, who had been City’s long-time No.1 and one of the most popular figures at the club.
Fresh off a disappointing European Championship campaign with England, Hart quickly fell out of Guardiola’s plans as the manager pushed for a goalkeeper more comfortable playing out from the back.
Instead, Guardiola turned to Claudio Bravo and later Ederson — a move that ultimately became central to City’s tactical evolution.
But looking back now, Guardiola believes he acted too quickly.
“All respect for Claudio, respect for Ederson,” Guardiola explained.
“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.’”
Hart was loaned out to Torino before another spell with West Ham United. He eventually joined Burnley permanently in 2018.
Meanwhile, Bravo struggled badly in the Premier League, prompting City to sign Ederson a year later. The Brazilian would go on to become one of Guardiola’s most trusted players during the most successful era in City’s history.
“Sometimes I am not fair enough,” Guardiola admitted.
“In that moment, I was stubborn in my decisions.”
