Amazon Documentary Reveals Strain of Guardiola's Final Manchester City Seasons

A new Amazon Prime documentary details the strain inside Manchester City during Pep Guardiola's final two seasons as manager, including a dressing-room dispute with then captain Kyle Walker and Guardiola telling players he wanted to quit. According to a PA Media report published by The Guardian, the four-part series uses behind-the-scenes footage and internal club communications to show tension during difficult periods.

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Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season after winning 20 trophies across 10 years at the Etihad Stadium. The documentary revisits City's severe downturn in autumn 2024, when the team lost nine matches and won only once in a 13-game stretch. That run included a Champions League match in which City surrendered a 3-0 lead and drew 3-3 with Feyenoord.

One scene shows Walker challenging Guardiola after a defeat at Liverpool. Walker believed the manager was repeatedly singling him out in team meetings and also claimed Guardiola had not wanted him as captain, despite teammates voting for him. The report says Guardiola responded that Walker was treating the criticism too personally, then became emotional while explaining that he had extended his contract because he wanted to stay and fight alongside the squad.

The series also captures Guardiola's reaction after a 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen in November 2025. Guardiola had made 10 changes for the match, a decision that did not produce the desired result. In the dressing room afterward, he sharply criticized the team's courage, passion and desire, described himself as exhausted and told the players he wanted to quit.

The Guardian's report says Manchester City chair Khaldoon Al Mubarak recently estimated that Guardiola threatened to leave 100 times during his tenure. Released voice notes in the documentary show Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano discussing how the club should respond after the Leverkusen loss. Al Mubarak described the game as one of City's lowest points, while Soriano argued for a measured response that was neither overly aggressive nor overly accommodating.

A Beautiful Obsession also contains boardroom discussions about transfer policy and Kevin De Bruyne's disappointment when he learned his contract would not be renewed. The documentary is scheduled to launch exclusively on Prime Video in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 19, offering a detailed record of the pressure surrounding the closing phase of Guardiola's decade at City.