A new four-part Amazon Prime documentary, "A Beautiful Obsession," offers an unusually candid look inside Manchester City during one of the most difficult periods of Pep Guardiola's reign, chronicling the club's harrowing 2024-25 campaign when a mid-winter collapse saw them lose nine of 13 matches.
Filmed and produced with City's involvement, the series does not shy away from uncomfortable moments, including boardroom frustration, a locker-room fallout with then-captain Kyle Walker, and the emotional exit of longtime midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
One of the documentary's most striking threads concerns Guardiola's divorce from Cristina Serra, which he references on camera as a turning point during the slump. Speaking after a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus in December 2024 — City's seventh loss in ten games — an emotional Guardiola told his players about his personal circumstances in an attempt to explain his search for answers. "I'm f******g divorced from the most beautiful woman on your planet," he said. "I love her unbelievably, but we lost the passion. How do you play football, because you are paid? Or because of something inside? Where is the passion?"
The theme resurfaces later in the series after City fielded ten changes for a home Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, a decision that infuriated the club hierarchy. Guardiola again invoked his personal sacrifices, telling players: "I leave my life, my divorce and my family is away, and everything for all of you. And what do you give back?"
Manuel Estiarte, City's director of first-team operations and a close friend of Guardiola, revealed in the documentary that he informed the squad about the manager's divorce so they would understand his state of mind. "I said to the team: 'Please, you have to understand, you're not playing with a coach who can be a bit impulsive, intense, sometimes a bit up and down. You're seeing a human being. He's getting a divorce,'" Estiarte said, adding it helped players see Guardiola not just as a coach but as a person.
The Leverkusen defeat also exposed tension at boardroom level. City chief executive Ferran Soriano acknowledged that the wholesale changes were a misstep, while chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak did not hide his fury. "To pick an entire new [outfield] team in a game this important is probably one of the lowest points we've had. I can't speak to him — I'm so angry," Khaldoon said in the series.
Another emotional flashpoint involved Walker, who left City in January 2025 amid the team's struggles. The documentary shows a tense dressing-room scene at Anfield after a defensive error from Walker led to a penalty converted by Mohamed Salah in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. Guardiola, visibly emotional, referenced Walker's diminished leadership and questioned why teammates had not held their captain more accountable. The manager was later shown in tears, telling his squad: "If captains first, then the other ones, for example [feel] that there's a problem, tell me. It's not going to change the love I have for all of you. I'm sorry."
The departure of De Bruyne is also given significant attention. Soriano is shown insisting that the Belgian, described as the greatest player in City's modern history, receive proper respect in his exit, while Guardiola recalled the midfielder becoming emotional in his office. De Bruyne himself broke down when asked what he would miss most, saying: "My kids don't want to go."
Despite the season's turmoil, the documentary's final chapter reflects a more positive outcome, with City winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup — bringing Guardiola's trophy tally at the club to 20 including Community Shields — and finishing second in the league. Reflecting on the experience, Guardiola offered a broader perspective on life beyond football: "Life should not just be about football. It's too much to be honest."
Based on reporting from The Guardian.