Guardiola says he thinks about leaving Barcelona

Barcelona: Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says thinking about leaving his job every day keeps him motivated.

"Not a day goes by without thinking 'I'm off,'" said Guardiola in a promotional interview released on Friday. "I think that wherever you go to coach, you always have to be mindful that tomorrow you might leave."

Guardiola has won two Champions Leagues and three Spanish titles in three-and-a-half years in charge at the Catalan club.

He told film director Fernando Trueba he had wanted to become a coach since he was 25.

The passing style and high-pressure tactics of Guardiola's team — supplemented by the game-changing ability of Argentine forward Lionel Messi — have led to Barcelona being regarded as one of the best sides ever.

Despite the success, rumors in Spanish media have suggested Guardiola might step down at the end of the season.

Although he did not suggest he was about to resign, Guardiola said staying fresh was a key concern.

"I work better thinking that I've got the freedom to decide my future," he said. "Long-term contracts that tie you to a place you might not like make me anxious. I'm incapable of planning anything for more time than half a year or a year. I find it impossible."

Guardiola also won the Champions League and six Spanish titles as a player with Barcelona and he acknowledged missing the surge of adrenaline that came with playing.

"I'm envious about not being in the players' position," he said. "I still often feel like a footballer."