Pep Guardiola’s eldest daughter Maria has opened up on her parents’ lessons about love after becoming the first family member to speak since the shock news of their split.
The pretty influencer and fashionista said in a Spanish magazine interview published around the same time her dad’s break-up with wife of 30 years Cristina Serra emerged: ‘My parents have always advised me to find what I am passionate about.
‘They encourage me to try new things, to accept failure and to keep searching until I find my calling, because when I do, full dedication will come naturally.
‘They also remind me that the most important thing in life is to love and be loved.’
The 24-year-old London-based beauty went on to tell Vanity Fair Spain: ‘In the end it all comes down to feeling loved.
‘Even in situations where we feel out of place, they tell me to listen carefully to others, there is always something valuable to learn from each person we meet.’
Maria Guardiola has given her first interview in the wake of news of her parents’ looming split
Man City boss Pep Guardiola is believed to have separated from his wife of 30 years Cristina Serra (pictured in 2023)
The Catalan couple met in their late teens while the manager was playing at Barcelona
The Manchester City manager and his fashion powerhouse wife have yet to address the bombshell news of their split, revealed on Monday night by journalist Laura Vazquez who forms part of a highly-respected duo of reporters known in Spain as the Mamarazzis
A close friend was quoted on Tuesday as claiming their marriage ended because Pep is a ‘total workaholic.’
Maria, the eldest of their three children, referenced her dad’s dedication to his career in her magazine interview by saying: ‘My father was already playing when I was born. ‘All our movements have focused on his career, first as a player and then as a coach. ‘Soccer has shaped much of our family’s journey.
‘In many ways, my family and I owe our lives and opportunities to this sport and, of course, to my father’s exceptional talent and passion.’
Admitting to inheriting her dad’s ‘stubbornness’ she added: ‘When we set our minds to something, we pursue it with tunnel vision until we achieve it.’
Appearing to confirm reports there is family harmony despite the break-up, she also showed she is a huge fan of her mum by saying she had inherited her ‘confidence and sense of independence’ and adding: ‘She is very elegant and even influenced my father’s way of dressing.
‘Her passion for work was what got me interested in fashion. ‘If I ever launch my own brand, she will be my reference, she is incredibly talented.’
As a result of her father’s career, Maria has grown up thoroughly immersed in football
Guardiola and Serra share three children: Maria, 24, Marius, 22, and Valentina, 15 (right)
The Barcelona-born influencer frequently shows off her lifestyle as she travels the world
Maria, whose siblings are Marius, 22, and Valentina, 17, is believed to have been interviewed after her parents took the decision to end their three-decades long relationship. It was not immediately clear this morning exactly when she had spoken to the magazine.
The Barcelona-born beauty, who regularly shows off her glam lifestyle to her 930,000 followers on Instagram and lived in Rome, Brescia, Qatar, Mexico, New York, Munich and Manchester as she grew up, said: ‘I feel incredibly grateful for the experiences I have had.
‘Although it was challenging at times, my parents facilitated the transitions and helped me take advantage of opportunities.’ She added of her dad’s decision to take a year out of coaching and move to New York following his departure from Barcelona in 2012: ‘For me Barcelona means family and football, incredible memories, pure happiness.
‘The decision to leave was due to the desire to spend more time with family. ‘
Given the frenetic pace of my parents’ careers, we didn’t get to see each other much.
‘So we went to New York for a year to be together and learn English. It was an unforgettable experience.’
The Spanish journalist who broke the news of Pep and Cristina’s marriage split insisted on Tuesday there was no ‘third person.’
Lorena Vazquez said: ‘It’s been a carefully-considered decision the couple discussed over several months.
The 24-year-old is based in London and has over 930,000 followers on Instagram
In the interview with Vanity Fair Spain, Maria noted that the ‘frenetic pace’ of her parents’ lifestyles meant that they did not see one another often
Outlets in Spain have stressed that the pair’s separation is not related to third parties
‘They continue to have a cordial and affectionate relationship. ‘No-one else is involved. There are no third parties. We are going to carry on seeing them together.’
She added after revealing the couple’s shock split: ‘They weren’t expecting any journalists or media outlets would confirm this break-up but I can assure you they’re living apart and only a small handful of people knew about this.’
Guardiola has always stayed at the family home – a £8.5 million mansion in Barcelona’s most elite neighbourhood – when he has returned to the Catalan capital from Manchester. It is not yet clear where he will base himself in the future when he spends time in Barcelona.
Cristina is expected to remain at the property, which used to be owned by Pep’s former Mexican centre-back Rafa Marquez. Guardiola purchased the house, situated in the high part of Barcelona, from a Russian businessman in February 2021. He is understood to have purchased it through a company he was running with his wife.
The purchase price was a cool £8.4m (€10m). The four-storey property, near to a six-mile stretch of dirt tracks on the outskirts of Barcelona called Carretera de les Aigues, has a large swimming pool in its grounds. It occupies a plot of more than 22,000 square feet and the house itself is an impressive 8,000 square feet.
Catalan press seized on the house purchase, which was made public in June 2021, as a sign Guardiola could be planning a return to Barcelona following Joan Laporta’s election as its president. Cristina Serra moved into the property two years after leaving Manchester to return to her home city.
Respected Spanish news outlet El Confidencial described the mansion on Tuesday as ‘the perfect place for a separation without anyone discovering when you leave or enter’ although it insisted the couple had spent Christmas there together with their three grown-up children.
It added: ‘It’s the €10m mansion that marked the physical distancing of Guardiola and his wife in 2021.’
