Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed how he has struggled over the years staying away from his family because of work.

The 60-year-old has been outside of his native country Chile for the past 12 years, having managed in Argentina, Spain and now England.

"For the individual well-being in this profession, it is better to be alone," he told Chilean broadcaster La Fabrica. "It is hard to maintain it for 12 years abroad [in Argentina and Europe] and a lot of big coaches from Argentina have only managed two or three years in Europe.

"There is a personal cost, but a professional benefit. It has made my three children very close, very good friends, and made them more independent, but that does not mean there are not hours when they need me.

"If I could go back and see that it would turn out okay, I would have brought my family with me. But my wife would have had to give up an important job, my son leave medical school, my other children come out of college, and I don't think I have the moral authority to do that. I am very happy with all of them."

Pellegrini added that spending too much time with his family during holidays can make it ever more difficult to move away.

"It is very hard," he said. "Life is like a building: it is impossible for anyone to achieve anything without a strong foundation, and the family is the most important foundation you can have. In this career, you see many marriages ruined or separated because the objectives of the couple are different.

"I am very lucky to have a wife who supports me, but the absence from my children was difficult from the moment I took a very difficult decision to have a career which requires so much dedication and focus, just like raising children. I try to have them as close as possible, and with the modern means of communication you are always a little bit closer to your family.

"But I fill the gap and the hours with preparation, with study, and being abroad is harder with your family, as you have to dedicate time to them as well. But I made my decision with a solid foundation, and you have to give up on nostalgia – the food, the photos – because that makes it harder.

"The third thing is that if you are to do well in this job you need to be prepared to dedicate hours to it, and if your family is here that is harder. If you do not learn the language, do your preparation, you cannot meet big challenges. There is always a cost."

Pellegrini's wife and three adult sons, Manuel, Juan Ignacio and Nicolas, all live in Chile.