According to reports, Pep Guardiola is a candidate to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.
The manager of Manchester City extended his contract at the Etihad last season; it expires in 2025; however, the FA may attempt to get him out of that agreement sooner. Guardiola is reportedly “the dream appointment,” and FA officials are “open to exploring” his hiring in the future, according to the Daily Mail.
According to the publication, there is a chance that Southgate will stand aside as England manager following the European Championships in summer 2019. At that time, Guardiola might be contacted, albeit his salary might be a roadblock.
Despite how at ease Guardiola is at City, the 52-year-old has frequently stated that he will leave the team at some point and does not anticipate staying for as long as Sir Alex Ferguson did at Manchester United. And the former coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich has said in the past that he would be drawn to the idea of leading a national squad.
In 2018, when addressing a crowd at Liverpool University, Guardiola declared, “I would like to be an international manager in a national team.” It will happen because I would like to be involved every three days but with a little more calmness and play more golf because I currently don’t have the time to do so.
“Sooner or later it is going to happen, if I have a chance with an international team, if they come knocking at my door,” he continued.
Three years later, Guardiola reaffirmed those remarks: “The next step will be a national team, if the opportunity presents itself.” “After seven years [at City], I need a break. I need to pause and take a closer look before I decide whether to go down that road or not. I want to be a head coach at the World Cup, the Copa America, and the European Championship.
It would be reasonable to assume that Guardiola’s route to a World Cup would involve the Spain position given that he was a former Spanish international. But in September 2018, the City Manager asserted that “is not going to occur,” presumably in light of his strong opinions as a Catalan citizen.
Regarding managing at the international level, Guardiola remarked at the time, “In eight, 12, or 14 years maybe it could happen.” “It’s basically a dream I have for myself and as a manager. “I would like to play in a World Cup and a European Championship,” the athlete said. I wish I could experience that. I imagine how nice it would be to attend the World Cup. As a player, I had just one opportunity to do it.
When asked two years ago if Southgate would consider taking up a role with the Three Lions, Guardiola also commented on Southgate.
He stated, “Gareth has done an outstanding job, reaching the [2018 World Cup] semi-finals and the final of the Euros. “English football has never experienced something like this. I’m not here to represent anyone’s viewpoint. I’m not aiming for it. As long as it is feasible for me to be here, as long as my passion for what I do is present, and as long as my energy is here, [I will stay]. I’m not sure what will happen after that.
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