Pep Guardiola has left the door open to managing the England national team in the future, as the outgoing Manchester City head coach prepares for his final match after a decade of extraordinary success. Guardiola, 55, will take charge of City for the last time on Sunday when they host Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season. His immediate plan is to take a break from coaching, but he has not ruled out a return to the game, with international football believed to be his preferred option.
Guardiola's Future Plans
When asked directly if he would be interested in the England role, Guardiola said: 'I don't have any absolute plan about my future. I go to rest and recover the time I missed with my kids, even though they are grown, and do many things I've not done that I want to do. I don't think for one second about anything related to football for the next years. I need to rest, I need to reflect, I need to see what happened in my 17, 18 years, in my time with Barcelona, in Germany with Bayern Munich and here. After, we see what happens. I didn't do in the past stupid things that I want to do.'
Pressed on whether this was not a definitive 'no', Guardiola replied: 'Yeah – but nobody cares.'
Ambassadorial Role and Return to City
Guardiola will take up an ambassadorial role with the City Football Group, which owns Manchester City. When asked if a return to manage City in the future was possible, he responded: 'Why you ask me that question? For a while, I will not be a manager. That is the only thing. Otherwise I would be here, still here. I deserve, honestly, to take a break.'
Premier League Charges
Guardiola leaves with the club still awaiting a verdict on 115 charges of financial wrongdoing levelled by the Premier League, which City denies. The alleged breaches cover the period from 2009 to 2018. Guardiola has previously defended the club and was asked if he might speak once the charges are decided. 'If you find me, yeah. But it will be difficult,' he said. 'I defended because I trust them and I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and what they did. Nobody of the staff, the backroom staff, many of the players was not here.'
