Manchester City find themselves having to deal with speculation surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future at the club once again.
As things stand, the Catalan’s contract at the Manchester club is set to expire at the end of June.
Therefore, this season could end up being Guardiola’s final one at the Etihad Stadium if he doesn’t sign an extension between now and then.
During the October international break, Guardiola admitted he hasn’t made a decision about his future when asked about being linked with becoming the next permanent England manager, keeping the speculation about what his next step could be.
With another international break on the way, some behind-the-scenes information has come to the fore regarding the City manager’s future and how he views one particular international role.
- Is Pep Guardiola leaving Man City? Possible replacements, contract and all you need to know
Pep Guardiola ‘likes the idea’ of managing Brazil
A recent report from The Athletic said this on the matter.
It said: “Well-placed sources — who, like all featured in this article, will remain anonymous to protect relationships — have indicated that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is making a major play to bring Guardiola on board, calling the Catalan on several occasions this year.
“Guardiola has always said that he wants to coach a national team at a major tournament.
“He reiterated that remains the case after Thomas Tuchel took the England job, for which Guardiola had been approached but did not offer the FA encouragement that he would be available.
“Guardiola was said to be annoyed when the CBF distanced themselves from hiring him following his spell at Barcelona, but sources close to him say that he likes the idea of managing Brazil.
“Crucially, though, there is an even stronger school of thought that he will stay at City for one more year, and work towards managing a national side in preparation for the 2030 World Cup.”
What has Guardiola said about the Brazil job?
After seeing City lose their third match in a row for the first time since 2018 in Tuesday night’s defeat to Sporting CP in the Champions League, Guardiola discussed taking the Brazil job, saying this after he was asked about this particular prospect.
He said: “After losing 4-1, I am no longer an option for Brazil. More than ever, I want to lift up the team and return them to their top level.”
| Pep Guardiola | Matches | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | Trophies Won |
| Premier League | 314* | 232 | 43 | 39 | 776 | 220 | 6 |
| Champions League | 89 | 58 | 16 | 15 | 216 | 96 | 1 |
| FA Cup | 42 | 35 | 1 | 6 | 121 | 25 | 2 |
| Carabao Cup | 33 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 87 | 37 | 4 |
Even though City have been in a sticky spell of bad results recently, it’d be safe to assume that the majority of supporters would love to see the 53-year-old extend his contract and continue his journey with the Citizens, especially given the number of trophies he’d led them to since his arrival in 2016.
As for his intentions to manage a national side in the future, no City fan would begrudge Guardiola from doing something he wants to do in his career, as long as the club has a solid replacement and plan of action in mind for his eventual departure.
