Pep Guardiola rules out managing another club in England

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stressed he will leave England when he eventually walks away from the Etihad Stadium as he could not see himself leading another Premier League side.

Guardiola is now in his sixth season at City and remains under contract until 2023, after which he has long been tipped to move on from the club.

Managing a national team has long been in Guardiola’s plans, but he admitted that he isn’t planning to take Gareth Southgate’s job as England boss as he can only see himself managing City.

“Gareth is doing an incredible job,” Guardiola said (via the club’s official website). “He extended two years so congratulations on my behalf to Gareth.

“I would love, I said many times, when I finish here, the pleasure to lead a team at a World Cup. But it is not easy to find it. There are only a few positions. I would like it but if it doesn’t happen I will train clubs, so it will not be a problem.

“But in England, being here I think always I will be Man City and if I have to come back it would be at Man City, if they want me. I would not train another club in England apart from this club.”

He continued: “Gareth has done an incredible job. Honestly what I want is for him to extend the contract and then after that extend more. I am not here to take a position from anyone. It’s not my target.

“I want to be here [at City] as long as possible, as much as my energy and love is here. After that I don’t know what will happen. Years ago I never thought I would be Manchester City trainer and when I came I never thought for six years I would be here. Never.

“Life dictates your future so we will see what happens there.”

Guardiola recently confessed that he expects to take a break from club management when his current contract expires in 2023.

Having conquered Spain, Germany and England, the boss is eyeing a move into international management, and off the back of the 2022 World Cup, there could be plenty of interest in him.