Pep Guardiola confirms next steps in football after Manchester City future decision is taken | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reaffirmed his desire to take charge of a national team beyond life at the Etihad Stadium.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is approaching the natural expiry of his existing Manchester City contract, having last extended his agreement with the club midway through the 2022/23 campaign up until the end of the current season.

While there have been suggestions that Manchester City have already been made aware of Guardiola’s final decision, the Etihad Stadium tactician has insisted that such a claim is not true, and he is yet to come to a conclusion on his future.

With that being said, the 53-year-old did reaffirm his intentions to continue within the game at some stage beyond his time at Manchester City, but in the role of a national team head coach.

Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Guardiola reiterated that he is yet to take a final decision on his future at the Etihad, despite being into the final months of his existing contractual agreement.

“I have to decide. I’ve said, I don’t want to talk about it, as I’ve said many times, and hopefully all of you don’t ask me anymore. I didn’t take a decision already.

“When I take it (a decision on my future), I will inform you, for sure, 100 per cent,” Guardiola responded ahead of the club’s visit to Wolves’ Molineux on Sunday.

“That’s why there is no news, and that’s why I don’t have to add absolutely anything else. Wolves is my priority, my players, how they come back from the national team. That is the only thing I’m concerned about,” he continued.

However, whilst uncertainty continues to loom over his City future, the Catalan coach insisted that he would still like to coach a national team at some stage in the future, whilst it remained unclear as to whether that would be his immediate next step beyond club football.

“Yeah, yeah,” was his simple but clear response to questions over whether national team intentions still stand for him.

The stance taken within the media and the ongoing understanding is that Manchester City will not apply any pressure onto Pep Guardiola when it comes to making a decision, and that is a feeling that has been reaffirmed by the manager during his media conference on Friday.

“Never, ever. I’ve not done it and will never do it. Never. I’ve never felt it,” Guardiola said when asked whether the club had issued a deadline by when they would like to understand his intentions beyond the ongoing season.