Pep Guardiola is considering a one-year extension with Manchester City despite being offered the chance to coach England, The Telegraph’s Jason Burt reports.
If Guardiola stays at City until the end of next season, he will complete a decade at the club. He reportedly likes the idea of ending his tenure after 10 years.
While the English FA approached Guardiola’s camp as early as August about replacing Gareth Southgate as England’s next manager, it has little hope of actually appointing him, according to The Guardian’s David Hytner and Jacob Steinberg.
Burt adds that Guardiola could spurn both sides and take a sabbatical when his contract with City expires in June. Guardiola took a year off and moved to New York after leaving Barcelona in 2012.
The 53-year-old kept his options open when discussing his future during an appearance on Italian TV.
“Leaving City? It’s not true. I haven’t decided yet,” he said Sunday. “And it’s not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided, I would say it … I don’t know, either. Anything can happen.”
Lee Carsley – who’s served as interim manager of the national team since Southgate stepped down in August – is no longer under consideration for the role, according to Hytner and Steinberg. Former Chelsea managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reportedly sit alongside Guardiola on the FA’s short list.
Carsley drew widespread criticism for trialing a team without a defined striker in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Greece in the Nations League. England beat Finland 3-1 three days later, but Carsley seemed to defer interest in the job, saying the team deserves a “world-class” coach and that he’s “still on the path” to becoming one.
