Pep Guardiola gives reluctant update on Man City future after furious England statement

Pep Guardiola was contacted by the FA over the England job before they hired Thomas Tuchel and is yet to sign a new contract with Manchester City, heightening speculation about his future

Pep Guardiola has explained why he is in no rush to decide whether he wants to stay at Manchester City beyond the end of the season.

Guardiola’s current contract will expire in June and his future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks. The Football Association made contact with Guardiola in the summer as they searched for a replacement for Gareth Southgate, but went for Thomas Tuchel after not getting an answer from the City boss.

The FA believe that Guardiola could extend his stay with City, where he has been in charge since 2016, despite the pending departure of his close ally Txiki Begiristain. City’s director of football, who worked with Guardiola at Barcelona and was key in bringing him to Manchester, will be replaced by Sporting Lisbon’s Hugo Viana in the summer.

Many believed that Begiristain’s exit could spell the end of Guardiola’s hugely successful spell at the club and the England links have heightened rumours. Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League match against Wolves on Sunday, Guardiola was in a spiky mood when asked if he spoke to the FA about the England job. And he was similarly dismissive when pressed on his future at City.

“I’m pretty sure the club had options when Txiki leaves and they have options when Pep will leave. Sooner or later it is going to happen and they are prepared so it’s not going to be a surprise,” he said. “They know I have to – every sport director or whatever, that’s why I’m here for many years – I want to be convinced it’s what’s best for the club.

“I will not delay any action knowing that I’m creating a problem for the club. If I feel I’m a problem for the club right now I will take a decision as quick as possible. But I don’t have that feeling, they understand the reasons I have. That’s why Wolves is the priority.”

Pressed further on what would influence his decision, Guardiola shot back sarcastically: “The weather. I’m waiting for it to change, and after I will take a decision.”

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Paying tribute to Begiristain, Guardiola said: “A part of me is leaving. A friend of mine and the architect to create one of the best teams ever at Barcelona and now here. I knew the decision for a long time, a family reason, personal reason. I know how grateful he is for his experience here.

“He will be missed a lot. For the confidence, the trust especially in the bad moments. He makes me incredibly balanced in my job. I’m so energetic when it is going wrong I want to destroy everything and all the time he said,’ see you tomorrow take a coffee’. He helped me a lot in Barcelona and here. But I have the opinion the club is so solid, incredible structure and families have to move on and the club will move on.”

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