Pep Guardiola has asserted that he will continue as manager of Manchester City even if the club faces relegation, yet he has continually defended the club’s innocence amid the lengthy struggle with the Premier League regarding their supposed violations of financial fair play, as he presumably believes they are innocent.
If they're declared guilty – unless he’s aware too and has just been shielding his superiors – they’ve been feeding him lies and he will probably feel quite upset about the misleading reassurances they've provided him for the past two years. The Spaniard could potentially create a scene to prevent being associated with the con artists above him.
He has stated before that his upcoming, and perhaps last, management position will be with an international squad, but with a City contract expected to extend until 2027 now shortened due to a guilty verdict, relegation, and a contentious separation, Guardiola might believe he has unresolved matters in club football.
Keeping this in consideration, we have devised what we think are the ten most probable future positions for Guardiola if the FFP sanctions hit City and result in his contentious departure at the season's conclusion.
Brazil
Present manager Dorival Junior holds a win percentage of only 40 percent from his 14 matches at the helm, which is frankly subpar and reflects a widespread belief that he is merely a temporary solution until they can recruit a globally recognized coach with a successful track record in European football.
They’ve been pursuing Carlo Ancelotti for quite some time, and this seems like a logical progression for him after concluding his club management with the expected sixth Champions League title at the season's end; however, Guardiola is practically the only option we can envision that could stop this long-standing aspiration – apparently shared by both sides – from materializing.
England
According to Guillem Balague, he was "offered the job" right after Euro 2024, and he also stated that England still stands as the "favourites" to lure Guardiola into international management, even with Thomas Tuchel currently in charge. Little Englanders would surely be more receptive to a Pep-coached Three Lions because a) he’s not GERMAN, b) He’s Essentially English Now Anyway and c) he’s not GERMAN.
Juventus
Thiago Motta didn’t complete the season, and Igor Tudor now has to deal with what appears to be a decline similar to Manchester United's fall from overwhelming success to average performance.
Tudor's sole trophy after overseeing more than 300 matches across five nations was the Croatian Cup in 2013, thus it seems unlikely that this interim role will transition into a lasting position by season's end.
We believe Serie A is a desire Guardiola would love to fulfill, and Juventus might be the only Italian team he considers worthy of his skills.
Arsenal
They’ve had a replica of Guardiola; now it’s time for the authentic version to lead them to victory.
Mikel Arteta has performed well at the Emirates, but we believe Arsenal would benefit more from someone who devises brilliant strategies to change modern football instead of someone who mimics those strategies and executes a weak version of them when they're outdated and less effective.
Inter Miami
The final performance is more probable at Inter Miami, where the owner, David Beckham, would likely explode with overwhelming feelings of pride and superiority if his ambition to transform Florida’s east coast into Catalonia results in him securing Barcelona’s greatest manager to lead Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba.
Chelsea
At some point, Chelsea – whether with these owners or the next group – will come to terms with the fact that their pursuit of a Legacy Manager is destined to fail, and they’ll begin recruiting successful coaches to start collecting trophies once more.
Barcelona
Guardiola has stated before that he would return to Barcelona if he was deemed “essential,” leading us to question if the club considers their failure to win the Champions League since 2014/2015, during which Real Madrid has secured the title five times, as evidence of his essentiality.
This season may alter under Hansi Flick, as he has them aiming for the treble. However, with a group of exceptional La Masia graduates currently in the first team, headed by a remarkably skilled right-winger, Joan Laporta might consider bringing in the individual who effectively utilized those very elements from 2008 to 2012 should Flick not meet expectations this season.
Germany
Julian Nagelsmann probably envisions himself coaching Germany at the World Cup after appearing destined for a Premier League position post-Euro 2024. However, proposals for his talents will still come from one or more of the Big Six misfortunes in the meantime, and he might inexplicably choose to accept one, making Guardiola the leading candidate on the DFB list.
Al-Nassr
We weren't planning to mention the Saudi Pro League club – it seems equally plausible that Guardiola shows up at PIF-owned Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, or Al-Hilal instead of Al Nassr – but the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr turning into Pep Guardiola's Al-Nassr gives us nearly as much pleasure as seeing Ronaldo at a press conference beside his new coach while Guardiola answers countless inquiries about Lionel Messi and the possibility of their reunion for one final performance.
Girona
A December report stated that his younger sibling Pere Guardiola – president of Girona – had presented Pep with the ‘opportunity for a low-key role’ at the club as the ‘technical secretary’, which is certainly one of the 450 positions that are no longer featured in the Manchester United directory. It's akin to the part of The Stable Door or The Fifth Donkey assigned to kids without acting skills in the school Nativity.
However, if the City Group's Daddy is demoted, the Abu Dhabi funds will need to be redirected. It would be logical for them to invest heavily in Girona, especially since they’ve experienced Champions League football, along with the alluring possibility of sufficient support to contest the El Clasico elite. Guardiola senior is a superb choice to position them as a European powerhouse.
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