Guardiola can’t resist lure of England
Pep Guardiola on Tuesday said the lure of coaching in the English Premier League is the reason for his departure from Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich at the end of this season.
“I want to coach in England,” the Spaniard told a media conference, his first since the Dec 20 announcement of his departure and replacement by Italian Carlo Ancelotti.
“I’m still young and I need new challenges,” said Guardiola, who turns 45 this month.
The former Barcelona coach has since been linked with Chelsea after Jose Mourinho was fired, and also with Manchester City, where Manuel Pellegrini is under contract until 2017.
“I have this possibility to go to England. It’s the right time,” said Guardiola. “The only reason I am not renewing my contract is that I am looking for a new challenge.
“I have several offers from England but I haven’t signed anything yet.
I want to coach in England. I’m still young and I need new challenges.”
Pep Guardiola, on leaving Bayern to pursue coaching in England
“If I were 60 or 65 I would have stayed, but I think I am too young. I need a new challenge.
“It was a dream, it is a dream. I am very grateful to Bayern for this huge opportunity.”
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has reportedly tried to lure the Spaniard to Stamford Bridge in the past and is on the lookout for a permanent successor for Mourinho, with Guus Hiddink in interim charge until the end of the season.
But City is the bookmakers’ favorite, with Guardiola having previously worked with City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of soccer Txiki Beguiristain during his time at Barca.
As for Manchester United, Louis van Gaal’s immediate future seems secure but it could possibly be tempted to replace one former Barca and Bayern boss with another.
Pellegrini has had to deal with recurring speculation linking Guardiola with his position throughout his tenure.
“I don’t have a reaction about that or feelings on other managers,” said Pellegrini.
“It is a question I answered two weeks ago when I said no more about that.”
Dominant force
Guardiola quit Barcelona in 2012 despite being the most successful coach in the club’s history during his fouryear reign.
In January 2013 he signed a three-year deal, worth a reported $24 million, to coach Bayern from July that year.
Bayern, already a dominant force having won the treble in 2013 of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup under Jupp Heynckes, soon became almost unbeatable at home.
This season, Bayern has lost only two of 26 games and in the past two years swept five trophies.
Even with all that success, the most desired silverware — the European Cup — has so far eluded Guardiola during his time in Germany.
Bayern is eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga with its next game to come at Hamburg on Jan 22 while it faces Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Paying tribute to his successor, Guardiola said he hoped Bayern would understand his desire to seek a new challenge.
“I hope that (Karl-Heinz) Rummenigge (Bayern chairman) and the staff understand my decision, I’d be sorry if they were disappointed by my choice,” he said, adding he would discuss the subject “for the first time” with his players during their winter training camp in Qatar, starting on Wednesday.
“Carlo is the perfect coach for this team,” Guardiola said.
“I’m sure that all will go well for him and for Bayern.”