Will Pep Guardiola be tempted to leave for Argentina
By James Fudge
Many Manchester City fans will not want to know the day when Pep Guardiola is going to leave the club.
A time will come but supporters would rather it later rather than sooner. The Spaniard and his coaching team have built an identity that has amazed the footballing public, with the fans purring at every given opportunity to watch their team.
The identity has followed him through his coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now at City, allowing him to win multiple leagues along the way and dominate their domestic league process.
The Premier League champions dominated the English division last season winning with a record amount of points, but they will have to do it on a regular basis, to earn the tag as one of the greatest ever.
To achieve this, continuity with Guardiola will be required at the Etihad Stadium in the coming years. But is that under threat?
According to reports in Spain, The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) is willing to throw money to sign Pep Guardiola as their new manager.
A $12 million deal is in the offering to replace Jorge Sampaoli, who is more likely to lose his job after a disastrous World Cup campaign.
The South American giants never looked dominant in the group with Nigeria, Iceland and Croatia, finishing second only through a last-minute goal from Marco Rojo.
More from Man City Editorials
- Phil Foden Scores Opener for England Against Scotland
- The FA Cup 1904; Manchester City’s First Trophy Ever
- Scandal Erupts: Raival’s Star Winger Antony Faces Accusations of Assault
- Man City Reigns Supreme in Ballon d’Or Nominations, Argentina Shines on National Stage
- Louis van Gaal Drops Bombshell: Accuses Argentina of World Cup 2022 Conspiracy!
So will Guardiola be ready to turn his back on the City project and prepare Argentina for the 2022 World Cup?
The answer is unlikely. The Spanish manager has made no intentions of leaving Manchester City and has not spoken publicly of his desire to one day to turn to international management. If he was, it would be later on in his career, should all his challenges in club football complete and become tiresome.
The opportunity to reunite with Lionel Messi may turn his head though. Messi and Pep both worked together at Barcelona, together dominating club football in Europe and Spain for many years.
Now is the chance to repay the Argentine great for his Barca performances to fulfil his last desire, an international honour. Messi will be debating his international retirement, with the Argentine FA looking to delay the inevitable by offering a potential reunion.
The job will be his greatest achievement should he turn the South Americans into the best team in the world or winning the Copa America. He will be declared the greatest manager to grace the team following the shambles, at times, witnessed in Russia.
That tag is likely to mean a lot for the technical coach as he has been the subject of criticism in the past for only joining the giants of world football and spending big money to continue their success.
The funds to spend will not be available, with the only resources available will be the players able to represent La Albiceleste through birth, family and residency.
A smaller pool and tough decisions to make given that their best players are closing in on retirement.
That may not be enough for him to his turn attention away from Europe.
Next: Former rival defends Raheem Sterling's performances
Guardiola signed a two contract extension in May 2018 with his deal now expiring in 2021. Unfinished business is still yet to be achieved with the Champions League and the defence of the Premier League still the main target for the club.
Although previously stated and a shock given should Pep leave, City fans will wish him well given that he has built a solid team for any coach to continue the progress.