‘Not true’ - Pep Guardiola gives update on future plans as FA told to appoint Man City boss
The Manchester City manager has been linked with the England position.
Pep Guardiola has revealed he has not decided his future plans yet as the uncertainty over his position at Manchester City continues.
The 53-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer and Guardiola has refused to be drawn into his plans when asked over recent months. In City’s last game - a 3-2 win over Fulham - a banner was unveiled at the Etihad saying: “Pep, we want you to stay.”
But Guardiola has also been linked with the vacant England job, with interim boss Lee Carsley ruling himself out of the position last week. Reports have suggested Guardiola is the FA’s prime candidate for the position and could take over at the end of the season when his contract expires.
For now, the City boss is enjoying some down time during the international break and appeared as a guest on Italian talk show Che tempo Che Fa. The former Barcelona manager was asked about his future and denied that he has anything agreed with the FA.
“Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” Guardiola said. “And it is 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.”
The news comes as Roy Keane has encouraged the FA to hire Guardiola. Speaking as a pundit after ITV’s coverage of England’s 3-1 win in Finland on Sunday night, the Irishman said: “The FA have to go after the right guy, whoever that is.
“Whether finances play a part in it, if Lee [Carsley] rules himself out and isn't interested - that seems to be the noises coming out - then the FA have to get busy and find the right man. Go for Pep. Go for the best. Pep's contract is up in the summer.”