FA Eyes Pep Guardiola as Potential England Manager
The Football Association (FA) is reportedly considering Pep Guardiola as a potential successor to Gareth Southgate as England manager. Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City expires next summer, and the FA is believed to have made informal contact with him at the start of the season.
Roy Keane, the former Manchester United midfielder, has publicly urged the FA to appoint Guardiola. “Go for the best,” Keane said on ITV after England’s 3-1 victory over Finland on Sunday. “Pep’s contract ends in the summer.”
Guardiola has remained coy about his future. “Leaving City? That’s not accurate. I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said on the Italian TV program Che tempo Che Fa. “And it’s also incorrect to assume I’ll be the next England manager. If I had made a decision, I would announce it… I’m equally uncertain; anything is possible.”
Guardiola has been a huge success at Manchester City, winning six Premier League titles, including four in a row, and the Champions League. He is considered one of the best managers in the world and would be a major coup for the FA.
However, Thomas Tuchel, who has managed Paris St Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, is currently the favorite among bookmakers to become England manager.
In the meantime, Lee Carsley, the England Under-21s manager, will take charge of the senior team for the upcoming Nations League group stage matches next month. Carsley has already managed three wins and a loss in this temporary capacity.
The FA has declined to comment on its process for selecting a new manager, while Manchester City has remained silent on the speculation.