Pep Guardiola has fuelled talk that he could be about to leave Manchester City at the end of the season ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Wolves on Sunday.
The Spaniard has been in charge of the club ever since 2016, with City winning six Premier League titles in the years since.
Recently, City announced that director of football Txiki Begiristain would be leaving the Etihad.
And Guardiola has now hinted he could be next out of the door by saying that a ‘part’ of him is leaving alongside Begiristain.
Pep Guardiola has fuelled talk that he could be about to leave Manchester City at the end of the season ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Wolves on Sunday
PA
“A part of me is leaving, I would say,” he said.
“A friend of mine, one of the architects to create one of the best teams ever in Barcelona at that time, and now here.
“I’ve known the decision for a long time, for family reasons and personal reasons, I know how grateful he is for this experience here.
“Personally he will be missed, but of course he will be missed a lot, for the confidence, the trust, especially in bad moments because he made me incredible balanced in my job because I’m so energetic.
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“When it’s going bad I want to destroy everything, and all the time he said, ‘See you tomorrow, take a coffee’.
“And his balance to be completely crazy in other ones, his pause helped me lot in my period in Barcelona and of course, here…”
City have already replaced Begiristain.
Former Newcastle star Hugo Viana will touch down as his replacement, having impressed with his work at Sporting Lisbon.
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Guardiola also suggested that he will leave City in the near future – but says the club aren’t putting any pressure on him to decide his future, with his current deal due to expire next year.
“The club have never ever told me [when they want a decision on my future],” he said.
“Of course, but I’m pretty sure the club have options when I will leave. Sooner or later it will happen and they have to prepare. It will not be a surprise.
“I want to be really convinced it is the best for the club.
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Pep Guardiola is out of contract at the end of the season with Man City waiting to see what he decides
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“I will not delay any action thinking it will be a problem for the club. They understand the problems I will have.
“If the club asks me an opinion [on my successor] I will give them an opinion. But it is not a decision for me. It has to be the club.”
Guardiola was, until recently, being eyed by the FA to replace Gareth Southgate.
They have since given the job to Thomas Tuchel, however, with the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and PSG boss set to chance his arm in international management for the very first time.
Pep Guardiola refused to discuss the England job ahead of Man City’s clash with Wolves on Sunday
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Guardiola was quizzed about the England job and whether he’d spoken to the FA prior to their decision to appoint Tuchel.
But he simply batted questions away, insisting it ‘didn’t matter’.