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Pep Guardiola has been tipped for a sensational move to Real Madrid amid mounting speculation over his position at Manchester City.
Guardiola’s tenure at Manchester City has been marked by unprecedented success. The 52-year-old has steered the club to six Premier League titles and the Champions League since moving to Etihad Stadium in 2016. Yet, despite these accomplishments, there has been growing pressure on the manager amid a crisis that has seen City win just once in the last 12 matches, with their latest defeat coming against Aston Villa last Saturday.
Former Liverpool and Man City midfielder Didi Hamann has weighed in on Guardiola’s situation while speaking to BoyleSports about Premier League Betting. Guardiola has said a national team role will appeal if he ever leaves City, but Hamann has suggested he could one day take over at Real Madrid, despite his past ties to Barcelona.
“Pep has won everything in club football, but the one club he hasn’t managed is Real Madrid and for every coach, that is a huge thing,” he said. “He is a Barcelona man, though, and I’m not sure he’d want that and he’s from Catalonia – though to be fair it’s every coach’s dream to manage them. With the national team, he hasn’t got that daily interaction which he clearly loves and you only get players for ten days a month. However, I do think the national team is most likely. If he says he won’t manage another team, then it makes sense, as it’s a stressful job being a Premier League boss.”
This is not the first time Guardiola has been linked with Real Madrid, and he has been quick to dismiss such speculation in the past. Marti Perarnau, Guardiola’s autobiographer, revealed in 2016 that Real Madrid once approached Guardiola while Rafa Benitez was still their manager. However, Guardiola laughed off the suggestion, saying: “I’m a follower of FC Barcelona. I don’t think Real Madrid would need a coach like me, and I wouldn’t fit there either.”
While speculation about Guardiola’s future continues – despite the fact he signed a two-year extension at the club in November – City will turn their attention to the final games of 2024. With matches against Everton on Boxing Day and Leicester City on December 29, the reigning Premier League champions have a chance to stabilize their form and end the year on a high note.
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