“I can’t!” – Pep Guardiola rejects career path after Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has made it clear that one particular direction within football will not be taken on when his Manchester City career eventually comes to an end.

The 53-year-old’s comments come in light of Manchester City’s official confirmation that long-standing sporting director Txiki Begiristain would be leaving the club at the end of the ongoing season.

Begiristain has spent the last 12 seasons largely working on squad restructuring, contractual negotiations, and player sales at City, and was instrumental in luring Pep Guardiola to the Etihad Stadium in the first place.

But having felt the need to step back from day-to-day duties at Manchester City for the last five years, the decision has been taken to take on the changeover in the Director of Football role at the end of the season, with Sporting CP’s Hugo Viana coming into the position.

Speaking to the media, and particularly in light of Begiristain’s confirmed exit from Manchester City at the end of the season, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on whether the role of sporting director is one he would consider in future.

“No! I would criticise my manager a lot! I can’t,” Guardiola said.

“I like the grass, honestly, I like the green there. To be there (in the stands) with a (suit and) tie, I don’t like.”

Pep Guardiola also spoke at length about the distant possibility of the Premier League becoming a division absent of English managers, following on from the debate and discussion that has emerged after Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England national team coach.

“I hope not! I understand completely the people when they relate that you can only manage the national team being British, it’s normal. And in every country it’s the same,” Guardiola said.

“It’s just, and in my advice, take the opportunity to learn, like we learned from them, they can learn from the foreign, German, or Spanish, or Catalan, or Italian, or whatever. That is life. Everyone learns from everyone.

“In London, they don’t live just British people there. In New York, they don’t live just American people there. There are millions, millions of people abroad that live there to contribute to the country getting better, to make businesses, or live lives or whatever. This is what it’s all about.

“We live in community all around the world today, before it was more difficult for the fact people could not fly but now it’s not… everyone is everyone. And as much as you are open, because the culture is back and forth, and have the opportunity to not just learn, but to see, maybe you like or not like people from other countries, that is what culture is all about.

“That is what makes us better, absolutely. You travel to Germany, or Qatar, or now here, and I feel better, as a person, I feel better. I’m more patient, I have more understanding, empathy, understanding your culture, understand why you have done this, why you have done that, and I do what I feel, and if the people like it, it’s fine.”

Guardiola continued that whilst he is of the belief that he would like more English or British managers in the Premier League, and perhaps an English coach managing the national side, Thomas Tuchel deserves everyone’s full support ahead of taking on the role in 2025.

“I understand completely, but at the same time, now it’s Thomas (Tuchel) there (as England manager), OK why should you not support him? Why should you not – OK, he is the manager, let’s go!

“And if Thomas wins it will be good, and if he doesn’t win he will be criticised, it doesn’t matter – it happens everywhere. But once the Federation has decided, me in my aside position, I will support him like I supported Gareth (Southgate) because I want the very best, because just for the fact that I was living here almost one decade. So it’s simple.”