Pep Guardiola (foto: Getty Images)
The former Manchester City manager has told friends he would consider coaching England, although Thomas Tuchel remains under contract until the end of Euro 2028.
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Pep Guardiola has reportedly told friends that he would like to manage England in the future, reopening a possibility that appeared to disappear when he rejected an approach in 2024.
The 55-year-old left Manchester City this summer after a remarkable decade at the Etihad Stadium. He currently intends to take an extended break and has no immediate plans to return to club management.
According to reports in England, however, Guardiola views the national-team position differently. He is said to be interested in the England job if the timing and circumstances eventually align.
That does not mean an appointment is imminent. The Football Association has not dismissed Thomas Tuchel; no formal approach has been made to Guardiola, and the former City coach has not publicly declared himself a candidate.
His private interest is nevertheless significant because England attempted to appoint him before turning to Tuchel in 2024.
Guardiola chose to remain at Manchester City at that time. Two years later, he is no longer tied to a club, and England are dealing with the disappointment of another failed attempt to win a major tournament.
Tuchel has faced intense criticism following the 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. England led through Anthony Gordon but retreated during the closing stages and conceded twice.
The decision to replace attacking players, defend with a back five and ask Harry Kane to operate in unusually deep positions has been strongly questioned. Tuchel insists he acted according to his experience and has no regrets.
Wayne Rooney is among those who have suggested that the FA should pursue Guardiola if he is genuinely available, although the former England captain also acknowledged that Tuchel remains one of the strongest alternatives.
Guardiola’s record makes his attraction obvious. During ten seasons with Manchester City, he won six Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League trophy, completing a historic treble in 2023.
His teams transformed English football through their positional structure, possession and relentless domestic consistency. He also developed or improved several members of the England national team pool during his time in Manchester.
Guardiola has been clear that he now needs distance from the daily demands of coaching.
“Rest. I have no plans to coach for a while,” Guardiola said after leaving City. “Otherwise, I would still be here. I need to take a step back.”
“It has been 17 or 18 years of playing every three days, with people demanding trebles and Premier League titles. I need to breathe a little and relax. I will be away for a while.”
“I feel satisfied, happy and proud. The city has been the experience of my life. Otherwise, I would not have stayed for ten years.”
International management could eventually provide a less relentless schedule than club football, although leading England would bring a different level of scrutiny and expectation.
The immediate obstacle is Tuchel’s contract. The German signed an extension in February that runs until the conclusion of Euro 2028, a tournament England will help host.
Performance clauses were included in the agreement, but the reported World Cup escape mechanism applied if England failed to reach the quarter-finals. By progressing to the semi-finals, Tuchel met that minimum target.
Removing him now would therefore require the FA to negotiate a potentially expensive settlement rather than simply activate an early break clause.
Tuchel has not indicated that he intends to walk away.
“We keep going with the contract until the home Euros,” he said after the defeat by Argentina. “I’m looking forward to that, even if right now it is difficult to look so far ahead.”
England’s World Cup campaign cannot accurately be described as a complete failure. Reaching the final four represented substantial progress, but the manner of the defeat revived doubts about whether Tuchel can maximise the most talented English generation in years.
Guardiola’s reported interest ensures that every future setback will now produce the same question.
For the moment, England still belongs to Tuchel. Guardiola, however, may finally be interested whenever the position becomes available again.