FA to entice Guardiola to be England coach

By Robert Mutasi 

The Football Association (FA) in the United Kingdom is reported to want to hire Pep Guardiola as the manager of England after Gareth Southgate resigns.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Southgate, 53, is expected to leave his current job when his contract expires after the Euro next year in Germany.

The former defender has been coaching the Three Lions since September 2016 and has achieved great success, reaching the Euro 2020 final.

FA officials are preparing a shortlist of successors and it is believed that Guardiola, 52, is on that list. 

The Spaniard, who has won the Champions League three times in his coaching career, is considered by many analysts to be the best manager in the world.

Guardiola's contract with Manchester City expires in June 2025 and there is a possibility of him being persuaded to leave Etihad.

He has been coaching City since July 2016 and may be attracted to international football after achieving everything at the club level.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the FA's 'dream' successor to Southgate is Guardiola. 

Officials will explore the possibility of hiring the former Barcelona coach if Southgate leaves his job after the Euro next season, but other managers are also in the running.

Eddie Howe, Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rodgers, and Graham Potter are all believed to be favored by the FA, although it is only the latter who are not currently linked.

Potter was sacked by Chelsea earlier this year, with Pochettino now at Stamford Bridge.

Howe is the manager of Newcastle, one of the richest clubs in the world, while Rodgers was reappointed by Celtic during the summer. 

However, it would be difficult for any candidate to refuse the England job, which remains a highly sought-after position.

Hiring Guardiola would be a major coup for the FA, as they may struggle to match his City salary. 

The FA has previously hired foreign coaches for England, appointing Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001 and Fabio Capello seven years later.

Guardiola, who has won titles in Spain, Germany, and England, has previously hinted at being an international manager.

 "The next step would be a national team if the opportunity arises," he told reporters in 2021.