The English FA has been in contact with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola about becoming the next England national team coach, according to a report from The Times.
Gareth Southgate stepped down as the England manager after the Three Lions came up short in the 2024 Euros final vs. Spain. Southgate revitalized the England team and made them contenders again, but many see Guardiola as the coach who could push the team over the line and help it lift a major trophy with the 2026 World Cup quickly approaching.
Guardiola's contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire this summer with City looking to win a fifth-straight Premier League title. The former Barcelona manager has won everything possible during his time at City and could look for a fresh start on the international stage.
The report from The Times reveals that the England Football Association reached out to Guardiola at the start of the current season to see if he would be interested in the England job. Guardiola reportedly hasn't responded to the FA but is expected to decide on his future in the coming weeks.
"It's not true, I have to reflect," Guardiola recently said on Italian television show Che Tempo Che Fa, dismissing claims that he had already decided to leave City next year after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup concludes. "It's not true, I can promise you that had I made a decision on whether to stay or to leave [Manchester City], I would tell you. I don't even know. But anything can happen in life."
It's worth noting that Txiki Begiristain will depart the Etihad Stadium as the end of season after serving as the team's director of football since 2012. Begiristain played a key role in City's early success that includes one Premier League and Carabao Cup title prior to recruiting Guardiola in July 2016.
The two Spaniards worked together at both Barcelona and the Spain national team. Prior to joining City, Begiristain was Barcelona's director of football and helped bring Guardiola on board at the Camp Nou in 2008.
With Begiristain now out of the picture, Guardiola could look at the England job as a chance to make his mark on the international stage. If Guardiola does become the next England coach, he would be just the third non-English coach following Fabio Capello and Sven-Göran Eriksson.
In the meantime, interim boss Lee Carsley is on the touchline at Wembley Stadium. The Three Lions claimed a 3–1 win over Finland in the UEFA Nations League following its 2–1 home defeat to Greece. In the September international break, England picked up a pair of victories against Ireland and Finland, which were Carsley's first two matches as interim coach.
READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as English FA Contacts Pep Guardiola Over England Manager Vacancy, Per Report.
