Perhaps it was an effort at mind games, maybe an attempt to anoint his successor or possibly just praising a manager who has transformed a seemingly moribund club with a brand of football that invites comparisons with his own. Whichever, Pep Guardiola had repeated his view that it is Vincent Kompany’s destiny to become Manchester City manager. “He has got to stop saying it,” smiled City’s greatest captain. “I am a Championship manager.” Not for much longer, admittedly, with Burnley three wins from promotion.
They have been reinvented and rejuvenated under Kompany. An FA Cup tie at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday is his first competitive visit to his old club since his 2019 departure to manage Anderlecht, but he is eager to ensure it isn’t seen as the start of a more permanent return. “I think Pep should stay for another 10 years at Manchester City, first and foremost,” he said. “City are competing to win the Champions League and we are competing to win the Championship so I don’t think those kind of conversations make sense.”
