Pep Guardiola is seriously considering refusing the chance to manage Manchester City or Chelsea next season to take over as Bayern Munich coach. Courted by an array of Europe’s elite clubs, the manager who led Barcelona to two Champions League triumphs is attracted to Germany’s leading club as a safer platform to restart his career than anything available in the Premier League.
Guardiola admires the professional manner in which Bundesliga clubs operate and the balance of foreign and home-grown players in Bayern’s squad. The strength of their academy system is similar to that at Barcelona — a resource that was fundamental to his success at Camp Nou.
Bayern’s executive, built around a group of world-class former players, also appeals to Guardiola, who has encouraged the Germans’ interest. Their current coach, 67-year-old Jupp Heynckes, is out of contract this summer, and Guardiola’s financial demands are comfortably within the reach of a club that announced record revenues of €373.4million (£301m) last month, behind only Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.
Currently enjoying a year’s sabbatical with his family in New York, Guardiola has told his agent, Jose Maria Orobitg, that he will make a decision in January. It remains possible the Catalan will extend his break into a second year.
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