I want Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager admits Manuel Pellegrini in astonishingly honest interview
Blues boss feels it is inevitable that Spaniard who is set to leave Bayern Munich in the summer will work in England and hopes he succeeds him... eventually
Pep talk: Pellegrini was remarkably frank about Prem target Guardiola's future
Manuel Pellegrini believes Pep Guardiola is the perfect boss for Manchester City and that it’s only a matter of time before the most coveted coach in football takes on the challenge of the Premier League.
In an astonishingly honest admission that could have ramifications on his own future at the Etihad club, the 62-year-old Chilean says that he would LOVE to see Guardiola take charge of the Blues one day.
Pellegrini is adamant that he isn’t ready to wave the white flag on his own reign just yet, with 18 months still left on his contract and City still chasing four trophies this season.
But, with Guardiola set to leave German giants Bayern Munich in the summer, he admitted: “I am sure that the important managers always want to work here in the Premier League.
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“It is impossible not to want to work here — especially if you have experience of working in other leagues.
“So, Pep Guardiola will work here. I don’t know if it will be next season here at City, or even at another club, but I am sure that one day he will come to the Premier League.
“And I hope he will have the option to work at Manchester City.
“I say that because I love this club and I hope, in the future, he can work here also. I am sure that he will be very important for the club.
“A lot of things will happen in the future. But when is the future? You never know. It might be next year. But I don’t worry. The only thing I am worried about is this year, trying to win the most amount of trophies I can.”
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola was expected to announce his decision to leave the Bundesliga champions at season's end following Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Hannover.
But when pressed after the game, he would only repeat “tomorrow, tomorrow”.
Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Guardiola has told Bayern he will be leaving – and they have already lined up Carlo Ancelotti as a replacement.
Pellegrini signed a 12-month extension to his City contract in a bid to prevent Guardiola casting a shadow over the Etihad.
That illustrates the respect that the Chilean commands at the club.
Director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano were key influences when Guardiola was forging his reputation at Barcelona.
But Pellegrini is also close to both men and believes the nature of their working relationship means he will be kept in the loop about the club’s plans for the future.
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He said: “My contract showed that the club was happy and that I was happy, but sometimes you can have a contract for six or eight years and, at the end of the season, you don’t continue anyway.
“You always depend on what the owners think of the job you are doing. But we work in a good way, talking about different things, and, if something happens, then I will be the first to know.
“Maybe other clubs work in that way, where the chief executive decides everything, but that is the worst way to do it. I work with Txiki and with Ferran every day and we talk about next season.
“It doesn’t matter if I continue as manager or don’t continue, I think you must always continue to work and prepare.”
Pellegrini added: “When you are a big club, you have a lot of rumours. It was the same when I was at Real Madrid. If you win every game the rumours are not the same, but when you don’t reach targets, then...
“When you are an important manager at a big club, the most important thing is to try to have a good performance at the weekend. A big team can win six or eight games in a row, but, at the end of the season, if you don’t achieve an important target, it is pretty difficult to continue.”
Pellegrini has also ruled out becoming the new coach of his homeland, Chile.
The City boss has been identified as a possible successor to Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentinian who guided La Roja to Copa America glory last summer.
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But Pellegrini, who won 28 Chilean caps as a player, has no interest in moving into international management at the moment.
He said: “I am not considering Chile, because Sampaoli is working there now.
“I am also working at Manchester City and I hope I will continue here. I am certainly not thinking about retirement.
“I enjoy working and I enjoy working every day – and it is for that reason that I don’t so much like the idea of working with an international squad. To have every day on the pitch is important to me.”
Sampaoli’s future is in doubt because Chilean FA president Sergio Jadue has resigned after being caught up in the FIFA corruption scandal. He is angry because his employers will not sanction a new contact for his assistant until after the presidential election next month.
In pictures — Chile win the 2015 Copa America:
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Swansea have put the 55-year-old on their list of potential successors to Garry Monk. But Pellegrini has no intention of going home if Sampaoli does resign.
The City boss, 62, wants to stay in the Premier League even if he's replaced by Guardiola.
Pellegrini said: “I enjoy England and enjoy the Premier League. I think it is the best league in the world at the moment and I hope I will continue here in England. First, at City and, after City, still in England.
“I think experience is very important because this is a career where you improve every year.”
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