While speaking to Santiago Sotto on Super Deportivo Radio, Valenti Guardiola, father of Manchester City and former legendary Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, stated that a potential return to Catalonia cannot be entirely ruled out.
In the course of an interview while speaking to Santiago Sotto on Super Deportivo Radio, Valenti Guardiola, father of Manchester City and former legendary Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, expressedly stated that a potential return to Camp Nou would never be ruled out.
While several topics were discussed during the interview, including the prospect of Guardiola coaching the Spanish national team – a prospect that the manager’s father was not enamored with – Valenti did drop a bombshell about Pep’s possible avenues in the near future.
“I don’t want Pep to direct the Spanish National Team. Now, to return to Barcelona as a coach or as a person who‘d give advice is something that I do not rule out,” said the manager’s father.
Without confirming any substantial links, Valenti’s statements would be ample reason for optimism for the Barca camp even if Pep were to return in a technical capacity outside of coaching. Under Joan Laporta’s new board, the Blaugrana would certainly be more than glad to roll out the red carpet to welcome him home with mucho gusto as the club is currently trying to disentangle themselves from the state of disarray they’ve fallen into.
And when speaking about Lionel Messi’s links to Manchester City and a potential reunion with Pep in England, Valenti said:
“Pep with Messi at Man City? I don’t think that there is any club in the world that wouldn’t want Messi.”
With Guardiola making his maiden Champions League final for Manchester City, the road for the Spaniard with the English giants seems well-paved. On the Spanish end, Ronald Koeman’s future as club coach is still largely undecided as of now, and anything is possible as far as the managerial position is concerned and a candidate like Pep would even be more welcome than even Xavi.
As far as Barcelona are concerned, they could only benefit enormously with Guardiola at the club in any capacity, as they aim to restore their glory of old.