Gary Lineker predicts Pep Guardiola’s Man City exit amid ‘leaving’ claim – ‘I would be surprised’
Gary Lineker has predicted when Pep Guardiola – who is out of contract in 2025 – will leave Premier League side Manchester City.
The ex-Barcelona boss has been Man City‘s head coach since 2016. During his tenure, the Premier League outfit have dominated English football.
Guardiola ‘leaving’?
Guardiola‘s current contract is due to expire in 2025 so his long-term future is in doubt at the moment.
Earlier this week, Football Insider claimed that he ‘will leave’ upon the expiry of his current contract.
Given that this story is yet to be backed up by more reputable outlets, Man City supporters should not get too worried just yet.
But Lineker has predicted that Guardiola will depart Man City within the next “two or three years”.
“It’s impossible, really, to have continued success decade after decade. It’s so hard to do that,” Lineker said via The Rest is Football podcast.
“Even if I was interested in management, I would not want the job after Klopp. I’d want it the one after that.
“I think the same will happen with Pep [Guardiola] as well. It’s going to be very difficult for Liverpool and Man City post-eras… When you have got a personality that is so dominant at a football club, for so long, everything is about what he does, his staff, his manner, [how] the whole club is run.
“You could say the same about Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, or Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Both those clubs, when they left, had periods of real difficulty and it’s going to be a challenge for whoever comes in and, also, the same for Manchester City when Pep goes.
“I would be surprised if he does more than another two or three years. The intensity of it all – you could see Klopp needed a rest – but the next appointment is going to be so hard to follow in those footsteps.”
Alonso to Man City?
Guardiola’s eventual successor will have a difficult job on his hands and a similar level of task awaits Jurgen Klopp’s replacement at Liverpool.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was heavily linked with the role but he has confirmed that he is staying with the Bundesliga leaders for another season.
A move elsewhere could be possible in 2025 and beyond, though. He could end up at Man City as The Athletic claim ‘he has been mentioned as a possible successor to Guardiola’.
READ MORE: Premier League manager rankings… Moyes clambers off the canvas, Ten Hag turns another corner
At the end of last year, Girona sporting director Quique Carcel claimed manager Michel could be the right man to replace Guardiola.
“He has the talent to lead a big club like Manchester City (but) still needs time to get there to this type of benches,” Carcel told Mundo Deportivo.
“City plays football that Míchel, with a smaller club, is being able to do. Although for him to train them, a lot of coordination has to happen, like Pep (Guardiola) making the decision to leave.
“(He’s) happy in the team, with a contract and with the desire to continue making the project great. The pressures in Girona are different from those he may have on a bigger bench.”
