This year is the closest we have seen to an English side complete something never before seen, and essentially ‘complete’ the game of football itself, as Manchester City were on the verge of completing a quadruple, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Obviously, some of these are still very much up for grabs, and the FA Cup semi-final just a few days ago ensured that City will not be winning at least the FA Cup this year, however prior to their defeat to Chelsea, I began wondering… what is going to happen with City in the next year or so?

Given that they now have the quadruple to attempt next season, these points may become fairly void, however I honestly question what comes next for a side that manages to complete the quadruple, and in particular, what happens next for their legendary coach, Pep Guardiola. This season could finally be the year that City win the Champions League that has been the only missing piece to their money-fuelled journey, and should they claim that missing part of their jigsaw, then perhaps we may see several key people within the club decide to try their hand at new ventures and new challenges. Already, Agüero has announced he will be leaving, last season we saw David Silva moving on, and possibly a few more faces could decide that they’ve achieved everything possible in England and want a fresh start if they achieve this European success.

Pep Guardiola is the main man at City that I could genuinely envisage ending his time at City in the coming season or 2 if they win the Champions League, as so often before in his managerial career, we have seen him move on to other clubs once he believes he has achieved everything possible and leaves his legacy at the club. We saw it at Barcelona, at Bayern and now the time may be arriving at Manchester City. With his personality and previous history, winning the Champions League this season along with another Premier League may push him to the point of wanting a fresh challenge or move somewhere new to keep his same passion for the game alive and kicking. It may also be possible that we see him take some more time out of the game, as he did post-Barcelona. Whatever the decision, I think it’s something to definitely keep an eye on, as despite signing a new contract fairly recently, a lot could happen in the next few months that spark the beginning of the end at City, particularly with so many options available to him.

Because there are so many possibilities at Peps fingertips, with pretty much any club in football welcoming him if he wants, I have decided to put together a few suggestions or theories as to where he may pop-up next. Obviously these are all speculative, and honestly I think losing the FA Cup semi-final means he still has the quadruple to battle for at City, however I think if we look around 3-5 years into the future, we won’t have Pep in the Premier League. So, that being said, here’s where he may be in the future…

Stay At City

So, the first suggestion actually contradicts the whole post, however it is equally as likely that Pep Guardiola stays at City long-term as it is for him to leave. He is on the verge of having won every trophy possible (multiple times in most cases) and so this creates the idea that he will try his hand elsewhere, but then again why would he? If he is happy winning these trophies, and is happy in England and settled in Manchester, then there’s no reason to move away from the guaranteed success, other than having the competitive personality.

Particularly in the short-term, he will be hunting the quadruple, and creating history in achieving this, which may put a fair few years on his time at City as a minimum, as although domestically City have been dominant, combining this with European success is obviously the next level. Meanwhile, speaking of creating history, Pep may decide that his legacy is not yet set in stone at Manchester City, and he may want to create a Ferguson-esque level of success and dominate in England for 20+ years. With City collecting Premier League trophies like Pokémon cards, it’s only time that is stopping them eclipsing the Manchester United record of successful wins, and Pep may just want to challenge that record. Furthermore, with the big names such as Kompany, Silva and Agüero leaving or having left, Pep may want to secure his next generation squad before going anywhere, meaning he will want to settle some new big names such as Kane and Haaland whilst continuing to nurture Foden and others who have unlimited potential.

Therefore, although countering my whole point of writing this point, it could very well be that we have Pep in England for a long time, with him creating a unrivalled legacy at City, challenging historic records and creating and nurturing the next generation. As mentioned, it makes sense to stay where you are winning, and where you are happy, and where you are receiving the backing of the City owners and their unlimited wealth, however there will always be the niggling question, does Pep want a different challenge, and it’s one that City fans will have constantly in the back of their minds.

Back To The Future

The next suggestion may be that Pep reverts back to the place where his career has had its highest points, as both a player and manager, and a place close to his heart in Barcelona. Obviously Barca are working seemingly on a rebuild with Koeman in charge, however with the recent presidential change and eagerness to move on with the rebuild, they may just convince Pep to lead the recharge of the great side. Often when a manager leaves a side, they leave to never return, however I would honestly imagine Barcelona would be the biggest draw for Pep, as they are a project that is well funded and could just do with some tweaks and be back to their best, they have the talisman in Messi still on top-form, and they are rumoured to be leading the race for Agüero. As a result, Guardiola could form a dominant front 3 of Messi, Griezmann and Agüero whilst refreshing and bringing in the incredible youth prospects that the giants have to offer.

Obviously the logistics of this move would be incredibly tough, however if both parties want this to happen, then there’s no reason for it not to. Guardiola will have the ready-made for success project in which he can do his little rebuild with some big transfers and then keep dominating in Spain and possibly Europe, while Barcelona will likely convince Messi to stay for the long-haul with this decision. It would make a hectic summer this year or next, but I can see this as the logical next step for Pep.

Challenge Accepted

This possibility for where Guardiola could end up is certainly my favourite of the lot, as it’s something that many have questioned about Pep through his managerial career, can he replicate his successes with a mid-table or bottom club who don’t have the funds of a City or Barcelona.

Now, this idea is open to interpretation, however I am picturing something along the lines of Mourinho’s Champions League win with Porto, or getting Ajax back to the top of the European pyramid. It may be that he wants to win the Premier League with Barnsley (but I don’t see that happening). Essentially, what I would love to see, is Pep trying his hand at a club where the blueprint and path to success isn’t as clear-cut as he had previously. At Barcelona, obviously he excelled, but he had Messi, Xavi and Iniesta primed and ready from the outset, at Bayern they are a club where it’s a rarity not to dominate domestically, and with City it’s been a case of throwing money at any and all problems. Like so many others, to place Guardiola into the list of all-time greats, he needs to do something remarkable, and that might be what he tries next. I don’t expect him to drop down in the Premier League of course, however as we mentioned, Ajax could offer him the chance to try and recapture European glories, Porto/Sporting/Benfica could also be a great challenge as he would not only bring success to the clubs, but possibly place the whole league back into the top-5 of Europe.

Whatever club you’re imagining here, I’m hoping you can understand the reasoning. I don’t doubt for a second that Pep is one of the best, but none of his 3 previous jobs have been the most challenging. Obviously, you could include the style of football he brings as part of the success and that of course raises his achievements massively, however there will always be doubters to his work until he matches Mourinho’s Porto, or Klopp’s work with Dortmund. Instead, it feels like many things have been handed to him, and he nudged them over the line as opposed to shocking the world with an underdog.

American Dream

Pep has an obvious love of both North and South America, having spent his sabbatical in New York, he has an affection for the US which could lead to a possible move to the MLS, and taking part in one of the major projects that the US sides are undertaking. Pep deciding to permanently move over to the MLS would be a real shock, however the lure of the states as a location and base could tempt many, while Pep could genuinely spearhead the league to the next level. By deciding to take on a job in the US, the league immediately gains credibility, respect and acclaim from everyone within the game. He could become a legend of the sport in America if he decided to join one of the franchises, which would certainly tempt someone like Pep should nothing in Europe take his fancy. Even if it was a short-term decision of a few years, he could have a nice challenge whilst being in a place where he can have a break from the packed European schedule and media spotlight.

Alternatively, he could develop his interest and admiration for South American football and the culture they have created. We know he admires the likes of Bielsa, Maradona, Messi and so many others who have created this passion for the sport which rivals and often overshadows even Europe’s love of the beautiful game, and consequently he may decide that a Boca Juniors, River Plate or any team in that part of the world could be a great experience for him. Of course, this challenge is no mean feat, as the game is different and everything from transfers to tactics would need to adapt to the differences in South American football to the Premier League, however with his passion for the game, he would be adored by fans who love to idolise these footballing legends, and South America may just be the next step on his journey.

Complete The Set

Thinking about Pep’s next steps reminded me of Football Manager, and the types of challenges you may look to take on in the virtual management game. One of these that Pep may consider, is completing the top-5 in Europe collection of trophies. We have seen him dominate Spain, complete Germany and is currently leading the way in England. Therefore, he may decide to complete European football in general, by taking on a job in either Italy or France to ensure he has won all of Europe’s top-awards.

Having played in Italy for several years towards the end of his career, Pep might decide to return as a manager to try and dominate Italian football on a management level. There are so many options for him in Italy, from Juventus who are domestically dominant but missing European success, to a Roma or even Brescia where he spent time as a player. I would question Pep’s style of football blending with Italian clubs, however his record of success would mean he surely will bring some sort of glory in Serie A, thus creating an interesting prospect.

Meanwhile, he could of course decide that France is his next destination on the trophy collecting tour, and although PSG are the obvious side in France who are trying Poch on for size, there are other sides he could consider. The likes of Monaco, Lyon or Marseille could be a great challenge to take on, as all 3 are major European sides, but are not quite doing the job on a major European level, thus again creating an enticing prospect for Guardiola.

International

This is up there as the most unrealistic for me of the possibilities, however I think before he leaves the game for good, we will almost certainly see the likes of Guardiola, Klopp and Mourinho taking on an international role. Obviously, this is usually towards the latter stages of managerial careers, as managers often lose interest in the constant schedule of club management, but after winning everything everywhere, Pep might just feel like the only major honours missing are international trophies.

Leaving City for an international job would be quite bold from Guardiola, but it could provide him with a short-term break from club management if no job appeals, all while offering the next big challenge and potential for another trophy. However, as mentioned previously, I do admit this one to be quite unrealistic, as I think in his current mindset, Pep is either all-in or out, there’s no halfway for Pep which international management often is. Additionally, there are possible issues surrounding him taking the Spain job, as he himself has personal allegiances with the campaign for Catalan independence. Now, I’m not going to delve into that, as quite honestly I don’t even pretend to have much idea what that issue is about or anything, however after he played for the Catalonia national team in several friendlies during his playing career, he may be unwilling to take on the Spain role. Of course this doesn’t rule him out of any other international job, however I can’t imagine him taking on the England, France or Italy job for example.

Something Completely Different

My final suggestion for what Pep Guardiola may do post-City is certainly one that we wouldn’t want, but may be necessary for him on a personal level after spending the last 5 years at Manchester City, the longest spell of his managerial career thus far, in that he may decide to replicate the sabbatical that he took post-Barcelona and take some time out of the game. After leaving Barcelona, he took a year out in the US where he allowed himself time to refresh and set-up properly for the next job to become available in Bayern Munich. I believe that in his personality, he may need these breaks between jobs as after becoming so engrained into the job, he needs the time away to reset and create new ideas. Admittedly, I don’t know too much about his time out and what he got up to, however this break away is something I can certainly imagine post-City, especially as he didn’t manage the time out after leaving Bayern.

Not only does the time away help him personally reset himself, but also allows Pep to weigh up his next move in management, as despite being the top coach in World football, it doesn’t allow him to walk into whatever job he wants, and instead he may have to wait out the current coach at whatever club appeals to him. Obviously, having Pep waiting to come in and take over will speed up the process, however with Pep possibly taking another year out, it could throw up more opportunities and more clubs for him to consider.

While I don’t want to see a coach of this level out of the game, it could be interesting to see what he may do in this time. We all have seen and heard of his great charity work and willingness to support charities around the world, and particularly in Spain, where his support for Catalonia is well acknowledged. This could continue and develop if he wished to further his work outside of football altogether, or we may see him take up a punditry role as we have from other managers previously. Whatever the case, I think certainly unless a job lines up perfectly for Pep to come into when he leaves City, this may be the most likely ‘next step’ for the coach.