Could Guardiola Be England’s Savior?

As European national teams gear up for an important international break, all eyes in England are on the search for the next national team manager. One name that has been repeatedly suggested by fans and former players alike is none other than Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City manager, was recently asked about the possibility of taking charge of the England national team. Guardiola responded, “Anything is possible” when discussing his future. Meanwhile, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has publicly called for the English FA to appoint the Spaniard to lead the national team.

Guardiola’s contract with City is set to expire at the end of the current season. While he hasn’t ruled out an extension, the uncertainty around his future has fueled speculation about a possible move to the national team setup.

Guardiola has expressed his deep affection for City. Speaking to Sky Italia, he said, “Leaving City? That’s not true. I haven’t decided yet.”

He added, “It’s not true that I will become the next England manager. If I had decided, I would announce it. But for now, I don’t know—anything can happen.”

Roy Keane, now a sports analyst for ITV believes the FA should wait for Guardiola to become available.

After England’s recent 3-1 win over Finland under interim boss Lee Carsley, Keane stated: “The FA should aim for the best manager available, whoever that might be. And right now, Pep Guardiola’s contract is up this summer.”

The England national team, is currently under the interim management of Lee Carsley, who has expressed little desire to take on the role permanently. Last Saturday, Carsley confirmed that he had not applied to be England’s permanent head coach, despite temporarily stepping down from his role with the U21 squad after Gareth Southgate resigned from the senior team following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

The 50-year-old has had a positive start, guiding England to wins over Ireland and Finland in their opening two matches in September.

However, he faced criticism after experimenting with tactics that led to a 2-1 defeat against Greece in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley last Thursday. He responded with a solid 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday.

After the match against Greece, Carsley expressed his desire to return to the U21 team once England completes its next three fixtures.

However, he quickly clarified that he does not consider himself a candidate for the England head coach position.

When asked before the Finland match if he had applied for the role, Carsley responded, “No, I haven’t formally applied for it.”

The Football Association (FA) announced on its website the opening for the senior team manager position shortly after Southgate’s departure.

The application deadline was August 2, just prior to Carsley’s appointment as interim coach on August 9.

When asked about his reasons for not pursuing the head coach position, Carsley said, “I have been in charge of the Under-21 team for a while, and I am very content with my role.”

He added, “I am an employee of the Football Association, and being asked to lead the senior team is a privilege. This has been the proudest moment of my career.”