It’s been a while, Pep.
After 10 years of change, trophy after trophyfascinating plays and tactical changes, Guardiola era — as this will no doubt be called in the future — soccer is over in English.
of last farewell On Monday night, some of the biggest names in sport and music, including basketball great Michael Jordan and Oasis mastermind Noel Gallagher, came together in person and via video to pay tribute to the outgoing Manchester City manager, with a parade through the city center followed by an after-party.
Tears came out. There was also some laughter. There were many memories.
But there’s an elephant in the room, and this elephant may fade quietly into the background for months to come. world cup will take center stage, but it will likely emerge before the start of next season. What’s next for City, Guardiola and the English game as a whole?
man city
This may be a tough time for them Dominant teams of the past decade.
Let’s start with housekeeping. The team is in need of a new manager, and the frontrunner is reported to be former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who was Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble-winning season in 2022-23.
The sooner you hire a replacement, the sooner you can start building the team you envision. It probably won’t exist anymore john stones And Bernardo Silva, a promising player whose departure has been confirmed.
But modern Manchester City was essentially built to accommodate Guardiola, from the moment Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain – two of Guardiola’s closest associates during his time at Barcelona – arrived from the Catalan giants in 2012 and set the tone for the ambitious English club, which was bought by Abu Dhabi four years earlier.
In this post-Guardiola world, what will be the strategy if the centerpiece disappears?
Much could depend on the outcome of City’s ongoing court case with the Premier League after they were charged with more than 100 offenses by the Premier League in February 2023. financial violationsincluding providing misleading information about your source of income.
The case was heard by an independent committee between September and December 2024, but no verdict has been rendered.
The city has always denied the charges. The punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the top flight, in which case City’s world would be turned upside down overnight.
premier league
This is the moment rival teams have been waiting for. Finally Guardiola (a manager almost certain to win trophies) is gone and the playing field suddenly looks more level.
With City in flux, it may be time for Arsenal to build some sort of dynasty under manager Mikel Arteta. Build a strong and deep team and the team premier league title.
“My job, and everyone’s job at the club, is to raise the standards we have now and achieve even more, because we believe we can do it,” Arteta said.
I still don’t know how Xabi Alonso It tells the story of how Arne Slott’s checkered third season at Liverpool progresses as he rebuilds Chelsea, becoming champions one season and barely making it to the Champions League the next.
And of course, there’s Manchester United. Although historically England’s biggest team, they have not won a Premier League title in 13 years. under michael carrickwill United be able to emerge from their neighbours’ shadow?
england soccer
Not only Coach Guardiola, mohamed salah Nine years at Liverpool means two of the biggest names in world football are no longer in England.
Take a moment from City striker Erling Haaland – is the mighty Premier League lacking real star attraction?
Compared to 10 years ago, when the likes of Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Antonio Conte were all in the hot seat, the name recognition of the coach has declined.
Stylistically, what would the English game be without Guardiola? His possession-based approach (starting the attack with the goaltender or defender) was imitated across the country, from children’s teams in the park to teams in professional leagues. Will that style continue?
This recently concluded season saw even more changes. A back-to-basics approach, It’s a place where set pieces, long throws and long balls from the goalkeeper have become commonplace in an era when teams have packed schedules and coaches have little time to think of ideas on the practice field.
Arsenal mastered the new style and became champions for the first time in 22 years. Perhaps that will become the norm and Guardiola Ball will disappear.
pep guardiola
As for Guardiola himself, he will first relax and recharge after a year-long sabbatical after Barcelona, where he was at the top of Europe for 13 consecutive years with Bayern Munich and then City.
“I need to step back. I’m not going to (coach) for a while,” he said.
Guardiola has said he wants to spend time with his children and his father Valenti, who is in his 90s, meaning he is likely to return to Barcelona. He will definitely travel and, in his words, “learn to live a different life.”
However, this is not the end of Guardiola’s career in football.
Firstly, he has an ambassadorial role within City Football Group, the umbrella company that owns Man City, so you can expect to see him in the stands at City games. He is also a keen Barcelona supporter, so he will definitely be attending the match inside the Camp Nou.
In terms of coaching, Guardiola does not have any plans at the moment, but he could well seize the opportunity to become an international leader.
Guardiola asked last week if he was referring to the England team. He cut it short.
“Let’s see what happens,” his answer ended.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
