Guardiola wouldn't leave Bayern for Man City – Rummenigge

The Bavarians chairman has intimated the Premier League champions would represent a step down for the Catalan coach

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says he can see no reason why Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola would consider leaving the Allianz Arena “for a club like Manchester City”.

Guardiola still is under contract to the German champions until the summer of 2016 but has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad, given current boss Manuel Pellegrini is under intense pressure due to a meek Premier League title defence and another disappointing showing in Europe.

Indeed, it has been reported that City director Txixi Begiristain – who previously worked with Guardiola at Barcelona – has already held talks with his former colleague about relocating to Manchester.

However, Rummenigge is completely unconcerned by all of the speculation, revealing he remains optimistic Guardiola will actually extend his contract with Bayern.

“I don’t worry about the rumour,” the German champions chairman told Bild. “It’s just proof of his quality. 

“But I can’t imagine that Guardiola leaves for a club like Manchester City. I am sure that he will be team manager at Bayern at least until June 30, 2016.

“We are very proud that this coach is our man. He is the best and most sought-after coach in the world. He has satisfied all our expectations.

“We have an plan: We will bring this season to an end and then talk in the second half of 2015. 

“Our goal is to extend his contract. And I think we have good chances that he will still be our coach beyond 2016.”

Guardiola, who won a domestic double in his first season in Germany, has repeatedly refused to commit himself publicly to Bayern beyond the end of his current deal.

The Catalan coach is also currently focused on the Bavarians’ bid for a treble, with his side having reached the semi-finals of the Champions League by overturning a 3-1 first-leg deficit in their last-eight clash with Porto with a stunning 6-1 demolition job at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.