Zurich: Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has revealed his intention to return to coaching next season.
The tactician has been absent from the game since his departure from the club after the 2011-12 campaign, and speaking during the press conference ahead of Monday`s Ballon d`Or ceremony, he shared that he intends to take over a coaching role again at some point.
Asked whether he would return to coaching next term, Guardiola said: "Yes, I would like to come back (to coaching). I don’t have a team, I don’t know, but I would like to go back to coaching."
He added: "My decision has been taken to coach, but beyond that there is no decision taken."
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have also been linked with a potential approach, while Bayern Munich are also understood to be interested in making the 41-year-old their coach next season.
But Guardiola, who is taking a year sabbatical in New York, refused to be drawn on whether he had spoken to any clubs, stating: “It would be a lack of respect to other coaches to speak about any team that is being run by a coach anywhere in the world.”
The former midfielder handed over to Tito Vilanova at the end of last season after guiding Barcelona to 14 trophies in four years at the Camp Nou.
He continues to follow the team from afar and - with Barcelona 11 points clear at the top of La Liga - is proud of their progress since his departure.
“I keep watching Barcelona on TV and it’s great to watch the team,” Guardiola continued. “I was a lucky man to spend a few years with this fantastic team and it’s a source of pride to know they continue to play just as well or even better than when I was there.
“It was a gift to have that team and it’s more of a gift to know it’s still going on. It didn’t start with me, it started a long, long time ago and I was just one part of that.”
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.