Already the Spanish manager knows what it’s like to work for Saudi Arabia through their ownership of Manchester City. – The thought should not be far-fetched for Pep Guardiola to take a rest year or two in a very well-paid job with desert football.
Saudi Arabia wants to make Pep Guardiola national team manager
He started out as a ball boy at Camp Nou, grew up in Johan Cruyff’s footsteps, and became one of the most successful coaches of all time. Now Pep Guardiola can end his career in the desert.
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Saudi Arabia ready to give him a salary that will make most people gasp – if he agrees to become the new national team manager.
More national teams on the radar
Although Guardiola has not yet confirmed that he is leaving Manchester City, several nations have already started to position themselves. The Spanish newspaper Sport writes that there is great interest from several quarters.
Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly expressed a clear desire to link Guardiola to him as national team manager. Morocco is also monitoring the situation closely.
But the most sensational comes from Saudi Arabia.
Offers almost one billion kroner a year
According to Sport, Saudi Arabia are willing to offer Guardiola between 80 and 90 million euros per season to take over the national team.
Still: There are currently no indications that Guardiola intends to accept.
– Planning a sabbatical year
On the contrary, Sport writes that the coach still plans to take a full year off once his time at Manchester City is over. Guardiola has previously talked about how demanding it is to be in the Champions League hunt season after season, and a year without match pressure is increasingly tempting.
How Pep Guardiola became one of the best of all time
Before he became the legendary manager we know today, Guardiola himself was an extraordinarily elegant midfielder. He was for many years the brains and conductor of the great Barcelona team that Cruyff built, and he was known for his outstanding passing foot and football intelligence. Many called him “the general of the field”.
After his playing career took him via Italy, Qatar and Mexico, it was still as a coach that he would really make his mark on football history.
Guardiola took over Barcelona’s first team in 2007, and just one year later he was promoted to the first team – with no previous experience at the top level. The rest is history. In his first season as head coach, he led Barcelona to a historic treble: La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. The following year, he followed up with six more trophies, including the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Then followed success with Bayern Munich, before he embarked on what many call his biggest challenge: Manchester City. In England, he has revolutionized the Premier League with his positional play, winning several league titles and finally securing the club the coveted Champions League trophy in 2023.
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What does he choose now?
Whether he goes to Saudi Arabia, takes a year off or surprises everyone with something completely different – one thing is certain: Pep Guardiola always does what he wants. And he rarely gets it wrong.
