While Thomas Tuchel fights to save his job, Pep Guardiola reveals what it will take for him to return to the bench – and England could be the dream target.
Pep Guardiola has reiterated his love for England amid speculation that the Spaniard could take over as England boss from Thomas Tuchel.
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German Tuchel – who beat Guardiola’s Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final – is under heavy pressure after England’s semi-final exit against Argentina on Wednesday.
“I have friends there,” Guardiola said in an interview with OKX, explaining why he “loves” watching England become champions.
“I have a real connection with the UK.
Tuchel on thin ice
Tuchel signed an 18-month contract in January 2025 and recently extended until Euro 2028. He was hired to put an end to England’s alleged over-caution in championships and to win the World Cup.
But the way England collapsed against Argentina – after leading 1-0 until the 84th minute – has led many to believe that Tuchel’s position is untenable.
After England took the lead, Tuchel substituted players so that the team ended up with six defenders on the pitch – and barely held on to the ball after the 55-minute goal.
Guardiola, who is known for his possession philosophy, is the bookmakers’ favourite to become England’s next permanent national team manager.
Guardiola’s recipe for World Cup success
Guardiola described how the “atmosphere” in the squad and avoiding injuries is “absolutely crucial” – and more important than tactics – to succeed in a World Cup.
“You don’t have time to train, you don’t have time to practice,” he said.
“A lot of the media is spying on what you do – the lineups and the system we’re going to use.
In an uplifting sign for supporters hoping Guardiola will become England boss, he spoke of “how happy” he expects both himself and the squad to be in a championship.
“You have to live the moment as if it’s the last opportunity,” he said.
“How good we can be on a daily basis – in the canteen, at training, but not just before we go to bed. To gather in the room and play cards or chess. That kind of thing is hugely important in these types of tournaments.
“I have to feel that it’s right”
Guardiola left Manchester City a year before his contract expired, after two seasons without a Premier League title. Now he is taking a break.
“People say: ‘In three months you’ll be back, in six months you’ll be back,'” Guardiola said.
“Maybe, but I have to feel it and experience that I really miss it and need it. Right now, when I wake up in the morning and someone asks, “Do you miss that?”, I say, “No.”
“Maybe one day I’ll wake up and say, ‘OK, I want to go back – I want to prove again that I’m a good coach.’ But right now I don’t feel that.
“I’ve regretted never coaching Neymar”
Guardiola also admitted that he regrets never being able to coach Neymar.
“Always, always, as a manager, I would have loved to have coached Neymar,” Guardiola said, adding that the Brazilian’s “grace – the beauty – lies in his movements.”
“At their best, together with Messi, Suárez and him, Barcelona were unstoppable.
“Why not discover a life without football?
Guardiola explained that a lack of “energy” and back problems contributed to the decision to “take care of myself a bit” by taking a break.
“I want to see a lot more of my children,” he said. “My father is 95 and still here; my sisters, my brothers.
“I’m not young anymore. I’m not 35, 36, 37, 40, 41. I’ve always thought about why everything in my life is always about football.
“Why not try to discover a life, or be happy, or be complete as a human being by doing other things, not just related to football?” There is a question mark.
“I don’t know, because since I was a little boy in my little town, everything was football, football, football until I left City. Now I may be trying to enjoy doing other things that I have never done – and now I want to do.
Lamine Yamal could decide the final
Spain face Argentina in the final on Sunday, and Guardiola believes in his compatriots and 19-year-old Lamine Yamal.
“He’s someone who can handle the pressure,” Guardiola said of Yamal, noting that the Barcelona winger came to the championship after a hamstring injury.
“He can win the game himself. You can talk about tactics, but Spain have the players – and Lamine can score a goal.
“That’s the biggest difference. If Rodri can always make his mark in the middle, along with Pedri and Lamine Yamal, they can do it.
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