Could Pep Guardiola Coach Manchester City, Manchester United or Spain's National Team?
Pep Guardiola is no longer going to be heading Bayern Munich after this season, ending the relationship after three years.
It has been a fun ride for the legendary manager. He won the Bundesliga in each of the two first seasons and is primed to repeat this year. He also added the domestic Cup in his first season but has done little else since. He could be primed for a few more trophies by the end of the season, but all in all, his team has been terrific.
The question, of course, beckons as to where Guardiola would end up when all is said and done. At age 44, there is no doubt that there is still a lot of time for the manager to continue his journey toward becoming one of the best ever, if not the very best.
Many have him heading to the Premier League with Manchester City as the favorite to land him. Others have him filling the void left at Chelsea by Jose Mourinho. Others still see him as the man to bring Manchester United back to prominence. And others still see him as the solution at Arsenal.
Let us discard the Gunners outright as Arsene Wenger is likely sticking around for some time. Chelsea is a possibility given the personnel, but the real battle right now is between the two Manchesters. City has openly courted Guardiola for years. The team plays a strong possession based system that would easily adapt to Guardiola's possession-centric approach. Of course, then again so are the other four teams leading the charge for Guardiola.
City is of course the most dynamic of the four and looks primed to take the next step with its roster setup.
As for Manchester United, that team could probably be the one that sees most improvement under Guardiola. As coached by Louis van Gaal, the team currently lacks any flair in attack. United has taken a nosedive in recent weeks slowly but surely turning into a laughing stock. Van Gaal will likely be out by the end of the year, leaving a void to be filled. Guardiola would fit right in with the team's solid midfield and offensive potential.
City currently operates well under Manuel Pellegrini, though there is no doubt that Guardiola would be an upgrade. That said, if the team makes a deep run in the Champions League or even wins it, it is possible that Pellegrini gets more time with the club.
One other option remains -- the Spanish national team.
Vicente del Bosque is leaving after the Euro Cup. The team comprises many Barcelona stars that Guardiola coached to glory. The team plays tiki taka style but could use someone to freshen up the approach. As Guardiola is Catalan, he might be included to give it a go and lead Spain to continued glory. He might actually be the best possible candidate for the job at the perfect moment in time to take over.
Where will Guardiola wind up?