Pep Guardiola Next Club Odds: Barcelona Return Heads The Betting

Manchester City’s rivals will be heartened to know that next season could be Pep Guardiola’s last at the Etihad Stadium.

The best betting sites have opened the book on where the Catalan might end up next, with his contract in Manchester set to expire in 2023.

Guardiola has plenty on his plate before he turns his attention to his next move.

City have been pegged back in the title race according to the Premier League betting odds as they seek their fourth crown in five years. And Guardiola has now gone 11 years without a Champions League triumph.

He has yet to lift the trophy outside of Barcelona and will be desperate to do so before his time at City comes to an end.

In the back of his mind, though, Guardiola might have an idea of what he wants to do post-City. Let’s take a look at some of the options available to him.

Pep Guardiola Next Club Odds

Could Guardiola Go Back To Where It Began?

Barcelona are the 2/1 favourites on football betting sites to land Guardiola after he bids farewell to Manchester.

Guardiola created arguably the greatest club side in football history in his first spell at the Camp Nou, where he also spent 11 years as a player.

Between 2008 and 2012 Barcelona won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues while playing a sensational brand of football.

The Catalan outfit would love to experience that again. Guardiola was worn down by the pressure and the politics after four seasons as Barcelona boss. However, sufficient time has probably passed for him to be willing to at least consider a return – unless, of course, he adheres to the idea of never going back.

A potential barrier is Xavi Hernandez, who will hope to still be in charge of Barcelona in 2023.

The club legend will be given time to put things right – and he has had a decent start to life in the dugout – so there might not necessarily be a vacancy when Guardiola becomes available.

Juventus Could Tempt Pep To Italy

Guardiola has won league titles in Spain, Germany and England since his coaching career began 15 years ago.

It is hard to see him managing a club other than Barcelona in La Liga, Manchester City in the Premier League or Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

If Guardiola wants a new challenge in a new league, Juventus at 9/4 on Paddy Power is as good a shout as any.

Guardiola holds Serie A in high regard. He spent two years of his playing career in Italy with Brescia and Roma. Even at that time his tactical acumen and coaching credentials were clear for his teammates to see.

Juventus have shown a willingness in recent years to embrace a Guardiola-esque philosophy, but neither Maurizio Sarri nor Andrea Pirlo was the right man at the right time. The Bianconeri would no doubt welcome Guardiola with open arms.

International Management Beckons?

The impression you get from Guardiola is that he will not outstay his welcome in top-level club management.

It is hard to see him taking jobs like Tottenham Hotspur and Roma, as his former nemesis Jose Mourinho has done. If he wins the Champions League with City, Guardiola may justifiably feel he has nothing left to prove in the European club game.

UK boomakers reckon a move into international management is a distinct possibility. At 6/1 on Betfair Spain is considered the most likely national team for Guardiola to take charge of.

He won 47 caps for his country as a player, but it is unclear whether his Catalan sympathies and associated political views would put him off the top job.

If Gareth Southgate leaves his post after the 2022 World Cup, England could attempt to keep Guardiola in the country. Listed at 25/1, the post would allow Guardiola to continue working with the likes of Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish.

Brazil (12/1) would be a more glamorous role, and one with which Guardiola has been linked with before.

The upcoming World Cup feels like make or break for Tite, but it is worth noting that The Selecao have never appointed a foreign manager.

MLS Or Qatar Could Be Tempting

Guardiola has only had one year off since he was installed in the Barcelona dugout in 2008.

At the end of next season he might decide he deserves a period of rest and recuperation before accepting a new job. He could even seek to wind things down for good.

The lack of contact with players at international level might not suit a man famed for his intensity, so a stint in MLS is a viable alternative.

Before taking over at Bayern Munich in 2013 Guardiola had a sabbatical in New York, a city he is said to have enjoyed immensely. When you add in the fact that New York City are part of the City Football Group, odds of 13/1 look pretty attractive.

The Qatar Sports League, available at 14/1, would be another lucrative and low-key option. The main doubt about the Middle East and the United States is whether either league would be able to sate Guardiola’s ferocious competitive spirit.

PSG And Bayern Munich Don’t Seem Likely Options

Similarly to Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain (10/1) could offer Guardiola the chance to embark on a new challenge while also remaining at the highest level of the game.

Money would not be an issue at the Parc des Princes, much like it is not at the Etihad Stadium.

PSG would have little trouble satisfying Guardiola’s requests for top players. He might even get to work with Lionel Messi again for a brief period.

Bayern Munich are 20/1 outsiders in this particular race. Guardiola did not win the Champions League at the Allianz Arena, but he probably feels he has been there and done that as far as the Bavraian giants are considered.

If Guardiola is going to return to a former club, it will surely be Barcelona.