Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Richard Keys, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Football, Enzo Maresca
Luke Davies
Topics: Richard Keys, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Football, Enzo Maresca
Richard Keys has made a wild claim about Pep Guardiola’s future at Manchester City following the side’s 2-0 defeat away at Manchester United on Saturday (January 17).
Guardiola could not help Man City to victory at Old Trafford as second-half strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu handed Michael Carrick’s United a deserved three points.
City remain second in the Premier League for now but could go third if Aston Villa beat Everton on Sunday (January 18).
Meanwhile, depending on Arsenal’s result against Nottingham Forest, the 10-time English champions could fall nine points behind the league leaders.
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And another season without a league title would be unchartered territory for Guardiola, who has never gone two campaigns without winning a title during his managerial career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City.
If results don’t improve, there will be further questions about Guardiola’s future at the Etihad despite him signing a new two-year contract in November 2024, which runs until 2027.
However, beIN Sports host Keys believes there is a possibility that he may not be in the dugout for City’s clash against Wolves on January 24.
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Before then, on January 20, the side face Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.
“I think [it’s] nailed on [that Guardiola is] gone at the end of the season, but… do not rule out him leaving this week,” Keys said on beIN Sports.
“This week. And if he goes this week, [Enzo] Maresca will be in charge of the match against Wolves next week.
“City will be apoplectic. They will deny it, of course, but it’s on his mind, I’m telling you. It’s on his mind to leave this week…”
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Keys then insisted that Guardiola would definitely leave at the end of the year before suggesting former City captain and current Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany will replace him in the summer.
The broadcaster then doubled down on his stance and reiterated that he believes Maresca, who left Chelsea on January 1, would take over if Guardiola left in the coming days.
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Maresca is reportedly highly thought of at the club, having previously worked at City on two separate occasions - first as a youth coach in 2020/21 before becoming a first-team assistant to Pep for the 2022/23 treble-winning season.
The Italian has since managed Leicester City and Chelsea, where he won the Conference League and Club World Cup last term.
As for Kompany, he is contracted to Bayern until 2029 but may be tempted by the City job, given the fact that he made 360 appearances for the side during his playing career.
Even Guardiola has predicted that the Belgian will, at some point, manage City.
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“His destiny to be manager of City is already written in the stars,” Guardiola told Man City.com in 2023.
“It’s going to happen. I don’t know when, but it’s going to happen.”