Pep Guardiola has said he won’t advise Manchester City on which manager should replace him.
Guardiola will step down after Sunday’s game against Aston Villa, bringing to an end his 10-year stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, a former City assistant, is the club’s top choice to come in.
But Guardiola is not expecting to be asked for his opinion on any potential appointment and has insisted he should not be involved in the search for the next coach.
“It doesn’t work to copy and paste in this kind of job,” Guardiola said.
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“You have to be unique, natural and yourself and the new manager will be himself. The moment it starts to be a copy for another one … Everyone is everyone. It has to be like that. And that’s why everything is going to be good.”
While City are preparing for the transition to a new manager, the club are also still waiting for the verdict of their legal case with the Premier League.
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Guardiola has repeatedly defended City since being hit with 115 charges relating to alleged financial wrongdoing in February 2023.
And the 55-year-old said he has no reason to doubt that the club will eventually be cleared.
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“Because I trust them,” he said.
“I trust them! Because I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and how they did. So what happened — there will be the resolution. I trust them.”
Guardiola has said he plans to “rest” after his final game in charge of City.
Alejandro Moreno reflects on the impact of Pep Guardiola, highlighting how his style of play has influenced teams across the Premier League.
One of the most decorated club managers ever, he has been linked with international jobs in the future.
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Asked specifically whether he would welcome an approach from England he didn’t rule it out, but hinted that he’s first set to take an extended break away from football.
“I don’t have any absolute plan about my future except to rest and go to recover my time that I missed with my kids when they were growing [up] and many things I’ve not done I want to do,” he said.
“So, I don’t think for one second thinking about anything related to football for the next time, for the next years. I don’t think about it.
“I need to rest, I need to reflect. Afterwards we will see what happens. I don’t have a plan, just to rest and do a lot of things I want to do that I didn’t do in the past, stupid things that I want to do.”
