02 March 2024 , 17:24
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Pep Guardiola has allegedly recommended Roberto De Zerbi for the Barcelona job - despite identifying the Brighton head coach as his own potential successor last season.
The Manchester City chief started his managerial career at the Nou Camp and enjoyed a trophy-laden stint at the helm. He won the Champions League twice and three La Liga titles before joining Bayern Munich and then City.
Guardiola has gone on to enjoy further success at the Etihad and recently teased signing another contract extension as City chase a fourth consecutive Premier League crown. Intriguingly, Jurgen Klopp, the manager of City's main title rivals, Liverpool, has announced he will be standing down at the end of the season.
A host of names have been touted as a potential successor to the German, including De Zerbi. However, Mundo Deportivo claim that Guardiola has already endorsed the Italian to Barcelona, whose head coach, Xavi Hernandez, will also move on in the summer.
Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso is Liverpool's primary target in the wake of his impressive work at Bayer Leverkusen but De Zerbi has been identified as an alternative by the Anfield hierarchy.
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And while De Zerbi has insisted that he is only thinking about Brighton amid speculation linking him elsewhere, Guardiola's willingness to recommend him to Barcelona is all the more interesting considering he has touted the Seagulls chief as his own successor.
The Telegraph previously reported that Guardiola had told a handful of Brighton players that De Zerbi was "the next Manchester City manager" following a match between the sides back in May 2022.
Join the debate! Would De Zerbi be the right choice to succeed Guardiola? Let us know here.
Guardiola previously touted De Zerbi as a future Manchester City manager (Mark Enfield/IPS/REX/Shutterstock)Guardiola has since signed a contract extension tying him to the Premier League champions until the summer of 2025 which may have influenced his thinking. He has certainly made no secret of his admiration for the former Shakhtar Donetsk coach.
Speaking after that match in 2022, Guardiola said of De Zerbi: "There is no team playing the way [Brighton] play - it's unique. I had the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great - I didn't expect him to do it in this short space of time.
"He creates 20 or 25 chances per game, better by far than most opponents. He monopolises the ball in a way it hasn't been for a long time. They deserve completely the success they have."
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