Why didn’t Pep Guardiola become England manager despite having a deal in place?

Pep Guardiola backed out of becoming England manager despite having agreed a deal.

The coach, considered by many to be the greatest of all time, could’ve made a massive impact with ‘The Three Lions’.

Pep Guardiola chose to stay at Manchester City rather than manage England

When Gareth Southgate stepped away from his role as England manager after Euro 2024, Pep Guardiola was linked to the job. And now it has been reported by The Athletic, that he had agreed a verbal deal with the FA.

However, despite his initial interest, the Spaniard changed his mind because he wanted to stay at Manchester City.

This resulted in England going in another direction, securing the appointment of Thomas Tuchel. The German guided his side to the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they crashed out during a dramatic encounter with Argentina.

After going 1-0 up, Tuchel made the decision to make very defensive substitutions that ultimately cost England the game, with the South American side scoring twice late to leave the losing team’s fans watching from back home nothing short of heartbroken.

While some called for his sacking, the gaffer intends to continue, hoping to find success at the next major tournament.

WOW: Thomas Tuchel explains reason behind controversial tactics during England vs Argentina

Tuchel said: “We keep on going with the contract until the home Euros.

“I’m looking forward to that even though right now it’s difficult to look that far ahead.

“A lot of big football nations are eliminated before the semi-final, so it is an achievement.

“No one wants to hear that at the moment; me neither because we demand the most of ourselves. That’s just the nature of being competitive.”

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