Fabio Capello claims he knows why Pep Guardiola might seek an early retirement

What’s the story?

Just a few days after Pep Guardiola had made a statement that his managerial career might be coming to an end soon, legendary Italian manager Fabio Capello has claimed that he is aware of the reason that might force the Manchester City manager into taking an early retirement from a managerial role.

Speaking to the Sky Italia, Capello, who managed a host of big clubs including AC Milan, AS Roma, Real Madrid and Juventus, apart from the English and Russian national sides was quoted as saying, “Guardiola’s football is fundamentally always the same and if the opponents figure out counter-measures, he has to find an alternative. In any case, I think if he made these statements, it is also because in my view he has the idea of becoming President of Barcelona.”

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The Spaniard has been one of the best in the business ever since he took control of Barcelona, with whom he revived Barca’s legacy as one of the most dominant teams in Europe.

After having another successful stint with Bayern Munich, the 45-year-old is now battling with numerous other renowned managers in the Premier League to turn Manchester City into a dominant force, although he has found the going tough.

The heart of the matter

Just after his side had managed to eke out a hard-fought victory against Burnley, despite the sending off of Fernandinho, Guardiola was dismissive in his post match interview and went on to say that he will not wait until he is 60 or 65 to end his managerial career. He believes that the wheels are already in motion for him to leave his managerial role.

While it did anger many Manchester City fans, who felt infuriated that the former Barcelona manager, who had only been at the helm of affairs for 6 months, was already talking about life beyond the current role, Capello was of the opinion that Guardiola has set his sights on bigger things with his childhood club Barcelona.

What Next?

Given his pedigree, the manager will always be subject to rumours irrespective of how his side are doing in the league and he will know better than to pay heed to them.

At the moment, the priority is climbing up the Premier League table, while also ensuring that he can help his side further their involvement in the continental championships.

Sportskeeda’s take

While we do acknowledge Fabio Capello’s crystal-gazing skills, the wrath of Manchester City owners withstanding, Guardiola is still in the early stages of his stint at the Etihad and we believe it is still too early to make a call about his future.