While Thomas Tuchel has come under scrutiny after England’s heartbreaking defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, an interesting inside story about his appointment has come to light. Several reports suggest that Pep Guardiola had been a frontrunner to become the Three Lions boss in 2024 before Tuchel was chosen. The Manchester City manager had reportedly “reached verbal agreement” with the English federation, but the deal ultimately collapsed, as he chose to extend his stay at the Premier League club. Tuchel later took over the helm in January 2025, signing an 18-month deal.
Why didn’t Pep Guardiola become England football manager?
A recent report by The Athletic claimed that the Football Association (FA) started negotiating a deal with Pep Guardiola after he led Manchester City to secure four Premier League titles in a row. They also became the UEFA Champions League winners in the 2022-23 season. Despite the reported offer from the England national football team, the Spanish tactician decided to continue at the Etihad, forcing the FA to turn their focus to Thomas Tuchel.
As England’s hopes of a second FIFA World Cup triumph ended in disappointment, many fans felt the federation might move on from Tuchel, after rumours claiming players were not happy with his ultra-defensive tactics in the semi-final against Argentina. He, however, remains in charge till the 2028 European Championship, having signed a contract extension recently.
What’s next for Pep Guardiola?
Pep Guardiola has just bid adieu to his golden era at Manchester City. Since joining the club in 2016, he has added 20 major trophies to their cabinet. Now that fans ask about his next destination, Guardiola has revealed that he would take a break before looking out for another job.
“I don’t feel like I’m missing anything mentally. I started coaching when I was 37 and everything in my life has been connected to football. Now I want to discover life and be happy doing things that aren’t related to football,” Guardiola said.
There were speculations that the former Barcelona manager might manage the Italy national football team, but he has already turned down those rumours.
