Faced with the uncertainty surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future, the Cityzens are starting to define profiles of possible successors. And after Ruben Amorim, it is Xabi Alonso’s turn to see his name mentioned.
What will Pep Guardiola do at the end of the season? Under contract with Manchester City until June 2025, the Spaniard clearly leaves doubts hanging over his future. “I haven’t decided anything yet, if I had decided on my future at Manchester City, I would say so, anything can be done in life,” he said recently. A vagueness also maintained since the announcement of the departure of Txiki Begiristain, director of football at the Manchester club since 2012, at the end of the season.
Begiristain is the man who brought Guardiola to City. The two men are close and some therefore think that this departure could convince the former FC Barcelona coach to pack up and leave. But to where? The question arises now that England has chosen Thomas Tuchel as their new coach (from 2025). The fact remains that his club is covering its back.
Alonso and Amorim tracked
And according to Defensa Central, the Skyblues would have their sights set on a coach coveted by Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso. The Bayer Leverkusen technician has seen his stock soar since his Bundesliga victory last season. For Real Madrid, the situation is simple. Carlo Ancelotti will be free in 2026 and the idea is to replace him with Alonso, whose contract with Bayer ends the same year, if he does not extend by then, of course.
Manchester City could therefore come to upset the Merengues’ plans, especially since Xabi Alonso has the ideal coach profile to take over from Guardiola. However, it should be remembered that another coach is also in a good position: Ruben Amorim. Indeed, Begiristain has a strong chance of being replaced by a certain Hugo Viana, the sporting director of Sporting Portugal. As you will have understood, if he is appointed, Viana would like to land in England with the Leões coach in his suitcases. The saga is only just beginning… unless Pep Guardiola puts everyone in agreement by extending his contract soon.
