{"id":570938,"date":"2020-10-31T17:18:02","date_gmt":"2020-10-31T21:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=570938"},"modified":"2020-10-31T17:18:02","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T21:18:02","slug":"pep-guardiola-does-not-want-barcelona-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/10\/31\/pep-guardiola-does-not-want-barcelona-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Pep Guardiola Does Not Want Barcelona Return"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pep Guardiola<\/a> has poured cold water over rumours linking him with a return to Barcelona, describing his connection to the club as a thing of the past.<\/p>\n

Barcelona presidential favourite Victor Font – who aspires to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu following the latter’s resignation – wants to bring the Manchester City<\/a> manager back to the Nou Camp.<\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola<\/a> Does Not Want Barcelona Return<\/h2>\n

Font Says Bar\u00e7a ‘Need’ Guardiola Back<\/h3>\n

Victor Font is the leading candidate to replace Bartomeu as Barcelona president in March; he has spoken of his desire to bring Guardiola back to the club.<\/p>\n

“It is our intention to build a very strong and competitive project and we are very lucky at Bar\u00e7a that we inherited a style of play that Johan Cruff instilled throughout the organisation,” Font said, as per Sky Sports News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“And most of the best professionals who know about this style are also fans who love the club – like Pep Guardiola, Xavi<\/a>, [Andres] Iniesta<\/a>, [Carles] Puyol<\/a>. They are all legends that love Barcelona but do not work for Bar\u00e7a today – we need to bring them back to ensure we will have a very competitive project.”<\/p>\n

Guardiola, who left Barcelona in 2012, won 14 major trophies<\/a> over a hugely successful spell at the Catalan club.<\/p>\n

Manchester City Manager Guardiola Supports Bar\u00e7a Boss Ronald Koeman<\/a><\/h3>\n

Following his side’s win over Sheffield United<\/a> in the Premier League, Guardiola put paid to Font’s latest comments and detailed his support for the current Barcelona manager, former Southampton<\/a> and Everton<\/a> boss Koeman.<\/p>\n

“As manager of Barcelona my time is over,” said Guardiola in quotes carried by BBC Sport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I lived my period there. Ronald Koeman<\/a> is there [now]. I respect him; he is an incredible friend of mine. It belongs to other people.”<\/p>\n

Despite receiving Guardiola’s apparent backing, Koeman is already under pressure in his new role. Having lost last Saturday’s Clasico<\/a> to Real Madrid, Barcelona found themselves in the bottom half of the La Liga<\/a> table. Koeman’s side bounced back with a win against Juventus in the Champions League<\/a> in their last match.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>