Pep Guardiola Returning to Football, but Where Will the Barcelona Legend Go?

Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has announced his decision to return to football after a sabbatical.
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Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has announced his intention to return to football after time out of the game.

The ex-midfielder was the most successful manager in Camp Nou history, winning 14 trophies during his four-year reign with the La Liga giants.

Now, after a sabbatical with his family in New York, the 41-year-old has started a scramble for his services among major European clubs by confirming his desire to return to the game.

Here we look at possible destinations for Guardiola's next move.

Bayern Munich

Jupp Heynckes is currently in charge of Bayern Munich.
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Bayern Munich are leading the early favorites to land Pep Guardiola, with current manager Jupp Heynckes possibly retiring at the end of the season when he will be 68.

Heynckes has hinted at a possible exit from the Allianz Arena in the summer, but he is still impressive in the Bundesliga this season.

Guardiola was asked directly about a link with Bayern at a press conference yesterday but insisted he did not know which club he would join.

However, as the Sunday Times reported last month, Guardiola would be keen to manage the Bundesliga giants.

Chelsea

Former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo left Guardiola heartbroken after the Blues beat Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal last season.
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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is a long-term admirer of Guardiola, and the former Barcelona boss was immediately linked with Stamford Bridge after the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo in November.

Interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez has taken over until the end of the season, and the team have enjoyed some success under the Spaniard.

However, Guardiola has always been at the forefront of Abramovich's thoughts as Chelsea manager, and he is unlikely to let him go to another club without a fight.

Whether Guardiola would be happy working with a club who has had nine managers since Abramovich took over the club in 2003 is open to debate.

Manchester City

Roberto Mancini has missed out on qualification from the Champions League group stages in the past two seasons.
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Manchester City represent a club with the financial muscle to match Guardiola's ambitions.

Current City manager Roberto Mancini has won the Premier League title and the FA Cup over the last two seasons, ending a generation without silverware at the club.

However, the former Inter Milan coach has twice missed out on progress from the Champions League group stages in the past two years.

Guardiola, meanwhile, has won the tournament twice with Barcelona and has proven experience at European level where City owner Sheikh Mansour is looking to make an impact.

AC Milan

Pep Guardiola oversaw Barcelona's defeat of AC Milan in the Champions League quarterfinal last season.
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AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi made an approach for Guardiola when the Spaniard left Barcelona in the summer.

However, the former Italy president concedes recruiting Guardiola to replace current San Siro Stadium coach Massimiliano Allegri are "very low."

Milan are currently seventh in Serie A and Allegri's future looks uncertain, but it looks unlikely that Guardiola will be making the move to succeed him.

Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson views Guardiola as a potential candidate to succeed him at Manchester United.
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If the chance arose, Manchester United would be a preferred option for Guardiola, according to The Sun in November.

With Sir Alex Ferguson hinting at Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and David Moyes as possible successors recently, there is clearly a strong possibility that the Spaniard is in the running for the Old Trafford role.

However, much will depend on Ferguson. The United legend has just turned 71 but shows no sign of losing his appetite for the game.

Paris Saint-Germain

Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola pictured together at a benefit match in 2008.
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Paris Saint-Germain have shown genuine ambition under their new owners, the Qatari Investment Authority, with some major signings, and Guardiola would represent a further statement of intent.

However, current PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti only joined the club in December 2011 and is still in the process of building the team.

Guardiola was immediately linked with succeeding Ancelotti when the Italian was sacked by Chelsea in May 2011, but the same situation is unlikely to arise at the French club.