- 24 Dec 2024
Guardiola threatens Man City exit: If Barcelona call me, I'll go
Karan Tejwani
- 26 Jan 2023 16:30 GMT
- 3 min read
Pep Guardiola has spoken about his relationship with Barcelona and has said if they call him up, he’s open to going back to manage at the Camp Nou.
The Catalan coach managed Barcelona between 2008 and 2012 and was their most successful head coach ever, winning the Champions League twice.
He was discussing Mikel Arteta managing Arsenal and his departure from Manchester City back in 2019, which is when the topic came up.
READ: Guardiola wouldn't stop Haaland leaving Man City
Guardiola said Arteta’s move to Arsenal came down to his love for the club, and it would’ve been similar had Barcelona called him up.
Guardiola discusses Barcelona
Speaking to the media ahead of Manchester City’s meeting with Arsenal in the FA Cup this season, Guardiola discussed his relationship with Barcelona.
"Like me, if I'm training here or wherever, second coach, and Barcelona calls me... I'll go to Barcelona. It's my club," he said.
READ: Brazil want Pep Guardiola as their next manager
"Everyone has dreams and I know that he went to his club, the club he dreamed of. He was a fan of Arsenal because of playing there, he was captain and he loved that club."
Guardiola didn’t have a problem letting Arteta go when the offer came from Arsenal while they were at Manchester City: "Life is too short. You have to fly," he said.
Pep Guardiola on Mikel Arteta:
'I remember when we were together here, when we scored a lot of goals with our opponents, always he jumped and celebrated. Except for one team. One team, every time we scored a goal, I jumped, came back and he was sitting there. It was Arsenal' pic.twitter.com/WeqtPDldpE— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) January 26, 2023
Arteta had a few years of struggle before this season as he tried to impose his vision at the club and he is now enjoying the fruits of his labour with the Gunners.
They sit on top of the league ahead of Manchester City and are on course to win their first Premier League title since 2004 as well as make a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
Guardiola will be hoping to get one over him in the FA Cup when they meet at the weekend and possibly mount a fightback in the Premier League title race.
