Premier League

 

Josep Maria Bartomeu: 'Door is always open for Pep Guardiola at Barcelona'

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu insists that "the door is always open" for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to return to Camp Nou in the future.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed that the "door is always open" for manager Pep Guardiola to return to the club.

Guardiola spent four years in charge of Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, leading the club to 14 trophies including two Champions Leagues and playing football regarded by some as the best ever seen at club level.

The Spaniard has since moved on to Bayern Munich and Manchester City, where he has continued his trophy-laden success, but he has hinted that he wants to finish his career at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy - an idea Bartomeu is happy to fulfil.

"I read a few days ago that he's planning in the future to come back to Barcelona and maybe take care of La Masia. I think it's good news for our club that he could do that one day," Bartomeu told The Times.

"He knows the door is always open for him. Even when he told us he wanted to leave in 2012, we suggested to him he could take care of La Masia. He preferred [a clean break]. Nobody told him to leave Barcelona. He could come back in future. He knows this. Why not?

"He said he was leaving because he was exhausted and needed a rest. That is something that can happen to any of us, particularly when you work hard under so much pressure and you take such responsibility for your work. We spoke with him several times. We made different suggestions but he insisted, 'No, this is my last season.'

"We played Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final and we thought it was our time to reach another final. We didn't have the luck and Chelsea went through. We said after that, 'OK, now we should announce this officially.' He works so very hard, but he's a genius also."

Guardiola also spent the vast majority of his playing career with Barcelona, joining as a youth player in 1984 and eventually leaving in 2001.

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City76102131819
2Liverpool76101531219
3Chelsea75201551017
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs7502147715
5Arsenal7502149515
6Watford7412118313
7Bournemouth74121212013
8Leicester CityLeicester74031310312
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves733186212
10Manchester UnitedMan Utd73131012-210
11Everton7232111109
12Burnley7214911-27
13Crystal Palace721458-37
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham7214812-47
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton7124813-55
16Southampton7124611-55
17Fulham7124816-85
18Newcastle UnitedNewcastle7025410-62
19Cardiff CityCardiff7025416-122
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield7025316-132
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City76102131819
2Liverpool76101531219
3Chelsea75201551017
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs7502147715
5Arsenal7502149515
6Watford7412118313
7Bournemouth74121212013
8Leicester CityLeicester74031310312
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves733186212
10Manchester UnitedMan Utd73131012-210
11Everton7232111109
12Burnley7214911-27
13Crystal Palace721458-37
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham7214812-47
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton7124813-55
16Southampton7124611-55
17Fulham7124816-85
18Newcastle UnitedNewcastle7025410-62
19Cardiff CityCardiff7025416-122
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield7025316-132
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