The Football Association has reportedly approached Pep Guardiola over the prospect of him becoming the next England manager.
Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City expires next summer and The Times claims the FA made informal contact with him at the start of the season – although it has yet to receive a response.
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane urged the FA to go for the City boss, saying in his role as a pundit for ITV after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Finland: “Go for the best. Pep’s contract is up in the summer.”
Guardiola himself has said “anything can happen” with his future.
“Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” he told Italian TV show Che tempo Che Fa, as reported by Sky Italia.
“And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”
Guardiola has won six Premier League titles – including the last four in succession – and the Champions League since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.
He is by far the standout candidate, should he become available, but former Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel remains the bookmakers’ favourite.
England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley remains in interim charge for the final round of Nations League group matches next month, having overseen three wins and a defeat so far after stepping into the role following Gareth Southgate’s resignation after Euro 2024.
The Football Association has consistently refused to discuss the managerial recruitment policy, while Manchester City do not comment on speculation.
Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy was lent money by teammates when the club stopped paying him after he was charged with rape and sexual assault, an employment tribunal has heard.
Current and former players Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez supported the French international, who now claims to be owed £11.5 million in unpaid wages by the Premier League champions.
The 30-year-old’s £500,000 per month wage was withheld by the club after he was charged in 2021, the tribunal was told.
The World Cup winner was subsequently cleared.
Mr Mendy, who now plays for French Ligue 2 club Lorient, brought employment tribunal proceedings against Manchester City, claiming for “unauthorised deductions” from wages.
His contract showed he would also receive a £900,000 bonus for appearing in 60% of matches, a £1 million bonus if City qualified for the Champions League, and an annual £1.2m payment to his image rights company.
Court documents shared with the Manchester employment tribunal said Mr Mendy “very quickly ran out of money” and had to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, bills and child support payments after his wages were withheld.
“I struggled to pay my child support, I felt awful,” the footballer said in a witness statement.
Mr Mendy said his agent, Meissa N’diaye, paid towards his legal fees, while teammates including England international Sterling offered “financial support”.
“Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family,” he said in his witness statement.
The left-back described his 2021 charging as the day “my life was turned upside down forever.”
The tribunal heard he enjoyed partying, and was held in custody between August 2021 and January 2022, and again between December 2022 and January 2023 after he breached his bail conditions by hosting and attending multiple parties.
A January 2021 party at his multi-million pound home lasted until 4am, despite him having a match the following day, the tribunal was told.
Mr Mendy, appearing via videolink, told the tribunal he and his agent Mr N’diaye had been assured by Man City’s then chief football operating officer Omar Berrada that he would receive his unpaid wages once he had been cleared of the charges.
The footballer sent Mr Berrada a WhatsApp message in November 2022, asking if he could confirm in writing that the wages would be paid, the tribunal heard.
But Mr Berrada did not reply to the message and denied ever having made such an assurance.
After his acquittal, Mr Mendy sent an email to Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the Emirati chief executive of Manchester City, but again received no response.
The club continued paying Mr Mendy following his first arrest in November 2020 but has argued it did not have to carry on doing so later because his bail conditions and Football Association suspension meant he was not able to perform his duties as a player.
Mr Mendy’s witness statement continued: “I would have thought that Manchester City, of all clubs, would appreciate the lack of control and anger that a person or entity has with being charged with false allegations given the Premier League allegations that they are facing.
“At no point have Manchester City apologised to me or even acknowledged how their actions almost cost me everything.
“I believe that it is fair and just for me to be paid the wages that I would have earned but for being falsely arrested for crimes that I did not commit.”
Mr Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January 2023, but the same jury could not reach a verdict on another count of rape and one count of attempted rape.
It saw a retrial and Mendy was found not guilty of one charge of rape and one charge of attempted rape.
In April, a High Court tax debt case against Mr Mendy was dismissed after he paid a £700,000 bill.
The employment tribunal is expected to last for two days.
Jürgen Klopp, the 57-year-old German will assume the role of Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull starting January 1, 2025. In this position, he will oversee the company’s international network of soccer clubs. Klopp, one of the most sought-after figures in world football, concluded his memorable nine-year tenure as Liverpool’s manager after the 2023-24 season. Under his leadership, Liverpool secured all major football honors, including the Champions League (2018-19), Premier League (2019-20), FA Cup (2021-22), two EFL Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. They also finished as runners-up twice in the Champions League and once in the Europa League.
Jurgen Klopp
In his strategic role, Jürgen Klopp will not be involved in the clubs’ day-to-day operations but will focus on supporting the sports directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy. He will also leverage his extensive network to aid in scouting top talent and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
Jürgen Klopp, Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull revealed:
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this. The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not. By joining Red Bull at a global level, I want to develop, improve and support the incredible football talent that we have at our disposal. We can do this in many ways by using the elite knowledge and experience that Red Bull possesses to learn from other sports and other industries. Together we can discover what is possible. I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs. Still, ultimately, I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward-looking. As I said, this could not excite me more.”
Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments at Red Bull stated:
“We are very proud of this outstanding and certainly the strongest signing in Red Bull’s soccer history. Jürgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer, with extraordinary skills and charisma. In his role as Head of Soccer, he will be a game-changer for our involvement in international soccer and its continued development. We are hoping for valuable and decisive impulses in key areas to make the clubs even better, both collectively and individually.”
Jürgen Klopp will be formally announced as the Global Head of Soccer at a press conference in mid-January 2025, following his assumption of the role on January 1. The specific date and time of the event will be provided in advance. We kindly ask that you refrain from making further inquiries or interview requests until that time.
