Pep Guardiola insists door open for Erik ten Hag after Manchester United sacking - 'There is a relationship'
Updated 30/10/2024 at 07:19 GMT
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his door is open to Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman’s Manchester United dismissal, admitting he felt "sorry" for his counterpart. Guardiola also dismissed age concerns surrounding Ruben Amorim, with the Sporting boss widely reported to be United's preferred successor to Ten Hag. Amorim has led Sporting to two league titles since 2020.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his door would be open to Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman’s Manchester United dismissal.
United sacked Ten Hag on Monday, a day after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham saw the club fall to 14th in the Premier League table.
And City boss Guardiola, who took on Ten Hag’s United seven times during the 54-year-old’s reign at Old Trafford, admitted he felt sorry for his counterpart.
Guardiola, who also knows Ten Hag from their time together at Bayern Munich, said: “Ten Hag can come to see us any time, seriously.
“We are always open but I think he knows exactly what we do and it’s not going to happen but I know his agent a little bit, there is a relationship and it’s no problem for us.
“Managers don’t need advice because they know exactly what they have to do. The reality in every team is exactly what they have to do. But the reality is every club is different, players are different. To copy and paste this one for this one doesn’t work.”
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He added: “Always, I feel sorry for managers [when they are sacked], you know? He's lost his position, so I'm so sorry for him.
“I have an incredible relationship [with him]. I think he represented Manchester United at the highest level in terms of behaviour, of course.
“Our job as managers is one of the few jobs – in all the jobs in the world – where people are expecting to be sacked. People are expecting you don't have a job.
“I don't see architects or doctors or teachers or anything... the people deciding [their futures don't say], ‘get out.’ It's only us. It's our job, we have to accept it.”
It has been widely reported that United have settled on Sporting boss Ruben Amorim as the favoured successor.
When asked about Amorim, Guardiola said: “All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team, one or two seasons ago, and the pressure was really, really good.
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“I spoke with Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And this season he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese League and the Champions League, (they have) the same points as us.
“So a high manager. I have the feeling that Man United, what I hear, that they are thinking about him. It’s because he’s a good manager. Man United don’t appoint managers who aren’t at that level, so we cannot say they are not able to lead Man United.”
Guardiola dismissed the suggestion that Amorim, who has won two league titles, including the club’s first in 19 years, since taking over at Sporting in 2020, was not experienced enough to be United boss.
“Why is it a problem?” he said. “I started at Barcelona, 37 years old, coming [from] fourth division. So knowledge is knowledge. If you are able, it doesn’t matter.
“For that reason, Lamine Yamal could not play football at 17 years old, right? So you have to wait until he’s 24. What’s important is talent. If you are good, it doesn’t matter the age.”
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