Joan Laporta has announced that he desires to bring former manager Pep Guardiola back to Barcelona if his campaign to return as president at the Camp Nou in 2021 is successful, Spanish media reported.
Laporta was Barcelona president between 2003 and 2010 and was in control of affairs when Guardiola was promoted from the youth team to coach of the senior team in 2008.
Guardiola whose contract at Manchester City doesn’t expire until June 2021, however has doubts for his future at the club after Uefa issued the English side a two-year ban from European competitions for flouting the Financial Fair Play rules, a ruling City have appealed.
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“I’m working to introduce myself as a presidential candidate. I’ve been president before and I’m excited to be back,” Laporta told Catalan station TV3.
“I would very much like Guardiola to come back, but now he is at City and it is a decision that Pep should take. He is a benchmark for Barcelona and many Catalans would like him to coach Barca again.
“At the right time, I will speak to the person we think should be a Barca coach from 2021.”
Barcelona cooped up 14 trophies – including three league titles and the Champions League twice – during Guardiola’s spell at the club before exiting for Bayern Munich in 2012.
Currently, the Spanish La Liga is suspended due to the outbreak of Coronavirus Covid-19, however, Barcelona have been in turmoil since six directors resigned in April in protest at the way the club were being governed.
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