Pep Guardiola: I’ll depart punditry and membership possession to likes of Gary Neville
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Pep Guardiola is happy to leave the worlds of punditry and club ownership to the likes of Gary Neville.
The Manchester City boss will welcome Neville to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as the champions host the former Manchester United star’s Salford team in the FA Cup third round.
Neville, who owns the League Two outfit along with other members of United’s famous ‘Class of 92’, has carved out successful careers in football punditry and business since retiring.
Guardiola’s stature in the game would also make him a prize appointment for any media outlet, but he has no intention of swapping the technical area for the studio.
“I have been busy as a manager so I still have a job,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to do that.
“I am cautious. I don’t (want to) make a comment that could hurt my colleagues. I know how difficult this job is. I don’t want to pretend.
“I was a football player before, now a manager and our business is so complicated and so unpredictable, I don’t want to hurt my colleagues and be in a position to do it.
If you don’t like to listen to what they say, dedicate (yourself) to another job
“Maybe it will happen in the future but honestly, I don’t think so.”
Despite that, Guardiola insisted he never had any issues with pundits who may have criticised him.
“That’s their job, it’s normal,” when asked about Neville at his pre-match press conference. “It’s boring if they just say obvious things.
“But normally I quite agree with what they say and I’m not joking.
“We can agree, we can disagree. My job is here, their job is there. It’s fine.
“I’ve said many times if you don’t like to listen to what they say, dedicate (yourself) to another job. Don’t be a manager.”
Salford have risen through the non-League ranks since being taken over by the Class of 92 – Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham are also involved – a decade ago.
After five years in League Two, they now want to push on again and are currently third in the table and chasing promotion.
Guardiola is impressed by their ambition but, again, does not see running a club as a challenge for him.
“I’m not good on that,” he said. “I’m sometimes a good manager but as a businessman, I’m not good. I’m not interested.”
Guardiola’s focus is on ensuring City, who have emerged from a rocky spell at the end of 2024 with their first back-to-back wins since October, reach the fourth round.
He said: “We take it seriously, as we always have done since I arrived. Hopefully we can do a good game and make it three victories in a row. It has been a long time.”
