Pep Guardiola turned up at the Brooklyn Nets’ training facility on Saturday, sat with head coach Jordi Fernández and left with a personalised black-and-white jersey stitched with his name and the number 4. The pair spent the session on coaching methodology, leadership and locker-room culture, according to HITC. Fernández, a fellow Spaniard, has previously described Guardiola as “the best coach in the world.”
Later at Yankee Stadium the former Manchester City manager served as guest of honour for the Hudson River Derby, igniting the NYCFC smokestacks and delivering a pre-match speech in the home dressing room. The Red Bulls then beat NYCFC 1-0 through a Julian Hall goal midway through the second half.
Guardiola is now four months into a break unlike any he has taken in 15 years. He announced his exit from Manchester City in May after 10 seasons and 20 trophies, calling it “the experience of my life.”
Agent rules out any job until 2027
The clearest signal about what comes next is what will not happen. His agent Josep Maria Orobitg has told Spanish media that his client is off the market for the season.
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“Pep will not coach any club or national team this season,” Orobitg said.
That framing covers the entire 2026-27 campaign.
Barcelona still an open question
Barcelona is the one club where Guardiola has stopped short of shutting the door.
Speaking to Catalan radio RAC1 last November, before he had confirmed his exit from City, he told listeners that the club remains close to him.
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“I don’t reject Barça, it’s where I started. Both as a player and as a coach, it has given me everything.”
“There will be young coaches who have the same enthusiasm I had at that time to do what we did when it was our turn,” he said on the same programme.
National teams and an ambassador role
Several national teams have been floated as landing spots, from Brazil and England to Italy, and Orobitg’s blanket statement covers all of them. Guardiola remains under contract with the City Football Group as a global ambassador, the role he took up after his final Manchester City match.
By his own agent’s word, that ambassador title will be Guardiola’s only formal job in football until at least summer 2027.
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