Gundogan open to future City coaching role as he urges fans to back Guardiola's successor

Ilkay Gundogan has left the door open to a future coaching role at Manchester City while urging supporters not to judge Pep Guardiola’s successor by the standards of the departing manager. The 35-year-old, who returned to the Etihad for the 2024/25 season before joining Galatasaray, made the comments as he attended the final Premier League match of Guardiola’s tenure with his family.

Gundogan, who is already working towards his coaching qualifications, said there is “definitely potential” for him to return to the club in a future staff capacity — though he stopped short of making any firm commitment.

On the question of who replaces Guardiola — with Enzo Maresca among the names linked — Gundogan was clear that comparisons would be unfair and counterproductive. “I think the most difficult thing is not to try to compare too much,” he said. “Every manager has his small little details; maybe not as a general, but there are things that they would like to do differently. They are different as human beings. They like other things than other people like, so just accept it, try to get to where that comes in, welcome with open arms.”

He added that he trusted the club’s leadership to make the right call. “I think the club is very good and very smart in kind of taking the right decisions, so I’m sure that the new person coming back in here will be also very successful.”

Finding a successor to Guardiola falls to CEO Ferran Soriano and sporting director Hugo Viana, a task the club has been preparing for over an extended period.

Gundogan spent the first seven years of Guardiola’s City reign at the club before leaving, then returned for a second spell, giving him a closer view than most of what the Catalan built in Manchester. He captained the side to the Treble in 2023, scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup final history in the victory over Manchester United at Wembley, before the club completed an historic night in Istanbul days later.

Despite signing for Galatasaray this season, Gundogan insists he still has years left as a player. His relationship with Guardiola remains close — the pair were neighbours in the same apartment block for several years and still speak regularly by phone.