'Written in the stars' Man City legend will replace Guardiola

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 4 Mar 2023 12:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Pep Guardiola signed a new Manchester City contract until 2025 in November but he already has a good idea of who is going to replace him…

Guardiola, who arrived in 2016, has already spent more time with City than he has as manager of any other club, having spent four years with Barcelona and three with Bayern Munich.

He has floated a Barca return before now, and what he does beyond 2025 remains to be seen. But Guardiola himself would be more than happy to see Vincent Kompany one day succeed him.

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Guardiola: 'I think it's his destiny'

"I think his destiny to be the manager of Manchester City is already written in the stars," the Catalan coach said ahead of City's meeting with Newcastle. "It's going to happen, I don't know when but it is going to happen.

"Sooner or later he will be the manager of Manchester City, when, I don't know. But I am pretty sure. It is my feeling, maybe I am wrong. He has the attributes: work ethic, knowledge of the game, well respected, experienced.

"Doing what he has done is so difficult and he is doing really well. He knows the club, the environment, the fans, what our people need. The destiny is there."

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Kompany is currently in charge at Burnley, whom he has steered to the top of the Championship with a 12-point cushion on Sheffield United, the Clarets on course for an immediate return to the Premier League.

He previously led Anderlecht to a runners-up spot in the Belgian Cup in 2022 in his first managerial role, having broken through as a player with the Belgian giants back in 2003.

Kompany then made 360 appearances across 10 seasons as a Man City player, winning four Premier League titles - the latter two of which were under Guardiola as his captain.