Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City without a coaching plan — and he is not about to pretend otherwise. Asked directly on Saturday whether the England manager's role holds any appeal, the 55-year-old offered the kind of answer that will keep the Football Association's phone lines buzzing long into the summer: it is not a no.

"I don't have any absolute plan about my future," Guardiola told reporters ahead of his final match as City head coach — Sunday's home game against Aston Villa on the last day of the Premier League season. "I go to rest and recover the time I missed with my kids, even though they are grown, and do many things I've not done that I want to do."

He was pressed specifically on whether a refusal to rule out the England job amounted to a tacit yes. "Yeah — but nobody cares," he said, with characteristic deflection masking what is genuinely significant news for those inside the FA and watching from the terraces.

International football believed to appeal

Those close to Guardiola believe he is drawn to international management when he does eventually return to the dugout. The reduced day-to-day intensity of working with a national squad, combined with the prestige and the singular focus on tournaments, is understood to fit where his head is right now. England, perennially searching for a world-class name on the touchline, would represent the most prominent option available to him in that space.

The noises out of Guardiola's camp, though, are clear on one front: there will be no rush. "I don't think for one second about anything related to football for the next years," he said. "I need to rest, I need to reflect, I need to see what happened in my 17, 18 years — in my time with Barcelona, in Germany and here."

It is a sentiment that will require patience from anyone hoping to line up a swift appointment. Guardiola has been on a relentless coaching treadmill since taking charge of Barcelona's B team back in 2007. A proper sabbatical, on his own terms, appears non-negotiable.

Ambassador role at City Football Group

While he steps away from the technical area, Guardiola will not disappear from the football landscape entirely. He is set to take on an ambassadorial role with the City Football Group, the parent company that owns Manchester City and a portfolio of clubs around the world. It is a relationship that acknowledges a decade of transformation he oversaw at the Etihad — six Premier League titles among a haul of trophies that redefined English football's ceiling.

He was also asked whether a return to manage City is conceivable further down the line. "Why you ask me that question?" came the response. "For a while, I will not be a manager. That is the only thing. Otherwise I would be here, still here. I deserve, honestly, to take a break."

115 charges loom over his legacy

Guardiola departs with the club's legal situation unresolved. Manchester City still face 115 charges of alleged financial wrongdoing levelled by the Premier League, said to relate to the period between 2009 and 2018. City deny all of the charges. Asked whether he might speak publicly once a verdict is reached, Guardiola said: "If you find me, yeah. But it will be difficult. I trust them and I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and what they did."

Sunday's final whistle at the Etihad brings down the curtain on one of the most decorated managerial tenures English football has seen. What comes next remains deliberately, stubbornly open — and for England fans, that ambiguity might just be the most exciting thing in football this summer.

Frequently asked

Is Pep Guardiola going to manage England?
Guardiola has not ruled it out, but he has stressed he will take an extended break from football first. He is believed to favour international management when he does return, which keeps England in the picture — though no talks are known to be taking place.
Why is Guardiola leaving Manchester City?
Guardiola has confirmed he is stepping down after a decade in charge, saying he needs rest and personal time after 17-18 years of continuous management. His final match was City's last day of the season home game against Aston Villa.
What are the 115 charges against Manchester City?
The Premier League has charged Manchester City with 115 alleged breaches of financial rules said to have occurred between 2009 and 2018. City deny all of the charges and the case is still awaiting a verdict from an independent commission.