- Reason number two is that Pep loves the City sports group and its project.
The CFG consists of 11 professional teams in 11 countries and five continents. Those teams are:
- Manchester City - England
- New York City FC - United States
- Melbourne City FC - Australia
- Yokohama F. Marinos - Japan
- Montevideo City Torque - Uruguay
- Girona - Spain
- Sichuan Jiuniu - China
- Mumbai City FC - India
- Lommel SK - Belgium
- ES Troyes AC - France
- Palermo - Italy
The City Football Group is a global soccer franchise that shares intellectual property, training methods, squad building, funds, and playing philosophy between the different clubs. The coach at the top of that franchise is Pep Guardiola making him and that bald head of his the project's most valuable asset. His ideas and philosophies are the ones spread through the City Football Group. Perhaps, almost as importantly, his presence also gives CFG that extra credibility they need. He shows they are not just some massive money-hungry sports conglomerate, rather, they are a true footballing project driving forward the development of the game, evident by their employment of the greatest footballing mind of the 21st century.
And what does Guardiola get out of this? With Manchester City, he is virtually molding a club from scratch in his image and ideas. They also offer him the financial flexibility needed to try and fulfill the demands of his most radical tactical philosophies. It is a match made in heaven.
So if Guardiola and CFG are a match made in heaven, but he is still that same man that loves a new challenge, what does it mean for their future? It means Guardiola will leave, but only for another club in the CFG.
- The third and final reason is that Pep Guardiola loves New York
After leaving Barcelona in 2012, Guardiola announced he would take a year-long sabbatical from coaching. He could have spent that time anywhere on the globe, so it is particularly eye-opening that Pep Guardiola chose to spend his year away from football in New York City. This choice is clear evidence that he has a love for the big apple.