Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 9y

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola dismisses Manchester City speculation

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has dismissed growing speculation linking him with a summer switch to Manchester City.

Guardiola, whose contract at Bayern is due to expire in a little over a year, has been linked with a move to City for some time.

City chiefs Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain worked with Guardiola at the Camp Nou, and Bild has reported that Guardiola met with Begiristain in Munich the day after Bayern's 6-1 win over Porto.

Qatari-owned global sports channel beIN Sports, meanwhile, reported on Saturday that the Bayern boss had verbally agreed a deal to replace current manager Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season.

However, sources told ESPN FC at the weekend that City were denying the story, and Guardiola told a news conference on Monday: "I have said it 200 million times that my future lies at Sabener Strasse [the club's training facilities].

"I have one more year left on my contract. I will be here next season."

The Catalan was speaking prior to Bayern's Champions League semifinal second leg at home to his former club Barcelona as they seek to overturn a 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou.

Guardiola, who oversaw a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid at the same stage of last season's Champions League, has come under fire despite guiding the club to successive Bundesliga titles in his two years in Bavaria.

Former Bayern captain Lothar Matthaus and the club's honorary president, Franz Beckenbauer, are among the coach's recent critics after Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Augsburg saw Bayern slump to a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time since the 1991-92 season.

However, Guardiola said: "I am not here to be the best coach in the world. I am here to do my best, just like I did at Barcelona.

"If that's not enough for journalists, former players-turned-pundits or the [honorary] president, I am sorry.

"I have won my titles at Barcelona because I was at a super club with outstanding players. I said that 1,000 million times during my time at Barcelona. I did my best here at Bayern from day one. When Bayern are happy with me, I am happy too."

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