Ilkay Gundogan opens up on future reunion with Pep Guardiola and managerial career | OneFootball

Legendary former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan has spoken extensively about the possibility of reuniting with Pep Guardiola in a coaching capacity once his playing days are over.

The 35-year-old, who is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey after two separate spells at the Etihad Stadium, spoke in a wide-ranging interview with Sky in Germany about his future in football both as a player and as a potential coach.

Gundogan won six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League and numerous other trophies during a decade across his two spells at Manchester City, captaining the club through some of the most successful periods in the club’s history before his most recent departure last summer.

His relationship with Guardiola – one of the most widely admired manager-player partnerships in modern football – has continued beyond their time together at the Etihad Stadium, and it is that bond that forms the most compelling thread in the interview.

Now, in a wide-ranging interview with Sky in Germany, Ilkay Gundogan was quizzed on the possibility of an offer to join up with the Germany National Team in a coaching capacity, or with a club in future.

“No, nothing’s come of it yet, except from Pep (Guardiola), who made a lighthearted comment last year (laughs). He said I should play for a few more years and then eventually become his assistant coach, but since he doesn’t have a job yet, we’ll have to wait and see,” said Gundogan.

“Right now, I’m enjoying being on the pitch, performing, and training. I still love playing football. In my mind, I’d like to play for a few more years, but that can change overnight – especially at my age.

“I’ve already completed my B license for coaching. I really enjoyed that; it was fun. I’d like to pursue that path after my playing career and try it out. I can imagine doing that – even for the DFB, in whatever role.”

On whether it would have been possible to coach with Pep Guardiola within the Italian National Team set-up, Gundogan added: “He didn’t do it, of course. In the end, that’s good for me too, so I don’t have to make that decision yet (laughs).

“I have a very, very good relationship with Pep. That’s obvious. We’re still in contact and have a lot of respect for each other. Being Pep’s assistant coach is an option I can very well imagine, but ultimately, he’ll always have his own ideas for the future.

“The best thing for me is to focus on myself and prepare for every eventuality.”

What does Gundogan’s account tell us about his relationship with Man City?

The warmth with which Gundogan speaks about his time at Manchester City – and the ease with which Guardiola’s name comes up in any discussion of his future – underlines a bond that nine years, multiple trophies and two separate spells at the same club have only deepened.

Enzo Maresca is now the man tasked with building the next chapter at the Etihad Stadium, having himself served on Guardiola’s coaching staff during the treble-winning season of 2022-23 in which Gundogan also played a central role – adding another thread to the shared history that connects this club’s most recent past to its unfolding future.

Guardiola’s current absence from management – having stepped away from the Etihad Stadium at the end of 2024-25 – gives the Gundogan coaching scenario a plausibility it might not otherwise carry so soon, with both men simultaneously in positions to reflect, prepare and plan for what might come next.

Whether the reunion Guardiola jokingly sketched out on the touchline – Gundogan eventually pulling on a different kind of tracksuit – ever materialises in any formal sense remains entirely open, but as insight into the kind of culture Guardiola built at Manchester City and the people it produced, the interview is a reminder of everything that made those years so remarkable.