'It's over' - Pep Guardiola rules out EVER returning to Barcelona despite Man City uncertainty & 'beautiful' spell at Camp Nou

Guardiola stepped out of Barca’s famed youth system to take in 382 appearances for the Blaugrana as a player, helping them to six league titles and a European Cup triumph. He then returned to familiar surroundings when entering the world of coaching.

He was promoted to first-team manager in 2008 and oversaw an era of tiki-taka-inspired success that saw the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta claim three La Liga crowns and a couple of Champions League triumphs. Guardiola severed ties with the club in 2012 after 247 matches at the helm.

A return has been mooted ever since, but the current Manchester City boss insists that he has no plans to work with Barca again. He told GQ: “It's over. It's over forever. It was very beautiful, but it's over now.”

He added when pressed on a potential presidential post at Camp Nou: “Noooo! I'm no good at this.”

Guardiola remains fully committed to his role in Manchester for now, with City rebuilding on the back of a 2024-25 campaign that delivered no major honours. Their 54-year-old coach said of supposed failures: “Look, one thing about sports is that you can't always win every competition you play. You know why? Because it's impossible. Impossible. So you lose sometimes, well yes, that's part of sports.

“Michael Jordan was the greatest. He won six rings playing for 15 years. He lost more than he won. Tiger Woods was the greatest. He won 14 Grand Slams. Do you know how many he's played in his life? More than 100. He lost more than he won. In sports, you lose more than you win. I've played in 16 leagues and won 13. So, well, yes, I've lost some. But it hasn't gone badly.”

Guardiola is readying his City side for the start of another Premier League campaign, while Barca - with teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal committed to a new contract and taking their iconic No.10 jersey - are hoping to successfully defend their La Liga title in 2025-26.