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Pep Guardiola hails veteran Roy Hodgson's "special energy"

Pep Guardiola hails veteran Roy Hodgson's
© Reuters
The Manchester City manager, 48, takes his side to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola claims he does not have the "special energy" to emulate Roy Hodgson's lengthy career.

The Manchester City boss may be regarded as the pre-eminent manager of his generation with 25 trophies to his name, but coaching into his 70s, as Hodgson is now, is something he cannot envisage.

Former England boss Roy Hodgson has been in management for more than 40 years
Former England boss Roy Hodgson has been in management for more than 40 years (Nigel French/PA)

Guardiola will pit his wits against Hodgson, Crystal Palace's 71-year-old former England boss, as City travel to Selhurst Park this weekend.

Guardiola, 48, said: "You have to have a special energy and I think at 71 – except Roy Hodgson – the others cannot do it. In my case? No way. It's impossible.

"Roy Hodgson loves it. It's incredible. When that happens, it's because he has the passion in himself.

"It's nice to see him again on Sunday."

Guardiola spent a year living in New York between his spells in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich and he intends to sample other things in later life.

He said: "I am curious to do other things before I die. I love my job but I am always thinking to do something different.

"There is my wife and family too. Seventy-one? No way."

Despite that, Guardiola admits he is addicted to the game of football.

He said: "Football is always present in the lives of managers, it is so addictive.

"There are so many things to do ahead of the next game – what you have to say to the players, what you have to do in training and there are many things to think about.

"Of course you have time to switch off a little bit, summertime is completely different, but always you are thinking as well. Football never finishes."

Pep Guardiola is committed to City until 2021
Pep Guardiola is committed to City until 2021 (Nick Potts/PA)

Guardiola is coming towards the end of his third season at City and is contracted for two more. What happens beyond that is not yet clear but Guardiola is not thinking about it yet.

He said: "It's many years. I don't think (about) that and I don't have plans. (I'm) just living, having fun and preparing for the next games. Next season and after that we will see."


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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola watches on during his side's Premier League clash with Cardiff City on April 3, 2019
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool34267177205785
2Manchester CityMan City33272486226483
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs332211064343067
4Arsenal33206766402666
5Chelsea34206857362166
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33197763441964
7Leicester CityLeicester34145154645147
8Wolverhampton WanderersWolves33138124142-147
9Everton34137144644246
10Watford33137134748-146
11West Ham UnitedWest Ham34126164252-1042
12Bournemouth34125174961-1241
13Crystal Palace34116174046-639
14Burnley34116174260-1839
15Newcastle UnitedNewcastle34108163243-1138
16Southampton3399153954-1536
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton3396183253-2133
18Cardiff CityCardiff3494213063-3331
RFulham3455243276-4420
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield3435261967-4814

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