After Bayern Munich’s home win against Stuttgart on Saturday, club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters that Pep Guardiola’s future as the club’s head coach will be settled during the upcoming winter break.
Bayern play their final Bundesliga match of 2015 on 19 December at Hannover and Rummenigge expects extension talks to be held soon after, with Guardiola’s current contract set to expire in June.
“We will have the conversation after the last game of this half of the season,” Rummenigge told Sky after the game on Saturday. “Then there will be a decision which we will announce whatever the outcome of this discussion. There will be a Christmas surprise, one way or the other. I am relaxed about it and so is the coach,” added Rummenigge.
Triple or nothing
The Spanish coach, who has won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons with the club so far but failed to clinch glory in Europe, has repeatedly refused to answer any questions about his future despite being linked with moves to England.
The 44-year-old has, though, kept his mind on the prize that has eluded in his time as the club’s head coach.
“I hope the players keep this aggression up until the winter break and then until the end of the season, because if we don’t win the triple, it will have been a bad season,” said Guardiola, who is targeting the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League titles.
“The players have done well in all competitions up until this point and I hope they come back from the international break healthy and fit,” said Guardiola.
Several Premier League clubs are reportedly keen on Guardiola, whilst there is also a suggestion that the Spaniard could once again take a sabbatical, as he did upon departing Barcelona in June 2012.
