Fabio Capello believes Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is already planning a return to Barcelona -- as the club's president.
Guardiola revealed earlier this week he feels he's "approaching the end" of his career as a manager. The Catalan explained that he hopes to remain at City for the duration of his three-year contract -- maybe longer -- but that he's unsure how much longer he'll remain in coaching after that.
After four successful years in charge of Barca, Guardiola walked away from Camp Nou in 2012. However, Capello, who briefly coincided with the 45-year-old at Roma in 2002, expects him to one day return to the club where he was also a player.
"Guardiola's football is fundamentally always the same and if the opponents figure out counter-measures, he has to find an alternative," Capello told Sky Sports Italia when asked about the coach's comments.
"In any case, I think if he made these statements, it is also because in my view he has the idea of becoming president of Barcelona."
Valenti Guardiola suggested the opposite in October, saying that he didn't anticipate his son returning to Barcelona in any capacity.
"To do what, work as a ball boy?" he said. "I really don't see him there either as president or on the bench. His time with Barca has been and gone, I don't think he would do well in going back.
"At the very least, I think we can rule out him coming back as coach."
Guardiola himself, speaking 2014, said he would not coach the Blaugrana again. He admitted his partner is keen to return to the city in the future, though.
"In principle I won't coach Barca again," he told Mundo Deportivo. "I think that there are cycles in life and that mine [at the club] finished. My wife has her work and the idea is to come back and live here [in Barcelona]. But I don't know when that will be."