Pep Guardiola ready for Juventus challenge, says Sam Allardyce
Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce believes Manchester City's two-year Champions League ban would prompt Pep Guardiola to consider a move to Italy with Juventus.
Uefa announced the punishment last week and also imposed a fine of 30 million euros (S$45.3m) on the English champions for what it said were City's serious breaches of its financial fair play regime.
City, however, responded by saying they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Since Uefa's announcement, there has been much speculation about Guardiola's future.
Allardyce is the latest to chime in, telling the Daily Mirror: "He's had some great years at Manchester City now and Italy is another challenge.
"He looks like it's a bit of, 'I need to go to Italy and challenge myself there and show them what I can do in that country'."
With Maurizio Sarri's situation at Juventus looking increasingly unclear, Allardyce said in a separate interview with talkSPORT: "The Italian style of football is very negative, very defensive in terms of its outlook and always has been...
"He will go and change that completely... He will transform Juventus in terms of the way they play to his normal passing game."
Guardiola might not be the only one to leave the Etihad.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Jermaine Jenas said that stars like Kevin de Bruyne could also head for the exit, but ex-City captain Richard Dunne believes any exodus could prove a boon for City's young players, in a similar fashion to Chelsea's after their transfer ban.
Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp, meanwhile, said: "What they have done on the football pitch is exceptional. The rest, I don't know. I really feel for them."
Real Madrid will face City in the Champions League last 16 next week and coach Zinedine Zidane said: "For what has just happened, their motivation will be immense."
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