Pep Guardiola on joining Real Madrid one day: 'I wouldn't fit in there'

Former Barcelona and current Bayern Munich manager rubbishes the suggestion he may one day manage at the Bernabéu

Josep Guardiola (GETTY IMAGES)

Bayern Munich manager Josep Guardiola has laughed off the suggestion he may one day manage Real Madrid, the fierce rivals of former club Barcelona.

Ahead of the Bundesliga clash against Borussia Mönchengladbach this weekend, the 44-year-old was asked if he would ever consider an approach from the Santiago Bernabéu hierarchy.

"I wouldn't fit in there," the former Barcelona boss replied, before giving in to a wry smile.

Guardiola lifted three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, three Supercopa de Españas and enjoyed two Champions League triumphs during his four-year spell in charge of the Catalonia giants.

Out-of-contract in the summer, he has been linked with a switch to Manchester City in recent months while Premier League foes Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United also continue to monitor the situation with keen interest.

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola is out of contract at the end of the season (Getty Images)

Quizzed on whether his public views on his native region's bid for independence has any part to play in his oft-debated stubbornness to manage the Madrid club, Guardiola merely said: "Let's not go there."

The Spaniard is facing a selection headache ahead of the visit to Mönchengladbach with Douglas Costa, Arjen Robben and David Alaba joining a bloated injury list which already included Mario Götze, Thiago Alcántara, Juan Bernat and Franck Ribery.

Bayern are eight points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, however, and enjoy a 18-goal surplus over their nearest rivals for the German title on goal difference.