Guardiola 'hasn't decided yet' over future

18 February 2012 17:47

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on Saturday that he is still to decide whether or not to renew his contract with the European champions when it expires at the end of the season.

"I don't know yet," he said during a press conference ahead of Barca's league game at home to Valencia on Sunday.

"If the club needs a response straight away, I'd have to decide because the club is the most important thing. But they haven't given me a deadline for the time being."

At the Barca helm since 2008, Guardiola signed a one-year contract extension in February 2011 that extended his commitment to the club until the end of the current campaign.

Asked why it was taking him so long to decide, Guardiola replied: "I have to feel it. It's as simple as that."

Despite having fallen 10 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga, the Catalan giants remain on course to defend their Champions League title and will face Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Cup at the end of May.

Guardiola has led Barca to 13 major honours during his time in charge at Camp Nou, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

Barca announced on Saturday that midfielders Xavi and Sergio Busquets and left-sided player Adriano have all returned to training after injury.

"This Saturday, Xavi, Busquets and Adriano all started the training session with their team-mates," read a statement on the club website.

Xavi had missed Barca's last two games due to a problem with a muscle in his right leg, while Busquets injured his knee against Real Sociedad at the start of the month and Adriano had been afflicted by muscle problems in his left leg.

For Sunday's visit of third-placed Valencia, Barca will therefore only be missing long-term injury victims David Villa and Ibrahim Afellay, as well as suspended duo Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves.

Source: AFP