Always willing to entertain peculiar questions regarding his future with a quip while still keeping a respectful tone, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said he is willing to listen to “any offers from Athletic as I still have many friends there.”

“It is a marvellous club, full of history, and I just love San Mames,” he said, adding, “The way they always go for a win in every match – always pushing forward, goes hand in hand with my understanding of the game.”

“So when they throw me out of here I’ll be waiting for offers. Let’s hope they come,” Guardiola said with his usual wry smile.

The question was posed to him by Basque television station ETB, in response to a light-hearted suggestion by Athletic’s former sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta – a former Barca legend himself and a possible replacement for current Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Begiristain – that Guardiola should one day consider coaching the Basque side.