Separatists Eye Football Star Guardiola For Catalan Presidency - Reports

Catalan separatists want football star Pep Guardiola to lead their pro-independence coalition to victory in a regional snap election in the hope of wooing voters, media said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2019) Catalan separatists want football star Pep Guardiola to lead their pro-independence coalition to victory in a regional snap election in the hope of wooing voters, media said on Monday.

The 48-year-old former player and manager of the Premier League's Manchester City is expected to let his contract expire and return to Barcelona, El Confidencial daily cited sources as saying.

Ex-Catalan leader Artur Mas wants to offer him leadership of the Together for Catalonia coalition, which his Catalan European Democratic Party is part of.

The footballer has also been approached by another former chief of the Catalan government, Carles Puigdemont, who escaped sedition conviction and is living in exile in Belgium.

The next election is due no later than 2022 but separatists want it to be held at the earliest date. This may lead to a scheduling conflict since Guardiola is expected to return at the end of the football season next June.