Guardiola prepares to announce Bayern future on Sunday

Pep Guardiola has promised to disclose his future plans on Sunday following Bayern Munich’s 1-0 win at Hannover.

The victory over Michael Frontzeck’s strugglers, sealed by Thomas Muller’s 40th-minute penalty, was largely overshadowed by mounting speculation in the German media that Guardiola will not remain with the reigning Bundesliga champions after his contract expires at the end of this season.

Borussia Dortmund’s surprise 2-1 loss at Cologne means Bayern go into the mid-season break with an eight-point lead at the Bundesliga summit and Guardiola told a post-match press conference that there will soon be clarity regarding his next move and that he intended to speak with chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Asked by a reporter when he will disclose more information, the former Barcelona coach simply replied: “Tomorrow, tomorrow.”

He added: “Rummenigge said that we will talk one day after the Hannover match. Now we drive to the airport with the bus and we will talk some more. We always talk when we see each other.”

In quotes on Bayern’s official website, Guardiola paid warm tribute to his players for their efforts throughout 2015 – not least at the HDI Arena, where injury problems meant he was only able to name four substitutes before Holger Badstuber and Arturo Vidal limped out of the action after half-time.

“Big compliments to my players,” he said. “You have made this year all round, in the Bundesiga, the Champions League and the Cup [DFB Pokal].

“We only had a few players over recent weeks but we wanted to control the game.”

Matchwinner Muller, who on Friday signed a new deal until 2021, said Guardiola’s status would not impact upon Bayern’s quest for silverware.

He told Sky Deutschland: “We want to win everything this season, no matter how long it takes with the coach’s contract.

“I do not know whether he will renew in the end.

“But if he does not renew it does not matter. [Former coach] Jupp Heynckes also did this [in 2012-13] and won the treble.”