Guardiola backs cup rival Sarri
Pep is perplexed by Chelsea manager’s job insecurity ahead of final
PEP GUARDIOLA has taken a swipe at Chelsea’s short-term approach to hiring and firing managers, and insisted that he never entertained the prospect of taking the reins at Stamford Bridge.
Parallels have been drawn between Guardiola’s turbulent first season at Manchester City and the Catalan’s refusal to compromise his principles with Maurizio Sarri’s stubborn approach during his troubled debut campaign at Chelsea.
But in a clear show of support for the Italian on the eve of tomorrow’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, Guardiola said it was impossible to compare their situations because he has enjoyed the unwavering support of City’s power brokers.
And despite Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s attempts to bring Guardiola to Stamford Bridge earlier in his managerial career, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach claimed it was never an option he considered, as he stressed the importance of managers being given time.
“The situation is a bit different (to Sarri at Chelsea). In my first year, never the club doubted me,” Guardiola said.
“It was never in the media that I’d be sacked if they lose this game or the other game. It never happened.
“I was surprised that, when (Antonio) Conte won the title and they lost one or two games at the beginning of the next season, people start to say he was going to be sacked. I said, ‘Wow, but two or three months ago, they won the Premier League?’
“The situation is completely different (to my first year at City). When we lost there (2-0 in December) and when we won here (6-0 two weeks ago], my opinion of Sarri and his teams is always high.”
Sarri could be sacked if Chelsea lose at Wembley, but Guardiola emphasised how important it was to have mutual trust between a manager and a club’s hierarchy, such as he has enjoyed with City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, both of whom he worked with at Barcelona.
“I never was a potential option for Chelsea,” Guardiola said.
“I was in Barcelona and Bayern. I decided to go to Munich and I came here (to City) with Ferran and Txiki – they trust me and I trust them. In the first season (at City) when it was difficult, I said we needed time and they supported me.
“The players knew who was the manager and who would be the manager. It was stable. That’s the best way to do something for a long time, not just a short period.”
Opportunity
The Carabao Cup final presents Guardiola with the opportunity to win the first of four potential trophies this season as City bid to become the first team in English history to complete the quadruple.
Guardiola has repeatedly shot down talk of a quadruple and suggested yesterday that City’s 6-0 evisceration of Chelsea at the Etihad would serve only to make the game harder as Sarri’s side seek to atone for that humiliation.
“In that moment I was so happy to beat them but now I would prefer not to have beaten them 6-0,” Guardiola said.
“I don’t like to play again in a short period of time when you’ve beaten them so much. They (Chelsea) are proud. They will do extra (in the next match).”
Despite criticism of Sarri’s stubborn team selections and tactics, and accusations that his training and meetings are boring, he has a better record in English football than City manager Pep Guardiola had at the same stage of his first season in charge.
Sarri has won 28 of his first 43 games, one more than Guardiola managed two years ago. Asked why he thought he is under pressure, whereas there was never any talk of City sacking Guardiola, Sarri said: “Because he was lucky. I don’t know. You have to ask the club. You have to ask both, Manchester City and Chelsea.”
Rather than compare himself with Guardiola, Sarri put his record so far up against Arsenal manager Unai Emery, who also arrived in England last summer.
“We are one point from the top four, the same points as Arsenal, and people say Arsenal are doing well,” Sarri said.
“So we are doing a little bit better because we are in a final and yet our season is a disaster. I don’t understand.”
Sarri has not been helped by the fact he is still looking to win his first trophy as a manager and has seen his style of football mocked as ‘Sarri-ball’.
“As I said in England on the first day, I don’t know what ‘Sarri-ball’ is,” the Italian said.
“I think it’s from a newspaper. In the end, the most important things are the results. In my job, I need the result. Nothing else.” (© Daily Telegraoh, London)
Chelsea v Manchester City Live, tomorrow, Sky Sports, 4.30