Pep avoids future employers

PEP Guardiola avoided his future employers as Manchester City were yesterday drawn to play Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League while Atletico Madrid will face the Spaniard’s Bayern Munich.

Guardiola will take over as City boss next season and is in his swansong after three years at Bayern having steered the Bavarian giants to the last four in Europe on each of his three years in charge.

Atletico, the Diego Simeone-coached team that knocked out defending champions Barcelona in the quarter-finals, and Bayern have previously met once in European action, in the 1974 final, the Bundesliga side running out 4-0 winners in the replay following an initial 1-1 draw.

Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski said the Bundesliga team would be wary of Atletico.

“@Atleti did show the strength in the match with Barcelona. We must maintain maximum concentration,” the Polish international tweeted.

Bayern’s Spain international Javi Martinez added: “That will be a difficult game against a strong opponent.”

For outgoing Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, the semi-final will be a return to the club he managed in 200910.

City’s only games against Real, unbeaten in their last eight games against English clubs and in the semi-finals for a record sixth successive time, were in the 2012-13 group stage. They drew 1-1 at home and lost 3-2 away.

City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain said: “It’s a great tie against the team that has won the competition the most times. But we have got this far and we want to keep dreaming.”

The first leg of the semi-finals will be played on April 26-27, with the second leg scheduled for May 3-4. — AFP