PEP MUST BREAK HIS CATALAN CAROUSEL
ONCE, in what must seem like a different life, Pep Guardiola admitted: ‘If it wasn’t for Lionel Messi, I would be a second division coach.’
It was an exaggeration but his point was clear. As coach of Barcelona in those golden years from 2008-2012, Guardiola was fortunate enough to work with special talent.
Now, for only the second time, he must go back to the Nou Camp, back to the club with which he’ll forever be associated. It’s his turn to try and break the spell of what Sir Alex Ferguson once described as the Barcelona ‘carousel’. For Guardiola’s new club Manchester City, yesterday’s Champions League draw was not terribly kind.
City have been here before and so has their new coach. Barcelona eliminated the English club in 2014 and 2015 while Guardiola took Bayern Munich to Catalonia 16 months ago only to lose 3-0 — Messi scoring twice — on the way to a comprehensive semi-final defeat.
So both know how it feels and both would have wished for something else when the draw was made yesterday.
The only consolation for City is that this is not yet knockout football. Barcelona are one of only three teams they must face in Group C.
Guardiola’s fate will not be decided by what his team does against a familiar face but instead in games against Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic.
From that point of view, City’s chances of qualification are good but, as a shoot-out for first place, the duel with Barca should be worth watching.
‘Usual type of draw for us,’ Tweeted City captain Vincent Kompany last night. ‘It’s better like this. Bring it on.’
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain — another former Barcelona employee —was a little less bullish. ‘It is not a nightmare draw because we are in a wonderful competition — but it is a very tough group,’ he said.
‘Pep knows the teams in the group very well. Obviously he knows Barcelona but also Borussia Monchengladbach from his time in Germany. Barcelona will be favourites but that’s nothing new.’
Leicester, meanwhile, got their due reward for starting in pot one as Premier League champions with a group that lacks a little in glamour but offers opportunity.
Their fans have been dreaming of trips to Bayern Munich and Madrid. For now, however, Claudio Ranieri and his players find themselves in Group G with Porto, Bruges and Copenhagen.
Ranieri will certainly be pleased. Leicester have no reason to fear any of those teams while there is no long-haul travel to disrupt an already challenging season competing on more than one front.
‘Once again, I say we are underdogs,’ insisted the Italian. ‘For this reason we must fight for everything. I want to see my players fight like champions and we must give 100 per cent to make our supporters proud.’
Ranieri has contested a Champions League semi-final before with Chelsea — losing to Monaco in 2004 — and will begin this attempt to progress knowing his team’s games at the King Power Stadium will be crucial.
What Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino really makes of his club’s relocation to Wembley for the Champions League, on the other hand, would be interesting to know.
If Leicester’s group lacks glamour, Tottenham’s place in Group E sees them with CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. Are they big enough to encourage Spurs fans to fill 80,000 seats either?
Rivals Arsenal have been in this situation before. Arsene Wenger’s team won only two of six Champions League games they played at Wembley in 1998 and 1999 and he told how difficult it was to adapt.
Arsenal themselves, meanwhile, will perhaps see their games against Basle as key to their chances of improving their poor recent record in the tournament. PSG will begin Group A as favourites, leaving the Gunners to fight with Basle and Ludogorets for qualification.