City dream shattered Pep rejects as exit rumours
Guardiola vows to battle on at Bayern
PEP GUARDIOLA has ruled out a move to Manchester City next season — as well as his Bayern Munich side throwing caution to the wind tonight against Barcelona.
First the 44-year-old delivered the bad news to those at the Etihad counting on his Bayern adventure ending early, saying: ‘I have already said 200million times that I have a contract until 2016. I’m staying here and that is all there is to it.’
Then he told Bayern fans hoping for a miracle in the Allianz Arena what they didn’t want to hear by suggesting his team are trying to come back from 3-0 down against the ‘best counter-attacking side in the world’.
Guardiola said: ‘I would love to score three goals in five minutes but the quicker you go forward, the quicker the other team come back at you. If we lose our shape then they will punish us.’ Rumours at the weekend suggested Guardiola had lined up a switch to City at the end of this season but he and those who would broker any move to England have categorically ruled out that happening this year.
A falling out with Bayern’s longstanding doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who stepped down from his position as a consequence, had seen Guardiola come under scrutiny and winning only the Bundesliga this season would be seen by many as a failure.
But while Bayern’s decision-makers are uncomfortable with giving him free rein in the transfer market while he refuses to extend his contract, there is no sense of Guardiola having lost his appeal at the club.
The manager, contesting his sixth Champions League semi-final in eight years, brushed aside questions about whether he could still be considered the world’s best if he loses tonight.
He said: ‘With respect, being the best the coach in world doesn’t mean s***. I have won everything because I have had incredible players. All I have won is because of them, not because of me.’
Guardiola upset Thomas Muller when he took him off in the first leg and the German World Cup winner appeared to shout: ‘How much more of this sh*t?’, as he took his place on the bench.
The coach has also been criticised by Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus, who said: ‘It seems the players have lost faith in Guardiola.’ But the Bayern coach responded: ‘I gave my best at Barcelona and for many it was enough and for others it wasn’t enough. I can’t be interested in what all the legends, or the journalists, or the directors say.’
Pouring cold water on hopes for a famous night in Munich, Guardiola added: ‘The players want to do it but I am a realist. I know a 3-1 against Porto is not the same as 3-0 in the Camp Nou. We are going to try from the first minute but we can’t just win because I’m Pep and we are Bayern. We have to win with our heads, not our hearts.’
Bayern will be without forwards Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, and Guardiola reminded his critics of the handicap. ‘We have to adapt to the fact we don’t have them,’ he said. ‘These players are gamechangers. Every big team in Europe has this type of player — Chelsea, PSG, Real and Barca. We have them but they are not available to us.’