Bayern set sights on Guardiola return
THE Bayern Munich bandwagon is rolling again – and this time it is Pep Guardiola in the way.
In the days after it was reported that the City manager was on a shortlist to be the next permanent manager at the Allianz, club legend
Lothar Matthaus wrote in Bild that luring the Blues boss back would be a win for Bayern and the Bundesliga, and several stars on international duty have been asked about the prospect.
City and their fans will be used to this by now – they had a whole summer of it this year when Leroy
Sane was the top transfer target of the Bavarians and just like that deal never happened, it would be a major shock if Guardiola were to go back.
He is under contract at the Etihad until 2021 and while he has cut a frustrated figure at times this season, he has an excellent relationship with the City hierarchy.
When he does move on, he has spoken before about national teams and also did not knock down the idea of managing in Italy – a league he has never won – in future when he charmed the local press in Milan last week.
What the Bayern siren calls should remind City and the Premier League of is the need to make the most of every season that Guardiola stays.
The former Barcelona coach produced some terrific football in Munich and was loved by many players including Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm, David Alaba and Xabi Alonso as they claimed three straight Bundesliga titles in impressive fashion. However, three successive semifinal exits in the Champions League left mixed reviews about his tenure, especially after inheriting a Treble-winning side from Jupp Heynckes, and there were few tears shed when he left.
German football expert Raphael Honigstein wrote of his final game that ‘the vibe was that of an office
The Bayern siren calls should remind City and the Premier League to make the most of Guardiola Simon Bajkowski
leaving-do for a brilliant but unloved CEO, replete with a useless, hideous parting gift destined to gather dust in the attic.’
Guardiola just wasn’t Bayern enough, it seemed, and it was hardly an emotional return when his first City game took him back to the Allianz for a low-key pre-season friendly.
The Catalan has also faced a battle to win over English football.
Laughed at for ‘What is tackles?’ and queried for persisting with a possession-style football that his players clearly couldn’t cope with in his first season, the City manager has since seen his record-breaking achievements with the Blues downplayed because of the club’s wealth or the players that arrived before him.
Having regularly challenged Blues fans for their attitude to the Champions League and having made few attempts to curry favour or headlines with the media, Guardiola could well receive a similar farewell when he leaves Manchester.
Time can bring clarity and perspective though.
If the Bayern chatter reminds everyone that the coach will land a top job when he leaves City, the positivity that the rumour has been greeted with shows how things can be more appreciated with a little distance.
Regardless of whether he wins another league title or throws any more pitchside tantrums, English football will be poorer when Guardiola does decide to move on.