Pep Guardiola’s tenure at Bayern Munich is in danger of becoming a turmoil following the fall-out from their humiliating defeat to Porto in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg on Wednesday night.
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Suffering an injury crisis of some sort with star players such as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery currently on the treatment table, an internal rift seams to have erupted at the Allianz Arena.
The globally hailed medical staff at Bayern Munich have resigned after reportedly being blamed for the defeat in the Champions League (via Daily Mail) and the club looks to be experiencing a relative crisis.
Whether or not these reports are true is difficult to determine, but Guardiola’s reaction to the physios on the bench at one point during the game was quite telling with the Spaniard appearing to sarcastically applaud their efforts.
kind of amazing Pep Guardiola had to comment on a Vine, but wow, it does look like he’s pissed at the Doc here https://t.co/4eYKIACQdl
— Angus Livingston (@anguslivingston) April 17, 2015
What is for certain is that all is not well at the club and the problems seem to manifest from Guardiola and the pressure which surround the job he accepted to take up in 2013.
Fresh from a sabbatical after treating the world to arguably the greatest club side in the history of football at Barcelona, speculation was rife as to where Guardiola would end up.
Many anticipated that he’d want a fresh challenge, possibly managing a team where the demands were high, but equally, where competition was evident. Therefore, his decision to take up the role at Bayern Munich months after they’d secured every trophy available to them, including an impressive a Champions League run, was bizarre.
Some may say that aiming to exceed winning the treble is a credible challenge Guardiola wanted to take-on, but managing a club where success is only measured by whether or not you win the Champions League is a project doomed to fail. It is no coincidence to see him reach breaking-point in this competition against Porto.
As admirable as it may seem, Europe’s premier club competition is a tough tournament to win, never mind retain. It is why no club has successfully defended the trophy in its 23 year history.
The state of the Bundesliga means a title win is a basic requirement and, with all due respect, a given. Guardiola, once again, to the reins at a one-club league which may question his suitability as a top level manager.
During his successful years at Barca, despite his evident role in moulding the team, much of the success was simply dismissed as a team harbouring one of the greatest talents football has ever seen in Lionel Messi. Should Guardiola therefore managed a team where many would accept his influence and managerial talents?
After just four years, the former Barcelona skipper took a year out of the game due to the ‘strains’ of the job, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger must have sat in amusement at the news.
If winning 14 major trophies in just four years causes you to take a year off, that’s maybe why Guardiola hasn’t ended up in the Premier League and continues to manage teams who have high probabilities of success.
The jury may still be out regarding Guardiola’s qualities as a manager, and if it is a ‘challenge’ he’s looking for, competing in the most unpredictable league in the world may save his legacy. Come to England, Pep.