Chapter 349: Bayern's Home Loss, Barcelona Fans Collapse in the Bathroom
"Bayern Suffers a Home Defeat, Guardiola May Switch to Manchester City!" "Manchester City Reaches Out to Guardiola, New Manager Revealed!" "Guardiola May Join Manchester City and Lin Quan to Form Football's Strongest Father-Son Duo!" "Famous Managers Flood the Premier League, Mourinho vs. Guardiola Battle to Unfold!"
The photo of Fahim and Guardiola's private meeting, once released, immediately caused a massive shock throughout the football world.
"Is it true? Is Guardiola really going to City?" "The photos are out, it must be true, right?" "If Guardiola goes to City, that would be an amazing scene, almost too good to believe!" "Do you guys not think that Manchester City's current lineup somewhat resembles the dream team era of Barcelona?" "It does, Lin Huang can be compared to peak Messi, maybe even stronger. Kroos and De Bruyne are like slightly lesser versions of Xavi and Iniesta. Add Fernandinho, David Silva, Aguero... It seems Guardiola won't need to make major tactical changes, he could just copy his Barcelona strategies."
Some fans automatically associate Guardiola with Barcelona's revolutionary tikitaka style, which had once sent shockwaves through the football world. At a time when this strategy was unfamiliar to many, Barcelona used it to dominate the sport, accumulating countless honors. Now, the prospect of Guardiola coaching Manchester City has reignited hope for a revival of this tactic.
When Guardiola initially moved to Bayern, not many fans were optimistic. Not because Bayern lacked strength; on the contrary, Bayern was too strong. Having just won the Champions League under Heynckes, any change Guardiola implemented came with high risks. If his reforms succeeded, Bayern fans would see it as expected since they were already champions. But any failure or shortfall would attract fierce criticism, as was evident when Bayern was eliminated in the semifinals by Atlético Madrid.
Nevertheless, Guardiola's tenure at Bayern wasn't a failure. Under his leadership, Bayern set a record for the second-longest unbeaten streak in the top five European leagues and dominated their domestic league. His reforms actually strengthened Bayern's league dominance due to the high margin for error in possession football, which proved incredibly stable.
However, in the high-stakes Champions League, the stability of possession football wasn't as effective against top-tier clubs, which contributed to Guardiola's eventual challenges in the knockout stages. This was partly due to his penchant for innovation.
Yet in this timeline, Guardiola only stayed at Bayern for a season and a half, and the repetitive Champions League failures hadn't yet occurred, so the criticism wasn't as severe as before. At this point, the number of fans hopeful for his success outnumbered the skeptics.
"I heard Manchester City has given Guardiola a lot of power!" "Yeah, I heard it's similar to a football manager's authority!" "Really? Mourinho didn't even get that kind of power at Chelsea, and Guardiola gets it just entering the Premier League? That seems too easy." "Some people have a hard time getting such authority, but it's not necessarily the same for others!" "Manchester City and Chelsea's owners are not the same. Abramovich is very hands-on with Chelsea, almost wanting to get involved himself. In contrast, Manchester City's owner, Mansour, has great respect and trust in professionals!" "Yes, I've heard about that too. Last year when Manchester City won the League Cup, I heard Mansour initially planned to personally distribute bonuses and visit the players. However, considering it might undermine the coach's authority, he eventually decided against it. Even when Manchester City won the Premier League and Champions League, he was at the games but never stepped into the locker room." "That's a savvy owner!" "Indeed, this is the first I've heard of it and it totally changes my perception of the Middle Eastern consortia!"
In fact, behind Manchester City, the Abu Dhabi consortium not only boasts significant financial strength but also operates the club with strategic foresight, unlike the short-sighted approach of some other consortia. They're genuinely interested in football, whereas others might use it merely to promote events like the Qatar World Cup, focusing on short-term impacts without regard for long-term club management.
"If these rumors are true, then Manchester City can provide Guardiola with a stable environment, allowing him time and space to experiment, which is a good thing." "Looks like Manchester City is really on the rise, maybe by next year we'll start calling them the new 'universe team'!"
Fans optimistic about the generous conditions offered to Guardiola by Manchester City began to feel hopeful. The authority he's been granted seems even greater than during his time at Barcelona, and with a superstar like Lin Quan in the team, it's as if City has picked up Barcelona's old playbook.
"I think we shouldn't be too optimistic. Barcelona's players mostly came up together from La Masia, their understanding is unmatched by any other team. Manchester City's players are from all over the world, their styles and cohesion can't compare to that Barcelona team. Plus, Spain has always been about technical football, which isn't necessarily the case in the Premier League. If they try to play exactly like Barcelona, they might struggle to adapt." In the midst of optimism, some cautioned restraint. However, at this point, clubs hadn't fully experienced Guardiola's experimental nature. People only saw his success at Barcelona and not his struggles at Bayern and early Manchester City, so these voices of reason went largely unheeded.
Many saw Guardiola as a cure-all, believing that his arrival at City would immediately set things right and lead the club to new heights. Manchester City fans were elated, feeling like the clouds had parted to reveal clear skies.
However, the sentiment among Bayern fans was mixed. Guardiola's record was neither here nor there. While he dominated the league, the Champions League defeat to a non-elite team like Atlético Madrid was unbearable for the proud Bayern fans. After losing to Atlético, many fans wanted him out, unable to accept not scoring in two games. Where was the fierceness and blood of the Heynckes era?
Now that Guardiola might leave, they felt a reluctant loss. A semifinal finish was tolerable, and another coach might not maintain such stability in the league.
Even Bayern fans who dislike Guardiola must admit one fact: under his guidance, Bayern's players have significantly improved their technical skills. The most obvious example is Thomas Müller. Over the past two seasons, Müller has become smarter and more creative on the pitch, and his skills have become more solid. In private interviews, Müller has often expressed his admiration and respect for Guardiola. Even those players who don't get along well with Guardiola rarely criticize his coaching abilities.
If Guardiola leaves, who could be a better fit for the team? Bayern's answer is to bring back the old coach.
When rumors spread about Guardiola possibly leaving Bayern, the club immediately took action. Bayern's manager, Hoeness, personally visited Heynckes at his home. After retiring, Heynckes had been enjoying a quiet life, refusing offers from other clubs, and seemed content to spend his days gardening, reading, and occasionally commentating on matches.
For Heynckes, he had already won all the honors he could, and his life had no regrets. Therefore, he lacked the motivation to return to coaching. When he retired from Bayern, clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona had invited him to coach, but he declined all offers, preferring his quiet life in the countryside.
Coaching a team is exhausting work. It requires not only leading training sessions but also collecting opponent information, analyzing game footage, setting up lineups, and devising tactics. During matches, a coach must focus on the game's progress, identify weaknesses in the opposition, and much more. This work is highly demanding, especially for older individuals.
Therefore, most famous managers usually retire by the age of 65. Few, like Ferguson, coach well into their 70s. So, when Hoeness visited, Heynckes didn't immediately agree to return:
"Mr. Hoeness, I'm aware of the situation at the club. I need some time to think about it and will get back to you."
Heynckes' reluctance was understandable. The rumors were still unconfirmed, and he didn't want to step in unless Guardiola left immediately. If Guardiola planned to stay until the season's end, there was no need for Heynckes to intervene. This was out of respect for the current coach and the mark of a great manager.
Heynckes had some grievances about Bayern's actions back in 2012-2013 when the club signed Guardiola before he officially announced his retirement, making things awkward for him. Although he led the team to a Champions League victory, he couldn't continue coaching due to the prearranged transition. Given the circumstances, if Guardiola didn't leave during the winter break, there would be no need for Heynckes to return. Bayern would have time to find a suitable replacement.
Heynckes, having already stepped in for Bayern multiple times, was deeply attached to the club. But at nearly 70, he couldn't continue coaching indefinitely. Bayern needed to find a long-term solution and couldn't rely on him forever.
Aside from Bayern and Manchester City, two other clubs were particularly interested in the news of Guardiola possibly moving to Manchester City: Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona's interest was simple—Guardiola had built the dream team era, winning numerous honors, including the unprecedented sextuple. His tenure brought immense global influence and a vast fan base to the club. The current downturn in Barcelona's performance since his departure made his legacy even more cherished. Fans constantly called for his return, hoping he could revive the team's glory days. Laporta, a candidate for the club's presidency, even campaigned on bringing Guardiola back to Camp Nou.
However, the news of Guardiola potentially joining another club felt like a betrayal to Barcelona fans. It was as if their admired figure was suddenly leaving them for another team. They were heartbroken, fearing that with Guardiola at Manchester City, Lin Quan would also never return to Barcelona, doubling their pain.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid had their reasons for concern. They didn't want Guardiola back at Barcelona, remembering how challenging his teams were. But they also didn't want him at Manchester City, strengthening an already strong team.