Chapter 350: Father and Son on the Same Team, Guardiola Arrives in Manchester!
"Are you coming to Manchester?"
Lin Quan only found out about this after finishing the match against Swansea. In this game, Manchester City finally stopped their downward spiral by defeating their opponents 2-1 at home. However, the victory was not easy. Swansea scored in the ninth minute, causing Manchester City to panic. The interim coach, Brian, made adjustments that not only failed to help but also made the team more passive. If Lin Quan hadn't stepped up and equalized in the 34th minute to stabilize the team's morale, the match could have ended differently.
Swansea is not a particularly strong team, but Manchester City struggled against them, worrying the fans about the team's current state. Many fans in the stands held up banners welcoming Guardiola, hoping for his arrival. They just wanted the winter break to come quickly so they could see their new coach sooner.
Lin Quan called Guardiola after seeing the fans' banners. Although he had seen media reports, he knew how unreliable they could be. Until there was confirmed news, he treated all such reports as false. But with the detailed nature of the recent rumors, including photos of private meetings, Lin Quan couldn't help but wonder if Guardiola had indeed reached an agreement with Manchester City behind his back.
"Who told you? Did someone from Manchester City inform you?" Guardiola sounded surprised on the other end of the line, as if the matter was entirely untrue.
"No, I saw it in the news," Lin Quan replied, feeling a bit annoyed. It seemed the media couldn't be trusted, not even for punctuation. They had made it sound so convincing that he almost believed it.
"Hehe, these journalists are really well-informed," Guardiola said, causing Lin Quan to momentarily pause.
"So, are you coming over during the winter break?"
Guardiola did not deny it, so Lin Quan no longer questioned its validity. He was now inclined to believe it was true and just needed to confirm the timing. Whether Guardiola came in the summer or this winter made a huge difference for Manchester City. The team was currently in a slump, and their performance was unstable. They urgently needed a boost to stabilize morale, and Guardiola's arrival could provide that.
From the team's perspective, it would be best for Guardiola to come during the winter break. However, from the coach's perspective, joining a new team so hastily during a short winter break, with limited options in the transfer market, would make it difficult to acquire and integrate desired players. The second half of the season would bring intense competition in the league and the Champions League, along with the Club World Cup, adding to the pressure on results.
Guardiola's arrival during the winter could bring about tremendous pressure, risking criticism and damaging his reputation if results were poor. Waiting until the summer would alleviate these concerns, giving him ample time for recruitment, squad adjustments, and preseason testing.
Despite these considerations, Guardiola's response was surprising:
"This winter. Delaying it any further might not be a good idea."
Guardiola knew winter wasn't the best time, but he was decisive. With the private meetings already leaked, it was better to finalize things quickly. Prolonging it would be detrimental for all involved, including Bayern, Manchester City, and himself.
He was also concerned that if Manchester City's poor form continued, it would severely impact the players' mentality, making it harder to rebuild confidence.
"Alright, give me a call when you're coming. I'll drive to pick you up."
"Sure, I don't have a place to stay in Manchester. I'll stay at your place," Guardiola immediately suggested.
"No problem, my house is big enough. We can even accommodate Maria, Valentina, and the others."
If Guardiola left Bayern, his children would need to transfer schools to England. It would be a good time to arrange their transfers during the winter break. They had initially planned to live together in Munich, but circumstances changed with Lin Quan joining Manchester City.
"Finally, we can all be together as a family again," Guardiola sighed. After working at Barcelona, Bayern, and now Manchester City, he realized the nature of coaching made it difficult to stay in one place for long.
He hoped to stay in Manchester long enough to elevate the team to elite status, win a few Premier League titles, and secure a couple of Champions League trophies. This would be perfect. Once Maria, Valentina, and the others graduated, and Manchester City had solidified their place among the elite, he could retire with his mission accomplished. He could then either return to Spain with Lin Quan or continue exploring other leagues.
"Don't think too far ahead. Use the winter break to scout some players. By the way, here are some positions Manchester City needs to strengthen..."
Lin Quan wouldn't usually discuss such matters with any other coach, but since it was his father, there were no such reservations. Who could be more candid with each other than father and son?
Hearing Lin Quan's suggestions, Guardiola momentarily felt disoriented.
Who's the coach here, and who's the son?
Guardiola acted quickly. On November 29, after Bayern defeated Hertha Berlin, he announced at the post-match press conference that he would be stepping down as Bayern's coach.
"Yes, I have submitted my resignation to the club."
Although this outcome had been anticipated, Guardiola's confirmation still sent shockwaves through the football world.
Some fans who supported Guardiola held banners outside his home, asking him to stay. Meanwhile, other fans, indifferent to Guardiola, angrily criticized him for being irresponsible. "Who leaves a team in the middle of the season? Is there anyone so outrageous?"
The attitude within German football was also divided. Some were worried, believing that foreign top managers leaving the Bundesliga would make the league more conservative and closed-off, which wouldn't be good. Others didn't mind, thinking that these foreign coaches with their constant reforms had muddled German football's traditional style. To restore the glory of German football, they believed these foreigners needed to be cleared out.
Before the World Cup, German football was quite open-minded. But now, it had become more conservative and xenophobic. Therefore, fewer people wanted Guardiola to stay; more hoped he would leave.
Interestingly, Bayern Munich's attitude was quite ambiguous. They didn't seem eager to retain Guardiola, only formally expressing a hope that he would reconsider his resignation. Meanwhile, some German journalists revealed that after rumors of Guardiola's move to Manchester City surfaced, Bayern's general manager, Uli Hoeneß, had visited the retired coach Jupp Heynckes.
Heynckes was known as Bayern's "firefighter" coach, having come out of retirement three times to help the club. Whenever Bayern had issues with their head coach, people immediately thought of Heynckes. This had almost become a habit!
This news led to speculation: Was Heynckes about to take charge of Bayern for the fifth time?
Upon hearing this, Bayern fans were overjoyed. Almost all Bayern fans eagerly welcomed Heynckes back to the Allianz Arena. They couldn't forget the Bayern team under Heynckes from a year and a half ago. That team was unbeatable in the league and dominant in the Champions League, often demolishing their opponents. Even the mighty Barcelona had been thrashed 7-0 by them.
Just mentioning that Bayern team made even non-football fans in Munich proud. So, when they heard that Heynckes might return, Bayern fans were full of anticipation. They looked forward to seeing the strongest Bayern team make a comeback.
It wasn't just the fans who felt this way. Bayern players, upon hearing about Heynckes' potential return, were also thrilled. Even Arjen Robben, who rarely updated his social media, wrote excitedly: "Is this true? I can't wait to play under you again!" Franck Ribéry also posted: "I was stunned when I heard the news; I couldn't believe it was real!" Philipp Lahm, known for his high emotional intelligence, thanked Guardiola: "Thank you, Pep, for accompanying us over the past year and a half and for leading us to break the Bundesliga unbeaten record. I wish you all the best in your next journey." After expressing his gratitude to Guardiola, he also welcomed Heynckes' return in another post.
While Bayern players were busy welcoming Heynckes, Manchester City players, upon confirming Guardiola's winter arrival, also took to social media to express their welcome. Sergio Agüero said, "I've heard so much about you from Lionel Messi. I'm looking forward to working with you!" Toni Kroos stated, "I don't think any midfielder wouldn't want you as their coach!" David Silva commented, "Your greatness speaks for itself. Welcome to Manchester. Trust me, you'll 'love' the weather here!" Guardiola curiously replied to Silva's post: "Really?" Silva responded with a cheeky emoji: "Of course, in every way!"
Compared to others, Lin Quan was more straightforward: "Send me your flight details. I'll pick you up at the airport!" Guardiola replied with a screenshot of his flight information, which was quickly noticed by many onlookers. "Guys, I know Guardiola's flight details!" "Haha, I saw it too. Did Guardiola think this was a private message? This is hilarious!" "Let's go to the airport to meet him!" "Haha, Lin Quan will be there too. Let's get their autographs and photos before letting them go!"
Although Lin Quan quickly deleted Guardiola's reply, it was too late. The details had already been captured and shared. So, on the day Guardiola arrived in Manchester, the airport was packed. The number of fans who showed up to greet him was overwhelming.
"So many people?" Guardiola was startled upon seeing the sea of people in the arrivals hall. He had expected some Manchester City fans to welcome him, but not this many.
"Rationally speaking, these people might not all be here just for you, Dad," said Marius, adjusting his glasses and trying to act like Detective Conan. "Right, didn't big brother say he'd come to pick you up? Maybe these fans are here for his autograph and photo." Almost 14 years old, Maria was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she stood on tiptoes, scanning the crowd. During the World Cup, she barely knew anything about football. She went to Brazil to support her big brother and join the excitement. But after witnessing her brother lead Spain to defend their World Cup title, Maria gradually fell in love with football. She even joined her school team, moving from a substitute to a starting position through hard work. Now, she was no longer the football novice she once was.
Having played football herself, Maria realized how extraordinary her brother was. Those effortless-looking dribbles and breakthroughs on TV were incredibly challenging to execute on the field. Thus, Maria became an avid fan of Lin Quan, the most passionate kind. After joining Lin Quan's fan club, she discovered her brother's vast influence in the football world. Fans like her were countless. So, she believed most of the fans at the airport were there for Lin Quan's autograph and photo.