Pep Guardiola leaves Bayern without a Champions League title
The Catalan coach took charge after Heynckes' historic treble and is now set to leave for Manchester City without having secured a single European Cup for the club.
Pep Guardiola’s time in charge of Bayern Munich is now over as far as the Champions League is concerned. The Catalan coach, who took the reins of the club following Jupp Heynckes’ historic treble winning season at the Allianz Arena, was unable to replicate his predecessor’s success and will now leave for Manchester City without having accomplished the European Cup-winning mission he set out for himself three years ago after his post-Barça sabbatical.
Silverware was the shield that protected the 45-year-old’s footballing philosophy, after his arrival had been questioned by fans, players, pundits and club legends like Franz Beckenbauer and Karl Heinz Rummenigge. “We’re going to end up being unwatchable like Barça. No one will want to watch us, because the players will be passing the ball backwards from the goal-line”, the Kaiser noted when Pep was originally appointed, only to then backtrack and praise the Spaniard’s free-flowing attacking style.
Despite winning the Bundesliga at a canter in each of his three seasons at the helm, and lifting a domestic Cup title in 2014, Guardiola’s tenure has been marred by the team’s three consecutive semi-final exits at the hands of Spanish sides on the European stage.
Real Madrid dumbfounded the Germans in 2014 with a merciless 0-4 display at the Allianz Arena. Luis Enrique’s Barcelona were the next outfit to dump Bayern out of the competition (3-0 at the Camp Nou and 3-2 in Bavaria) at the semi-final stage. Curiously both LaLiga sides were later proclaimed champions after sending Guardiola’s charges packing.
Atlético now join the list of Spanish thorns in Guardiola’s side.