As fate would have it the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League will see two teams pair up together that have a common denominator: Josep Guardiola. The Champions league semi-finals draw were made last week and Barcelona and Bayern Munich will play one of the qualifiers that will define the finalists of the most important club tournament in the world.
The Catalan team reached its highest level of play and greater success under the leadership of Guardiola, who will take over the Bavarians this summer, since the veteran coach Jupp Heynckes will end his contract with Bayern. Guardiola faced his future team as coach of Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2008-09 competitions when the Spanish champs dominated Munich with a 4-0 win in the opening leg and a 1-1 draw in Germany.
Noone knows better the strengths and weaknesses, management of areas of the field and to the individual level and performance per minute for each player than Guardiola himself and when the draw was made between Bayern and Barca, there were speculations suggesting Heynckes should consult Guardiola on how to handle the Catalans. However, he has insisted that he does not need anyone’s help and asked not to overlook a team that has dominated Europe for the past four years.
“Respect me and my work,” Heynckes curtly told reporters on Friday. I have never consulted anyone or asked for advice. I do not need anyone to study an opponent.”
Also the high command of Bayern Munich discussed the matter with the media. The chairman and former club star Karl-Heinz Rummenigge , who recalled that Josep begins his work with the Bavarians until July and called for respect for the knowledge that Heynckes has over Spanish football, where he commanded at Athletic Bilbao, Tenerife and Real Madrid.
“Guardiola has not made contact yet, He may have insider knowledge but we also have an insider on our bench. No German knows Spanish football better than Heynckes.”
In the same vein the sporting director of Bayern, Mathias Sammer , added that it would be unethical move to
Hence Pep will continue keeping the secrets he knows about the team that performed the best and most captivating football worldwide in recent years. The Bavarians will have to wait until the summer to get to know these concepts from the former Catalan coach.