"There are many small wars within Barca every day" - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola explains the 'health' risks that come with managing Barcelona
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has pointed out some downsides of managing Barcelona. The Spanish tactician claimed that Barcelona give their coaches charisma but said that the internal conflict within the club poses health risks to their managers.
Guardiola was Barca’s manager between 2008 and 2012. His era was one of the most successful periods at Camp Nou. He transformed the club into an absolute powerhouse domestically and in Europe. His four-year stint at Barcelona was arguably the best era of the club’s history. Guardiola brought unprecedented success to Barca, steering them to win multiple trophies, including a continental treble.
After the Spaniard left Barcelona, he joined Bayern Munich before taking charge of Manchester City. In a recent interview, Guardiola shared the challenges that come with taking the managerial job at La Blaugrana. He said (via Tribal Football):
"I don't think Barça should change their model. From the outside, everyone sees Barça as something different. This club gives off a charisma, a special smell. What greater praise can you receive?"
"It has always been this way, and it will always be this way. It has happened to all of us. Here, the shots come from all sides, and every day. But the ones that hurt the most are the ones that come from within. There are many small wars within Barça every day," he continued.
"In the end, you come to the conclusion that the only thing that matters is convincing your players of your idea and what you think should be done. As for the rest, it is better not to get involved in order to take care of your own health. There is a risk of fatigue trying to manage the Barça environment. The contempt for what you do is constant and this ends up taking its toll on you," Guardiola added.
When Pep Guardiola said he would not coach Barcelona again
In 2017, Pep Guardiola poured cold water over speculations that he could still return to Barcelona as manager. After La Blaugrana suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Round 16 Champions League, the Spaniard revealed that he will never return to Barca as manager.
Guardiola’s tenure at La Blaugrana will be forever remembered, as he dominated Europe during his time at the club.
About PSG’s trashing of Barca at Parc des Princes, Guardiola said via Sky Sports:
"There's a lot of competition, the opposition are so strong," said Guardiola. "You can win heavily or you can lose heavily, that can happen, it's happened to me, but there are 90 minutes to go and anything can happen. If there's a team who can do it, then it's Barca, with their mentality."
"I will never go back to Barcelona to be coach there. My period there is gone. Barcelona are still the best team in the world. It's always a surprise because they are so, so good, but in football anything can happen,’’ he continued.
"When you have dominated world football, it's normal that the people expect you to keep up that level, but my advice to you, knowing Luis and the players a little, is not to talk too much, because they will be back and prove you wrong. They've done it over the years, dominating football for 10 years, and they continue to be the best team in the world," Guardiola added.
While Guardiola has ruled out a possible return as a manager to Barca, he still has a special affinity for the club.