Somewhere in the office of every chairman or owner at a major European club lies a red light that will frantically flash when Pep Guardiola announces his intention to return to football management. While the football world may seem a little more bleak without one of the most important figures in the sport‘s recent history, the next 12-months will surely fly past, by which time many managers will start to become uncomfortable and many more owners will start to get itchy trigger fingers.
At the moment, it appears that Roberto Di Matteo is keeping Guardiola’s seat warm for him at Chelsea. However, to assume that is the case would completely ignore the circumstances which led to Guardiola’s departure from Barcelona.
It’s well known how difficult the manager’s job at Chelsea can be, and for that, there’s reason to question why Guardiola would be willing to jump into that environment. The owner’s patience stretches about the length of a football match, yet are we supposed to believe that the former Barcelona coach is preparing for a life in London?
Guardiola left Barcelona for a number of reasons that could come to a head once again at Stamford Bridge. Originally given the job by Joan Laporta, the manager and president of the club shared a good relationship. The working environment, while stressful, was positive. The introduction of Sandro Rosell, however, changed such matters. Instead of working closely with his president, Guardiola was left to fend for the club on his own, while the new man in charge took a backseat to controversial matters. Respect was there, but there was no comparison to the relationship Guardiola shared with Laporta. Why would the Spaniard throw himself into a position where circumstances will be greatly similar?
Guardiola is an attractive option for any major club in Europe, however, the fit needs to be right from his point of view as well. The players and the setup at Chelsea may be to the manager’s liking, but can he be sure of enough time to really establish himself and his ideals at the club?
Likewise, Manchester City have a good relationship with their manager Roberto Mancini, so why disrupt that? The appointment of Guardiola to replace Mancini will hardly set the club back years in terms of their goals. But with Mancini providing silverware to the club over the past two seasons, continuity will be important for immediate future success. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that Guardiola will be happy with the players on offer at City. For example, the former Barcelona manager parted company with Yaya Toure while they were both at the Nou Camp. And while the midfielder remains an outstanding performer in the Premier League, there may not be a working relationship between the two.
Links to Arsenal have come and gone, but it does appear that Arsene Wenger will have a big say in who replaces him. With Guardiola, it does just appear to be an extension of the north London club flirting with big name players, only to let them go and finally land on an unknown. While Arsenal may be one of the better fits in Europe, it seems unlikely that the two will forge a lasting partnership.
Again, Guardiola would be the ideal candidate for most of the big clubs in European football. But to suggest he’d fit in well anywhere would also be a great discredit to the good work other managers have put in. Di Matteo should not go quietly should the issue come up in the next year—he’s brought the club a level of success that Abramovich has longed for since arriving in England.
Moreover, there are those who doubt Guardiola can replicate the success he had at Barcelona. A nonsense theory in my view, but surely that level of reservation will be shared by a number of clubs.
Guardiola is highly coveted, certainly; and with him will come the pillars for lasting success in the future. But Guardiola is suited to a select view clubs in Europe. The kind of selection process from the manager that eliminates many clubs and helps to safeguard the future of a great number of managers.
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