The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Guardiola

  • Guardiola: Iheanacho, only striker left

    Guardiola: Iheanacho, only striker left

    The inclusion of Nigerian youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho in the City line-up for the 172nd Manchester derby against United was clearly to make a statement, according to manager Pep Guardiola.

    The 19-year-old was handed the task of leading the Citizens attack in the absence of Argentine striker Sergio Aguero and he repaid the faith of the manager with a goal and an assist.

    Guardiola revealed afterwards that he thought about other options but decided to make a statement of winning the match by playing Iheanacho from the start.

    “He (Kelechi Iheanacho) was the only striker we had in that moment,” the Spaniard said, via the Manchester Evening News. “I thought about many other options – but I thought in the beginning to show to my players that I came to win the game.”

    Guardiola further stated that he was satisfied with the performance of his team, especially with beating a team managed by his rival coach Jose Mourinho.

    “I’ve received many goals from Mourinho’s teams on the counter-attack because his teams are really good in that part of the game,” he said. “But in the first half we controlled it, we conceded maybe one or two counter-attacks, no more.

    “It’s really good, we defended the set-pieces [well] because they are stronger and taller than us and we defended really good.”

    Manchester City returns to action on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League when they entertain Borussia Monchengladbach.

  • Guardiola confirms Sane, Stones interest

    Guardiola confirms Sane, Stones interest

    Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the club are looking to sign both Leroy Sane and John Stones this summer.

    City have been chasing Sane for much of the transfer window, but they have so far been unable to come to an agreement with Schalke 04 for the 20-year-old German international.

    Schalke are thought to be holding out for a bid of around £42m, while it could take a world-record fee for a defender to prise Stones away from Everton.

    “Sane is a player from Schalke. If he comes, we’ll be happy. If he stays, I’ll be happy for the Schalke fans,” Guardiola told reporters.

    When asked about his interest in Stones, Guardiola added: “It’s the same answer for Sane – he’s a player for Everton. Everyone knows we’re going to try but we will see.”

  • Get Mourinho, Guardiola

    Get Mourinho, Guardiola

    Nigerian Sports Minister Tam Danagogo has warned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) not to employ a lesser coach than Stephen Keshi should the ex-Togo coach decline to lead the Super Eagles.

    Keshi has until Thursday to revert to the NFF over the contract offered him.

    “What I have urged the NFF to do is make sure that should Keshi not be given the job, a coach with a lesser pedigree than Keshi is employed. I have said we should encourage our local coaches,” said the country’s top sports official.

    “Many have argued that presently Keshi is the best we have for now, while others are of the view that he has done his best.

    “What I am saying is this, if Keshi declined the job, let’s look for another competent hand from the home front. But if we must get a foreign coach, then we must get the best hands not just any foreign coach.

    “And when we say the best hands, we should be looking at coaches in the class of the Jose Mourinho’s of this world, Pep Guardiola… Those are the kind of coaches we should be looking at.

    “But if we say Keshi is the best hand locally, I am not saying we should give him the job, but what we can do is help our local hands get better by sending them for refresher courses to make them better,”he said.

  • Qatar ‘wants Pep Guardiola for 2022 World Cup’

    Qatar ‘wants Pep Guardiola for 2022 World Cup’

    Qatar want Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola to lead the country at the 2022 World Cup, according to reports in Germany.

    Guardiola’s face adorns the front of Sport Bild on Wednesday morning, with the paper claiming that he could be the subject of a lucrative approach from the Gulf nation.

    Guardiola, who won 14 major honours in just four seasons as Barcelona boss, spent a spell in Qatar towards the end of his playing career, representing Al-Ahli in the Qatar Stars League between 2003 and 2005.

    He was also an ambassador for the country’s controversial bid for the 2022 World Cup and only recently endorsed the 2022 tournament as he took Bayern to Qatar for a warm-weather training camp.

    “The people in Qatar have to help the country to make the event the best that is possible,” he said. “The world will be watching and I hope the people here can help out to show the world that they are capable of hosting the biggest event in football.

    “FIFA has always tried to look for new areas to promote the sport. They went to South Africa in 2010 and in 2022 they have decided to come here. It’s a good step to come to this part of the world. It will help the rest of the world to know this part. Football at the end is a great opportunity to meet different cultures.”

    Guardiola won the domestic double in his first season at Bayern and the Bavarian giants top the Bundesliga table at present as well as remaining in contention in the Champions League and German Cup.

    Euro Papers: Barcelona & Real Madrid in all-out war for world’s most wanted player – Eurosport

    However, his future is often subject to debate, with his current deal running until 2016 and reports in January suggesting that Guardiola could even walk away from Bayern at the end of the current season.

    It has long been thought that Guardiola’s next port of call will be the Premier League, having spoken openly of his admiration for clubs like Manchester United.

    But Qatar have huge financial resources at their disposal and are keen to vastly improve the standard of the national team’s play ahead of the tournament they will host in 2022.

  • Guardiola is a coward- Ibrahimovic

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola has slammed Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola by claiming he “sucks as a person” following his treatment of his client back in 2011.

    The striker, now with Paris Saint-Germain, spent two years at Camp Nou before leaving under a cloud in 2011 after a much publicised dispute with Guardiola over his lack of playing time in his final season.

    Ibrahimovic labelled Guardiola a “spineless coward” in his autobiography and now Raiola, who has represented the Sweden star for much of his career, has reignited the feud between the pair.

    “Guardiola was the one who took Ibra to Barcelona and then treated him very badly,” he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “He’s a great coach, but he’s crap as a person.”

    In his book, brahimovic also blamed Guardiola for his failure to win the Champions League at Barcelona, a trophy which has eluded the 33-year-old throughout his career, despite winning league titles in five different countries.

    He was sold to AC Milan in 2011 before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, where he has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons.

  • Guardiola won’t drag Barca stars to Bayern

    PEP Guardiola’s father says his son will not look to take any Barcelona stars to Bayern Munich.

    The former Blaugrana boss will take over from Jupp Heynckes in the Allianz Arena hot seat as of this summer, following an announcement earlier this week.

    Since then, rumors have linked Guardiola with a number of his former players after he admitted he would look to replicate the style of football he implemented at Camp Nou with his new club.

    “Barça is his home. He’s not going to pull it apart, how would his home end up then?”, Valentí Guardiola told Deportes Cuatro.

    He then gave his thoughts on a possible language barrier stalling his son’s progress at Bayern and whether or not he will be able to enjoy the same success in Germany as he did in Spain.

    “Only time will tell. He’ll put everything into his job and he will be able to defend himself in German,” he added.

  • Bayern appoints Guardiola

    Bayern appoints Guardiola

    Former Barcelona boss, Pep Guardiola, has been appointed to take over at the Allianz Arena, ending months of speculation over his future, Goal.com reports.

    The 41-year-old left Camp Nou in 2012 having won 14 trophies with the Liga side during his four seasons in charge and has signed a deal with the Bundesliga club until 2016.

    Guardiola, who has signed a three-year deal with the German side, had been linked with several top-flight clubs across Europe, but Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement he was delighted to have captured the Spaniard.

    “We are very pleased that we have succeeded [in appointing] the football expert Pep Guardiola, who was courted by many famous clubs and contacts,” Rummenigge said.

    “Guardiola is one of the most successful coaches in the world and we are sure that he can [help] not just Bayern, but German football, shine,” he added.

     

  • Guardiola seeks Toni’s advice on Bayern Munich job

    Luca Toni has urged former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to take up the reins at Bayern Munich after claiming the Catalan had asked about the Bavarian giants.

    Guardiola is currently enjoying a year-long sabbatical from the game after stepping down as Barca boss at the end of last season.

    During his four-years in the Camp Nou hotseat, the 41-year-old became the club’s most successful ever manager with 14 major trophies, including three successive La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

    The English Premier League has long been mooted as Guardiola’s next destination, with the man himself admitting the decision to move his family to New York was in part due to improving his English.

    However, reports back in June claimed Bayern had earmarked Guardiola to take over from current boss Jupp Heynckes next summer and had gone as far as to make contact with the Spaniard’s representatives.

    That was denied by Guardiola’s agent, Jose Maria Orobitg, but Toni, who played alongside the ex-midfielder at Brescia, claims he has spoken to his former team-mate about life at the Allianz Arena.

    Toni spent three years with the Bavarian giants between 2007 and 2010 and believes Guardiola the set-up of the club from top to bottom would suit Guardiola’s managerial style.

    “He asked me about Bayern,” Toni told Bild. “I think the philosophy of how that club is run pleases him. He is a very good coach, who would fit that team perfectly. He would give the German mentality some flair.”

    AC Milan and Chelsea have been heavily linked with moves for Guardiola, but Toni has urged Guardiola to head for Germany. “He should definitely coach Bayern. They are one of the best teams in the world,” said the Italian.

    German international Sami Khedira, who plays his club football with Real Madrid, also believes Guardiola would do a fine job at Bayern.

    “Everything he has done at Barcelona is worthwhile,” he said. “He is one of the coaching greats. Bayern is a great club and he would fit in very well. He would face a new challenge.”