Departing Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has denied having any contact with Chelsea after confirming his exit from Primera Liga giants on Friday. The coach has said he will leave Barca at the end of the season after an incredibly successful four years, with his assistant Tito Vilanova announced as his successor.
Guardiola leaves insisting he plans just to take a long break from the game.
However speculation persists that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich might try to tempt him to reconsider and the Spanish sports daily AS reported a meeting between Guardiola and Abramovich had already taken place in Paris in February. But when was asked on Friday whether that was the case, Guardiola replied: "No. That would have been disrespectful towards the club."
But it would be no surprise given Guardiola success after he replaced Frank Rijkaard in 2008 as the club has gone through it’s most illustrious period in history - two UEFA Champions League crowns, three La Liga trophies, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopas, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups.
Abramovich is a known admirer of Barcelona's attractive possession game and the Blues are still to confirm a permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas, although Roberto Di Matteo has impressed in an interim capacity, leading Chelsea to the Champions League final after seeing off Barca in the semis, as well as guiding them to the FA Cup final.
However attractive the money at Stamford Bridge the task is really about rebuilding as no doubt after the final whistle on May 19th the playing squad will need changing - win or lose. Indeed, the work that Villas Boas had planned has yet to be started - never mind completed – and it falls to the next boss to go about it. But it is a role that could need up to five years and history suggests that long term at the Blues is somewhere around eighteen months.
In other words, instant success.
It is something that Guardiola did not have to countenance following Rijkaard with few really expecting him to exceed the achievements of the Dutchman. Albeit he came with a strong reputation from Barcelona B and the production line of players on the first team was well advanced. The skills of Iniesta, Messi, Xavi and company all well developed.
With uncertainty at Chelsea over Didier Drogba in the short term, the truth is that in the longer term the Blues need a replacement – either in house – or on the open market. In Fernando Torres they may find a revival of the club’s most costly asset following that last minute goal at Camp Nou a week ago. But that is not yet clear given his failure since leaving Anfield.
With time in his favour Torres would be a player that Guardiola could work with given not his nationality, but also his playing style.
A revived Frank Lampard under Roberto di Matteo may already be looking over the horizon at a few years with LA Galaxy. During Chelsea’s recent pre-season tours to Los Angeles he would have tasted the lifestyle and doing the Becks thing might just suit Lamps. But having gained Di Matteo’s favour he may see a long term role at the club, which goes beyond just on the field.
At the back the club will also be looking for the John Terry’s replacement, along with Ashley Cole, who despite having an excellent season is now thirty two years of age. The controversy that Terry has attracted this season might clash with the culture of a new manager also.
With Jon Obi Mikel and Salamon Kalou already rumoured to be surplus to requirements at the club the squad starts to look weaker and only adds to the workload that Guardiola would have to undertake. The added uncertainty at the Bridge that always lurks and with the clock always ticking, time could run out before any of the changes bear fruit. The worst thing on any managers CV.
And in fairness, Roberto di Matteo deserves a crack at the job for a full season regardless of what happens on May 19th at the Allianz Arena against Bayern. But who ever said football was fair.
In a year’s time when Guardiola is tired of kicking sand with the kids on the beaches of Catalunya the role at Old Trafford is more likely to have a vacancy as Sir Alex Ferguson enters his 73rd year. The stability that has come from the Ferguson years offers a manager real potential and at United pep could improve on the incredible achievements so far. Even get the chance to dominate the Champions League again, which has become his speciality it seems.
Indeed one Josep Guardiola would be the right man for United. Perhaps even using Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes as his number two to keep the Red tradition going. From the American owners perspective such a view also offers synchronicity.
It would also make sense for Sir Alex, who could undertake an upstairs role, honoured at being replaced by the man who brought unprecedented success at Barcelona. There would be few manages in the Premier League that Ferguson would respect in that way. In addition, the security of tenure at United could prove the vital thing for Guardiola.
More to the point the timing could be prove perfect as well.
For Fergie it would be a fitting tribute as he would leave his legacy in safe hands.
©OSM
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