Manchester City’s head coach Pep Guardiola gives instructions to his players during the Champions League quarter finals second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, at the Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andreas Schaad)
The 52-year-old Catalan tactician tasted continental glory with Barcelona, but has failed to emulate the success following his move away from the Spanish territory. But, all that could change as City head into the final of the UEFA Champions League 2023 as overwhelming favourites against a club that has a proud history in the tournament-Inter Milan
There is no place for questions when discussing the sheer Genius of Spanish mastermind Pep Guardiola, who once again stands on the cusp of glory, as he has done on so many occasions ever since he took the mantle at his beloved Catalan club.
This time, however, his players will wear a different coloured drip, sport a different badge and represent a different nation, on a day which could turn out to be historic for the club from the blue side of Manchester.
The 52-year-old Catalan tactician tasted continental glory with Barcelona but has failed to emulate the success following his move away from the Spanish territory.
He tried and failed during his time at the helm of German giants Bayern Munich and hasn’t yet been able to hoist the most coveted trophy in Europe since his move to England.
But, all that could change as City heads into the final of the UEFA Champions League 2023 as overwhelming favourites against a club that has a proud history in the tournament-Inter Milan.
The UCL has also been the treasure of choice for the English side ever since the takeover of the club by its Abu Dhabi owners.
The Middle Eastern nation has managed to bankroll the incredible rise to the forefront of international club football and pulled off the masterstroke of roping in Guardiola in the year 2016.
The Spanish genius has managed to turn City into the team to beat during his tenure at the port city. His 5 Premier League trophies in his 7-year reign in arguably the most competitive league in the world speaks volumes about the sheer magnitude of his accomplishments.
But, what is more appealing is the fact that he has managed to turn football into an absolute art form, without having to compromise on the end result.
He came close to remedying his record of winning the most prestigious title post his Barca departure in the 2020-21 campaign, but let the opportunity slip through his fingers as Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea ended up raking in the victory and all the spoils that come along with it at Manchester City’s cause.
A whole host of pundits and football lovers put the stumble at the final hurdle mainly down to his big game experimentation of opting to bench both of his then choice holding midfielders in Rodri and Fernandhinho, something he hadn’t done for over half a century of game leading up to the big day.
He stuck to his guts on the day, but missed out on the grand prize. Guardiola’s choice during the final against Chelsea put pointed out to be his alleged habit of overthinking big occasions. It would have seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime moment of genius had the result swung in his favour and would have justified the ego that such an accomplished manager as Guardiola is entitled to.
One could only imagine if Guardiola would once again pull off a move as surprising as the one a couple of years ago, and maybe this time manage to see the challenge through as well. It would surely be a testament to his footballing wisdom that has had a major impact on not just the Manchester club, but also the wider ecosystem of football.
As the old adage goes, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’. And true to the old adage Guardiola could opt to start the same lineup as he did during his side’s semi-final decimation of the most successful side in the tournament’s stories history-Real Madrid.
Kevin De Bruyne and co. made the game into absolute schooling as they steamrolled their way past the Spanish giants, much like they had brushed aside multiple heavyweights en route to that point of the competition.
But, Guardiola could be accused of a whole lot of things, but ‘shy’ probably isn’t one and do not be shocked if he does indeed think of surprising the football-mad populace on the grandest stage in club football., once again.
