That's it for Pep and Bayern with regard to their Champions League story. Guardiola will not have been successful in delivering the European trophy which is what I think he was brought in for. So the real question, is, is a success or failure with Bayern in his three year tenure?
Winning trophies is winning trophies. That is always a success and it's what football is about. So with Pep bringing at least one trophy in each of his three seasons has to be taken as a big victory. Bayern have arguably been more dominant in Germany under Pep than Heynckes and have expanded that gulf between them and the rest of the Bundesliga.
But I have to go back to when Pep was announced as the next manager of Bayern. Remember, Bayern told us all about this before Heynckes had ended his season with Bayern. I believe the thinking and belief was the power-that-be did not think Heynckes was capable of winning the Champions League and they needed the two-time winner and the hottest name around to come and deliver them this trophy not once, but maybe even twice.
When you think of the two times that Barcelona won the Champions League, not only the first time where the game turned with the Eto'o goal in a game United were dominating, but it was the second victory which was so dominant and so assured that put Pep's name at the top of every club's list. He was now considered the best and most coveted manager in the world.
So from that point of view you can understand the thinking from the Bayern board. Pep was the future, Heynckes was the past. Pep's Barcelona with their possession-based philosophy had so easily dominated a final that this is what they saw of what the future of football being.
One little problem.
Heynckes winning the champions league and in turn, the treble wasn't part of the script. The Bayern board didn't believe Jupp had the capability to win the big one, hence the hiring of a younger coach who had more modern ideas. So when Heynckes actually got that trophy, it seemed a bit weird and odd with Pep getting hired because what he was brought in for had already been done.
And last I checked, you can't really improve on a treble.
In my view, as happy the Bayern fans and board are with the Bundesliga wins. Them getting to three European semi-finals in a row, and never even reaching the final in three years is just a failure in the books of the Bayern faithful.
I also think that mystique that Pep had when he left Barcelona has been lost a little bit by his inability to take an amazing Bayern squad to a Champions League final in three years. To keep it real, a team this good should really be walking the Bundesliga. I give credit to Pep in the dominant way they have done it, but them not winning the Bundesliga is unacceptable on any level.
But them not even reaching one European cup final? HH
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