Unless you have been living under a rock for much of this morning, you will be well aware of the recent stories linking Pep Guardiola with an early exit from Bayern Munich, despite only being halfway through his second season at the club. 

According to reports originating in German newspaper Bild, later picked up by Ed Malyon of the Mirror on January 26, the former Barcelona manager has refused to acknowledge or indeed commit to any suggestions that he will extend his contract at the Munich club and instead leave once it runs down following the 2015/16 season. 

The English press, per the Mirror‘s David Anderson, would have us believe that he already has one foot in the door at the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester City poaching him while Manuel Pellegrini still sits comfortable in the dugout, yet there is plenty we have to consider while Guardiola still remains manager of the Bavarian giants. 

Unless the Spanish manager wins the Champions League this year, a contract extension or any hope of finishing his time at the club may no longer be on offer. 

To consider just how precious Guardiola‘s tenure at Bayern may become, we must first realise that this isn’t a club that defines itself on Bundesliga or other domestic competitions. As the critics would suggest, the German top division isn’t exactly a fair race at the moment, and as such the inevitable league title that the Bavarian side pick up in May will add very little weight to Guardiola‘s time in charge.

The former defensive midfielder was brought to Bayern for bigger things. Any decent coach could offer a worthwhile challenge to Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg or even Schalke; Guardiola is in Munich for so much more. 

Naturally, that leaves us with little else but the Champions League to ponder over. The European Cup, as it once was, has always been a defining tournament in the history of Bayern and has continued to highlight the success or inefficiencies of former managers. 

Louis van Gaal never won it, despite reaching the final against Inter Milan in 2010 and as such left the club with a certain degree of frustration looming over his tenure. The Dutch coach won every other trophy available that year, yet fans only remember one game when they look back on that season. 

Similarly, the man who quickly replaced him, Jupp Heynckes, was almost a complete disaster after finishing second to Dortmund in every aspect in 2012. Then, to the disbelief of fans and critics alike, the former Monchengladbach player took his side to a treble-winning season—with a Champions League trophy and his status as a club legend firmly intact. 

This then brings us back to Guardiola, who has already had one stab at the European title whilst in Munich and failed in spectacular fashion when his career-spanning rivals Real Madrid dumped his side out of the competition last year with an aggregate score of 5-0.

This new coach, heralded as the future of Bayern, had took Heynckes‘ side and completely dismantled its ability to win the European Cup. 

Yet that summer saw factors considered, players bought and sold and ultimately Guardiola was excused to have another go at it this season. So far it seems as though we may be looking at a side that could genuinely beat all others to the trophy in May. 

Yet make no mistake; should Guardiola falter in the quarter-finals, semi-finals or even the final again this year then he may find himself replaced and joining his old Barcelona colleague Van Gaal in the lesser pages of Bayern‘s Hall of Fame. 

For should he fail to lift the European Cup for Bayern this year or the next then the board may need not worry about his contract expiring. 

 

@Sbienkowski

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