Ex-City midfielder Dietmar Hamann reckons Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has only kept his job because there is “some Barcelona history” in the boardroom at the Etihad.
Although the celebrated Spaniard won back-to-back Premier League titles and has won three successive League Cups, he has conspicuously failed to take City past the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in his four completed seasons in the competition.
Hamann is insistent that Guardiola’s record in Europe is “simply not good enough” as the former Barca boss also failed to reach a Champions League final at his previous club Bayern Munich.
However, Hamann says the presence of former Barca director of football Txiki Begiristain on the City board has helped Guardiola keep his job at the Etihad despite the latter’s failure to challenge for Champions League glory in Europe.
Begiristain played alongside Guardiola at Barca between 1990 and 1995 and was director of football during his first two years of management at the Nou Camp.
“If you look at their record in the Champions League, any other manager would’ve been in big bother,” the German told talkSPORT
“Obviously he’s got some Barcelona history in the boardroom and maybe that’s why he’s still there.
“He didn’t reach a final with Bayern Munich or Man City – and if you look at the teams who did, they don’t have the same funds.
“It’s simply not good enough. If you look at the teams who beat them, I just wonder what has to happen for them to make a change.
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
