Man City: Guardiola says he admires Bielsa 'the most' in football
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has only kept his job because there is "some Barcelona history" in the boardroom at the Etihad, reckons ex-City midfielder Dietmar Hamann. Guardiola has failed to take City past the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in his four completed seasons in the competition. The Spaniard won back-to-back Premier League titles and has won three successive League Cups.
But Hamann says Guardiola's record in Europe is "simply not good enough".
The former Barca boss also failed to reach a Champions League final at 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.
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.
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Man City news: Pep Guardiola has been unable to lead City to the Champions League final (Image: EXPRESS)
“We don’t like managers getting sacked, but I think any other manager would be in big bother.”
City finished 18 points adrift of Premier League winners Liverpool last season in a disappointing title defence.
Guardiola has now entered his fifth campaign in charge at City - the first time he has been at a club for that length of time.
But Hamann believes the 49-year-old's time is running out and that City will not win any major honours in the next few seasons if he remains at the club.
“Historically, he was at Munich for three years and he improved the team, but the players were happy when he left because he was so demanding,” Hamann added.
“I think a manager like Guardiola can’t be at a club for more than four or five years.
“He’s done that at Man City and if you see the players they bring in, there is no continuity and I don’t see them improving enough with the money they’ve spent.
“I think they’ve peaked under Guardiola, I don’t see them winning the Premier League or the Champions League in the next few years.”
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