Ahead of Bayern Munich’s Super Cup clash against Wolfsburg on Saturday, Pep Guardiola has left Bayern Munich fans worried about his future. Wolfsburg’s star Belgian is in equally muddy water about his next move.
Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg will finally get German football rolling on Saturday, as the pair competes for the first title of the 2015/16 season. Last season’s German Cup winners host the defending league champions in the Super Cup on August 1.
In terms of personnel, Bayern Head Coach Pep Guardiola was delighted to be able to welcome Arjen Robben back to the squad. “Arjen is fit. Apart from Dante, Holger, Javi, Jan and Franck, everyone’s on board.” A decision about new-signing Arturo Vidal – who will definitely play in the middle according to Guardiola – will first come after the final training session.
Guardiola was unusually direct in his press conference, and when it came to questions about his future he took his time before answering, pausing for a lengthy period to consider his choice of words. “For the first and last time, I have not decided yet. I have to consider what is best for the club. I have not received an offer from any other club,” said Guardiola.
“It depends on my players, my feeling, as to whether we are all happy. I will never be a problem for Bayern. When I have decided, I will speak to Kalle [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge], Uli [Hoeness] and Matthias [Sammer]. We have time to talk,” added the Spaniard.
Perhaps the biggest hint that his future could be away from a city that he has apparently fallen in love with comes from a lack of clarity when seemingly referring to the reports from TV channel beIn Sports who stated he agreed to be Manchester City manager from next season. “I have read a lot in recent months, but I want to do the best for this club,” said Guardiola.
Bayern’s head coach also faced questions about the club’s identity, with many claiming some of it had been lost due to the high number of Spanish players (four) in the squad. “Bayern is a German club, and it will be one for the next one hundred years. Don’t panic,” he said, with a chuckle. He added that Xabi Alonso, Thiago, the staff and even Douglas Costa have all started to learn German.
The 44-year-old reiterated that he was at the club to coach players not buy them, stating while he gives his opinion on players it is the club – Rummenigge, Hoeness and Sammer – who make the final decision. Joshua Kimmich was mentioned in the same breath, but Guardiola strongly suggest he would play a prominent role at the club. “I’ve seen him live once and a few videos. The club decided they wanted him and they did very well. He wants to play a lot of games.”
We need to talk about Kevin
Wolfsburg is sweating on the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne, who had to pull out of Thursday’s training session early due to a back problem. Head Coach Dieter Hecking said it wouldn’t make much sense if de Bruyne played based on how he was moving during the week. The 24-year-old has been subject to immense transfer speculation, with Premier League side Manchester City rumored to be extremely interested in securing his services.
The Belgian hasn’t helped to calm speculation with his recent comments when asked about his future: “I have no idea. We have to see what happens between the clubs,” de Bruyne said to local press on Wednesday. “I have enjoyed preseason and am happy here. It’s a lot of money, but at the end of the day I just play football,” he added.
Luiz Gustavo is still recovering post his summer knee surgery, while Ivan Perisic – reported to be keen on a move to Inter Milan – is also questionable according to the club website. Aaron Hunt and Bas Dost picked up knocks in training but are expected to recover in time.
