Soccer

Pep Guardiola accuses dressing-room mole of damaging Bayern Munich

German newspaper reports of row between coach and physios after Champions League exit

Coach Pep Guardiola has blamed a mole for revealing what has been going on in the Bayern Munich dressing room. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters/Livepic
Coach Pep Guardiola has blamed a mole for revealing what has been going on in the Bayern Munich dressing room. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters/Livepic
Fri May 06 2016 - 15:41

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has accused a dressing-room mole of damaging the club.

Alleged details of rows that happened behind closed doors after the team’s Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid were leaked to the German media.

On Friday it was reported that Guardiola, who will join Manchester City this summer, vented anger at Bayern’s physios and medical department.

According to the Bild newspaper, he nearly came to blows with his physios, accusing them of taking too long to get his players fit again after injury and asking how Atletico managed to get Diego Godin back so quickly while he still has to cope without the likes of Arjen Robben.

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When asked about the reported dispute at a press conference on Friday, Guardiola did not deny it had happened, saying that somebody is out to hurt him.

“Usually what happens inside the dressing room remains inside the dressing room,” he said.

“Whoever has spoken has done it to hit me. But I’m not here next season anyway so it’s not my problem, but Bayern’s.

“It’s happened plenty of times over these past three years.

“It’s normal for me to talk to my players and staff and give them my opinion, but there are people here who are talking because they want to hurt me.

“Maybe this person will still be here next season and clearly they haven’t realised that they are not damaging me, but the club and the team. I won’t be here, so it’s the club’s problem.”

Guardiola was equally unhappy with what he expects to be the German media’s impression of his three years in charge.

Bayern need to beat Ingolstadt to secure the Bundesliga title with a game to spare and mean that Guardiola has landed the trophy in each season of his reign.

But a failure to emulate his predecessor Jupp Heynckes, who won a league, cup and Champions League treble in his final season, means Guardiola may not ultimately be revered for his three years in Bavaria.

“I’ve done my best here,” he said. “But if you say that I had to win the Champions League, then I have failed.

“Go ahead and write that I have failed.”