Pep’s legacy in danger?

The pressure is on Pep Guardiola to deliver the Champions League trophy to Bayern Munich as they prepare for the first leg of their semi-final showdown with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Guardiola’s last two attempts were ended by crushing defeats to Real Madrid and Barcelona, making this his last chance to bring European glory to Bayern before he takes over at Manchester City at the end of the season.

So just how important is the Champions League for Guardiola’s legacy at Bayern? And will his reign be deemed a failure if he falls short in Europe again? We asked Sky Germany’s Bayern Munich correspondent Uli Koehler for the lowdown…

Just how important is this game for Guardiola?

If Pep was to tell you the truth, he would say it is more important for the club than him. For him, it’s more important to have a great performance.

But of course it is a very, very important match. He knows that even though he has put Bayern on another level and they’re playing much better and differently, in the end victories and trophies are what count. The Champions League is very important for him.

Bayern are set for a third consecutive Bundesliga title but will he ultimately be judged on the Champions League?

Personally, I will not judge him on whether he wins the Champions League because I think you need a lot of luck in that. But on the other hand, maybe the fans will because he is not so warm with them and he is not everybody’s darling.

So in the long-term, he will be judged on titles. If you go to the Bayern museum, he will be there for sure, but if he wins the Champions League, he will get an extra corner to himself.

What I think of Pep Guardiola is that people expect too much from him. He is an excellent coach. Maybe …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com