Guardiola: Style of play will not change despite Bayern's loss to Real
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has admitted the club will decide his future after insisting he will not change his style of play.
The former Barcelona boss saw his team beaten 4-0 in Munich by Real Madrid and were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. They had been chasing a defense of the trophy but suffered a mauling the like of which they have become used to dishing out.
Questions have been raised as to whether Guardiola's possession-based football has had its day, or needs some fine-tuning. Guardiola says he is more convinced than ever that his style is the right one after coming in for criticism in the wake of the exit from Europe.
"All that I have are my ideas," Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday, according to Abendzeitung. "From my first day I noticed that the players here are completely different to those in Barcelona. But my ideas are my ideas. Now we've lost to a top team in the Champions League semifinals. Sometimes that can happen. It's a shame, sad for me. But I'm sorry: I only have my ideas. And tomorrow, and against Stuttgart, and in the DFB Pokal final, and next year, we will play by my ideas."
Guardiola added: "Otherwise I can't be a coach - if I had to say something that I didn't believe in. That wouldn't be good for the team and for the players, who are very intelligent and intuitive. Finally the club must decide whether this coach with these ideas is the best for the club. But that's not my issue.
"I am strong and I've received lots of criticism, not just from here but also from Spain, but that's part of my job. When you lose 4-0, you can't expect people to help me. Looking back at the first half, then I deserve the criticism. I've got to accept it. Big defeats always stick in your mind and in your heart -- you can't forget them -- but I am more and more and more convinced of my ideas."
The Spaniard has also been criticized for his possession-based style of play with Real punishing Bayern by playing on the counter-attack at the Allianz Arena. "Why did we lose? Because we didn't play well in the first half and did not have the ball."
Bayern have at least won the Bundesliga already this season.
