Guardiola “I left Barcelona because I couldn’t motivate my players any more”

Guardiola reveals that he was unable to motivate his team

Guardiola was speaking to Audi Annual Report magazine and also revealed “there was a right carry on at Barcelona whenever I left Messi on the bench” when asked how he dealt with a dressing room of superstars.

Guardiola spoke of difficult times at the Camp Nou: “There have been moments of great sadness. Barcelona crashing out in the Champions League semifinals against Chelsea in 2012 was one of them. We were much better than our rivals, but we let in an unnecessary goal in the return game and before we knew it we were knocked out. That was a terrible defeat for me. I felt that I couldn’t gee my team up at all.”

Dressing room problems with the players: “With so many stars in the line-up, as we have at Bayern de Munich and as I had at Barça, you can find yourself in a situation where such diversity can be destructive. Everyone wants to play. For example, every time I left Messi on the bench, there was a right carry on at Barcelona.”

Guardiola on leaving Barça: “If, as a manager, you can’t motivate your players any more, you know that it is time to go.”

Success at the Camp Nou: “We enjoyed a lot of success. Fourteen titles in just four years… it was the best era Barcelona has ever had. However, this can also work against you. I found it hard to motivate myself and my team.”

A sabbatical year: “There are moments when you need to chill out and recharge your batteries. That’s what I did when I went to New York. It was very important for me, for my family and also for Barcelona”.

Bayern Munich: “My first contact with Bayern Munich was in the 2011 Audi Cup. Rummenigge and Hoeness asked me about my plans for the future.”