The feud between Barcelona bosses and Pep Guardiola has further
escalated after the Catalan club hit back at accusations that they had
taken advantage of Tito Vilanova’s illness to criticise their former
manager.
Bayern Munich coach Guardiola made the claims on Thursday, angrily stating how club president Sandro Rosell refused to “leave me in peace” and adding: “Using Tito’s disease to damage me is something I will never forget.”
It was in reaction to Rosell suggesting Guardiola had not made the effort to visit Vilanova when the current Barca coach had travelled to New York for cancer treatment.
Barca responded strongly, with vice president Jordi Cardoner on Friday stating: “I was speechless when I heard what Pep had said. I don’t know what happened. I don’t understand it because our relationship with Pep and his family is excellent. Anyone who says that we’ve used Tito’s illness is lying.”
Despite Cardoner’s protestations, there is plenty of substance to the theory that a serious difference of opinion exists between Guardiola and his former club’s hierarchy.
It is widely believed Guardiola’s fraught relationship with Rosell was one of the key factors behind his decision to resign in the summer of 2012, and Rosell’s assertion a few months ago that Vilanova’s achievements had exceeded Guardiola “in every way” were unnecessarily provocative.
Predictably, former president Joan Laporta – a fierce and frequent critic of Rosell – wasted little time in wading in. “Guardiola deserves the total respect of all Barcelona fans for his excellent work, and for the honesty and values that he represents,” Laporta wrote on his Twitter feed.
Another twist to the increasingly fraught relations has been provided by Bayern’s pursuit of Thiago Alcantara. The midfielder is believed to be considering an approach to join the German club, who have acted upon Guardiola’s request to meet his £18m buy-out clause.
Bayern Munich coach Guardiola made the claims on Thursday, angrily stating how club president Sandro Rosell refused to “leave me in peace” and adding: “Using Tito’s disease to damage me is something I will never forget.”
It was in reaction to Rosell suggesting Guardiola had not made the effort to visit Vilanova when the current Barca coach had travelled to New York for cancer treatment.
Barca responded strongly, with vice president Jordi Cardoner on Friday stating: “I was speechless when I heard what Pep had said. I don’t know what happened. I don’t understand it because our relationship with Pep and his family is excellent. Anyone who says that we’ve used Tito’s illness is lying.”
Despite Cardoner’s protestations, there is plenty of substance to the theory that a serious difference of opinion exists between Guardiola and his former club’s hierarchy.
It is widely believed Guardiola’s fraught relationship with Rosell was one of the key factors behind his decision to resign in the summer of 2012, and Rosell’s assertion a few months ago that Vilanova’s achievements had exceeded Guardiola “in every way” were unnecessarily provocative.
Predictably, former president Joan Laporta – a fierce and frequent critic of Rosell – wasted little time in wading in. “Guardiola deserves the total respect of all Barcelona fans for his excellent work, and for the honesty and values that he represents,” Laporta wrote on his Twitter feed.
Another twist to the increasingly fraught relations has been provided by Bayern’s pursuit of Thiago Alcantara. The midfielder is believed to be considering an approach to join the German club, who have acted upon Guardiola’s request to meet his £18m buy-out clause.
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