Barcelona ‘make Pep Guardiola request’ with Joan Laporta desperate for change
La Liga 'lacking star player' after Messi's Barcelona exit
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Barcelona are set to attempt to convince legendary manager Pep Guardiola to return to the Nou Camp, with Joan Laporta desperate to move on from Ronald Koeman. Club president Laporta’s clash with Barca boss Koeman has escalated in recent weeks, with a war of words breaking out between the pair over the future direction of the team.
The pressure has started to ramp up on Koeman following a run of increasingly poor performances, with the style of play far from the tika-taka of old.
The ever-widening gap between the La Liga side and the other European giants was made clear for all to see as Bayern Munich dominated them in the Champions League.
Barca were then forced to rely on an injury time equaliser to rescue a point against strugglers Granada, with Koeman subsequently attempting to defend his management.
“If you look at the list, the players in the squad… what can be done? Play tiki-taka when there is no space? No,” he said in the aftermath of the Granada game.
“I believe we had to change the style. We don’t have players with pace who can take people on either… I won’t say more. It seems I have to give explanations for everything.”
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Unsurprisingly, Laporta does not agree with the Dutchman and is desperately attempting to find a way to replace Koeman.
Aside from the financial obstacles that are in place for such a move, with Barca still strapped for cash, there is a more pressing problem.
Namely, that is who would want the job, with the current Barcelona squad clearly unfit to challenge for trophies.
According to El Nacional though, Laporta is hopeful that he can convince Guardiola to return to the club where he started his astonishing managerial career.
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The Catalan spent four years at the Nou Camp, winning 14 trophies with a breath-taking tika-taka style of play.
It is a style that Laporta wants to bring back to Barcelona, with the report stating he maintains an “excellent relationship” with Guardiola.
And the Barca president is understood to be ready to do “everything in his power” to bring the coach back.
El Nacional claim that though he believes it will be near impossible to bring him back as a manager, Laporta hopes to convince Guardiola to take up a role as sporting director or an adviser.
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Laporta’s “great dream” remains that Guardiola does return as manager and is said to have already tested the waters.
But if that is not possible, Guardiola would take a high-ranking role behind the scenes, with Erik Ten Hag brought in as coach.
Though Guardiola is currently happy to stay at Manchester City, he has already announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of his current contract.
And Laporta is said to even believe that he can tempt Guardiola to leave the Etihad Stadium earlier than that June 2023 date.
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