Soon after Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid in the El Clasico, on Monday, the British press broke the news that the Manager for Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, could join Manchester United, when Sir Alex Ferguson finally decides to call
it a day. It was quite strange because after probably the biggest victory against Madrid, it was unusual to quote him suggesting his possible departure from the Catalans giants.
The match between Barcelona and Real Madrid was not an ordinary affair, as it was more than a match between the two biggest rivals of Spain. There were some more rivalries involved in the match, as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
were competing for the title of being the best footballer on the planet, while Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho wanted to settle their score in a battle of the managers. Mourinho came to Madrid with a reputation of being the best man to lead the side, especially
when Guardiola really proved himself to be invincible in the Spanish La Liga.
Apart from being the best, this was also the battle to replace the best man on the planet, i.e. Sir Alex Ferguson. Jose Mourinho, from time to time, has reminded the world that he would love to go back to the English Premier League
for one more chance. Previously a Manager at Chelsea, Mourinho is pointing in the direction of Manchester United’s hot-seat and Ferguson’s crown. Similarly, Pep Guardiola has also expressed his intention to replace Ferguson, being linked to the job for quite
some time now.
There are some things special about Sir Alex Ferguson that has pressed all other managers to pursue his seat. Ferguson is, without any doubt, the best manager on the planet, with a success rate unprecedented in the modern history
of football. Ferguson has taken Manchester United from nothing and brought it up to the level of the biggest force in European and World football. Apart from this, Manchester United has been the most successful club in the last two decades. So, at the time
when football was going global, Manchester United became the world-renowned brand name, while Sir Alex Ferguson had everything to do with this success.
Now, if someone wants to compare himself to Sir Alex Ferguson, he would have to be in his shoes and keep building on his legacy. It would be a challenge to follow Ferguson’s footsteps, because he has done incredibly well with a
team with limited resources. However, Mourinho is known for accepting difficult challenges, while Guardiola has entered this competition as well.
Right now, Guardiola is way ahead in the race while other clubs have also showed their desire to sign Barcelona’s Manager. Chelsea declared that they liked the Barcelonan style of football and they would like Pep in charge when
Carlo Ancelotti leaves the club. But, it would not be possible for Guardiola to repeat a performance like Barcelona, at Chelsea as well, especially because of the youth academy of Barcelona, which has played a big part in the current squad under Guardiola.
Also, Guardiola brushed aside Chelsea’s interest and declared that he would like to join Manchester United but wanted Ferguson to remain there, in certain position, and act as his mentor.
Nevertheless, these are all speculations circulating in the media, while everything is far from being realized. Ferguson has shown no intent in leaving Manchester United, but Guardiola is taking his chances. Barcelona’s Manager
only signs small contracts and his current three-year contract is about to expire, at the end of this season. There is no new contract under discussion, which means that Guardiola is keeping his options open for a time when there is a vacancy at Manchester
United. Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, has been dealt a deadly blow, and it would take some time before he can bounce back and rejoin the race to the hot-seat.
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