Stefan Effenberg feels Pep Guardiola is struggling to cope with the pressure of trying to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich.
The Spaniard has guided Bayern to back-to-back Bundesliga titles since joining them in the summer of 2013, but he recently acknowledged that Champions League success is a must if this season is to be considered a success.
Bayern face Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday as they aim to make it to the final in Berlin, yet Effenberg feels Guardiola is having a hard time dealing with the demands at the Bavarians, citing his intensive coaching during matches as an example that the pressure is getting to him.
“I am not a fan of Guardiola’s extreme coaching during games,” Effenberg told Kicker.
“You have to trust your players, you have already prepared them for a match for days.
“On top of all that, Guardiola is also getting involved in discussions with the linesmen and fourth officials.
“That only further illustrates the immense pressure he is under.”
Effenberg then went on to criticise Guardiola’s possession-based style of play and stressed that the ex-Barcelona coach’s philosophy was exposed by Real Madrid last term.
“Bayern always have 65 to 70 per cent possession and want to be an offensive force.
“But things went wrong for them in the semi-finals against Madrid last season. Carlo Ancelotti performed a tactical masterclass and exposed Guardiola.”
Source# Goal.com#
