Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have been overhyped. They are still good but not as good as we thought

Updated 18 April 2018
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Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have been overhyped. They are still good but not as good as we thought

  • Spaniard's halo has slipped after three defeats in a week
  • Abu Dhabi have backed Guardiola with unprecedented transfer spend

“The best team in the world.”

“The greatest Premier League team ever."

“Manchester City can be the new ‘Invincibles’ and go on to win the quadruple.”

“Favourites to win the Champions League.”

One by one the hyperbolic predictions and praise surrounding Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have been shown up as such. The dangers of anointing a group of players and the methods of the manager long before the point of a season when the most serious of silverware is handed out are now writ clear.
City have been exceptional, enthralling, energising, and — in the Premier League — remain on course to set a number of new high watermarks. They have not, however, matched their publicity.

Over the course of a week, a team physically and mentally tired by the demands of Guardiola’s domination football has exited the Champions League to a club that has only qualified for Europe’s premier competition twice in the past seven seasons. A manager who handicapped his team with his own tactical experimentation in the first leg was reduced to blaming referees for a 5-1 aggregate defeat. There was no mention of the fact City had a grand total of three shots on target.

Guardiola has been supported in a fashion never witnessed before in the sport. Such was Abu Dhabi’s desire to place the Spaniard in charge of their football team, City’s owner hired a chief executive and technical director who had worked with the Catalan at Barcelona, and who they believed could persuade him to come to the Premier League.
Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain started investing record transfer fees in players suited to Guardiola’s playing style such as Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling before they even had the coach’s signature on a hugely lucrative contract. They overhauled City’s youth system and constructed new training facilities with Guardiola in mind. And when he finally arrived at the club, Abu Dhabi bankrolled him with the largest investment in playing resources football has ever seen.

Guardiola is about to complete his second season in England. Over the course of those two years, the club has committed €586 million ($725 million) to transfer fees, according to CIES Football Observatory’s academic studies (over 53 percent more than their nearest domestic rival). Add City’s inflating wage bill to that recruitment budget and Guardiola has burned through over £1 billion ($1.4 billion) in just two campaigns.

The return on investment in terms of silverware amounts to one domestic title (albeit won in glorious fashion) and one League Cup. Like Bayern Munich before them, Abu Dhabi hired Guardiola to win the Champions League. Their return in that competition is a first knock-out round loss to AS Monaco and a quarter-final loss to Liverpool.
Quizzed on what has gone wrong for him in the European Cup since he quit Barcelona, Guardiola has taken varying public stances in recent days. One has been to revert to his belief that his possession-obsessed football works because it creates more chances than opponents. “Just try to analyze it game by game,” he said last night. “You see the statistics. OK, I’m sorry, we win this season in statistics.”

Another, following Saturday’s three-goal second-half capitulation to Manchester United in front of an expectant home crowd, was to admit to some soul searching. “I thought many times about that. I drop a lot of times Champions League games for 10, 15 minutes. Barcelona, 71 minutes, 0-0; 90, 3-0. It happened many times. Maybe it’s my fault. I have to think about it but I feel when you dominate and you create chances then you are more closer to winning the games.”

One of Guardiola’s many strengths as a football coach is his willingness to reflect on his weaknesses. One of Guardiola’s weaknesses as a football coach has been a refusal to moderate his core beliefs.
Will he ultimately succeed in using the vast financial and organizational advantage Abu Dhabi has provided him with to deliver City first European Cup? Will he even reach a Champions League final for the first time post-Barca? The answer may lie in whether that Guardiola strength can overcome that weakness.


Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco

Updated 7 sec ago
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Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco

Tedesco was appointed in February 2023 to replace Roberto Martinez and rebuild the squad as the country’s “golden generation” departed
Tedesco’s team qualified for Euro 2024 but were eliminated in the last 16 by France

BRUSSELS: Belgium’s football association on Friday announced the sacking of national team coach Domenico Tedesco after disappointing performances at Euro 2024 and in the Nations League.
“Unfortunately, the Red Devils did not perform as we hoped at Euro 2024, just as they did in the next Nations League campaign,” the football association (RBFA) said on their website.
Tedesco was appointed in February 2023 to replace Roberto Martinez and rebuild the squad as the country’s “golden generation” departed.
Tedesco’s team qualified for Euro 2024 but were eliminated in the last 16 by France, who then beat Belgium twice more in the Nations League as the Red Devils finished third in their group.
They face a relegation play-off against Ukraine in March.
“I was always proud to be the coach of the Red Devils, we achieved great things together,” Tedesco said.
“This team is still at the beginning of its development and will cause a sensation in the coming years. I wish the players, the great employees of the federation and the fans all the best from the bottom of my heart.”
Five members of Tedesco’s support staff and coaching team were also fired.
“Domenico made an excellent start as national coach and proved that there are still great things possible, even after the send-off of the previous generation,” said RBFA CEO Peter Willems.
“He has integrated a number of young players into the team, and his successor can build on this. We would like to thank him and his team for the pleasant cooperation, their hard work and dedication, and wish them all the best for the future.”
The RBFA did not announce a timetable for appointing a successor but Belgian media named Frenchmen Rudi Garcia and Thierry Henry as leading candidates.
Belgium kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.

Djokovic suggests ‘nice dancers’ should come on court between sets

Updated 17 January 2025
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Djokovic suggests ‘nice dancers’ should come on court between sets

  • Some light mid-match entertainment might also help fans and players relax, he said.
  • “I think that we should try to look to connect more with the younger people“

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic said on Friday that tennis needs to be “more fun” and suggested dancers should be brought on court during breaks.
The Serbian veteran said while the sport had a proud history and tradition, it had been slow in keeping pace with a new generation that does not have “a great attention span.”
He was commenting after admitting he got “hot-headed” with elements of the crowd during his Australian Open third-round win against 26th seed Tomas Machac.
Some light mid-match entertainment might also help fans and players relax, he said.
“I think that we should try to look to connect more with the younger people,” he said. “I want to see a little bit more entertainment.
“For example, why wouldn’t we consider doing something between the sets like the Super Bowl or, I don’t know, the NBA?
“When there is a timeout, they have, you know, dancers come in and this and that. I wouldn’t have a problem with that.
“Nice dancers, there for a few minutes more break so I can relax my nerves and think about something else.
“I feel like it would bring more fun elements and entertainment to tennis, that we know has been quite traditional and maybe conservative in some things.”
Djokovic, who is bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne, said he respected the traditions of Wimbledon too much to suggest it should occur at the All England Club.
But he was open to new concepts being introduced elsewhere.
“With Wimbledon I wouldn’t change much. I would keep it as it is because it’s so unique, all white and strawberries and cream and everything about it is just so elegant and classy,” he said.
“But all the others, US Open, I mean, in USA, you guys know very well what entertainment is about.
“So I’m up for it, just like maybe gradual changes.
“Dancers first.”


Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034

Updated 17 January 2025
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Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034

  • The Norwegian joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club

LONDON: Erling Haaland has signed a new 9.5-year deal at Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until 2034, the Premier League champions announced on Friday.
The 24-year-old striker’s existing deal was due to expire in June 2027 but he has now committed his future to the club for the next decade.
The Norwegian joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club.
“I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club,” said Haaland.
“Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters, and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.
City’s outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “Everyone at the club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract.
“The fact he is signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player, and his love of this club.
“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves.”


Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi records historic Dakar Rally triumph

Updated 17 January 2025
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Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi records historic Dakar Rally triumph

  • Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.

SHUBAYTAH: Yazeed Al-Rajhi made history on Friday becoming the first driver from host nation Saudi Arabia to win the Dakar Rally.
The Overdrive pilot held onto his overnight lead to beat South Africa’s Henk Lategan in a Toyota by 3min 57sec with Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden third in his Ford, 20min 21sec adrift.
Saudi Arabia have hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020, when it moved from South America.
 

There was also a first win in the world’s most famous endurance rally for Australia’s KTM rider Daniel Sanders in the motorbike category.
Sanders, 30, dominated from the moment he won the prologue and finished a comfortable 8min 50sec faster than Spanish runner-up Tosha Schareina on his Honda.
Sanders is the second Australian to prevail in the motorbike category, Toby Price emerging victorious in 2016 and 2019.
“It was a tough race,” said Sanders.
“The last three days couldn’t come quick enough. It was really, really exciting to see the finish line when we came over one dune.
“You see the whole bivouac, I just smiled and had chills go through my whole body. Super special, won’t forget that moment.”


Emirati racing trio to compete at 6H of Abu Dhabi

Updated 17 January 2025
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Emirati racing trio to compete at 6H of Abu Dhabi

  • Saif Al-Ameri, Fahad Al-Zaabi, and Salem Al-Ketbi will fly the national flag in the second round of Yas Racing Series
  • Yas Heat Racing begins the season with Rashid Al-Dhaheri competing in Formula Regional Middle East Championship

ABU DHABI: Three Emirati racers are set to represent the UAE in the 6H of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit this weekend.

Saif Al-Ameri, Fahad Al-Zaabi and Salem Al-Ketbi of Rabdan Motorsport are among more than 50 entrants who have been confirmed for the endurance race.

At the first round of the Middle East Trophy series, the 24H of Dubai, Rabdan Motorsport finished third and secured a podium finish in an impressive start to their 2025 campaign.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Al-Ameri said: “It’s an amazing feeling to race for the UAE in such a major international event. Competing against world class teams right here at Yas Marina Circuit is a proud moment for all of us. Our podium finish in Dubai was a strong start, and we’re aiming for another standout performance.”

Competing in the Porsche 992 category in the Amateur class, Rabdan Motorsport will be the only team on the grid to feature three UAE nationals. Joining forces with them will be Austrian semi-pro racer Christopher Zochling.

This weekend will also host the second round of Yas Racing Series, with Rashid Al-Dhaheri competing in Formula Regional Middle East and Adam Al-Azhari and August Raber debuting in Formula 4 Middle East.