Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been blamed for costing the side the Champions League title with his team selection in Saturday’s final against Chelsea after he played without a defensive midfielder
The Premier Leaque champions were left disappointed in their first ever Champions League final appearance after going down 1-0 to Chelsea in Porto.
Kai Havertz scored the winning goal for Chelsea as Thomas Tuchel got the better of Guardiola for the third time this season after succeeding Frank Lampard in January.
The Cityzens went into the game as favourites to lift the trophy but were unable to secure the prize. Afterwards, manager Pep Guardiola was bullish about the team’s chances of making up for the loss.
Matthaus believes Guardiola’s team selection is to blame, and that he shouldn’t have gone so attacking with his line-up.
Writing in his column for Sky Germany, he explained that he believed Guardiola was solely to blame for the defeat.
Matthaus wrote: “With his line-up he stole the Champions League from the club and the fans and he has to rightly listen to the harsh criticism from all sides.
“I am sure that there will be internal discussions about whether to part with him. The players will doubt him since that final.
“He had to try something again, present an imaginary ingenuity at the worst possible moment and totally deserved to lose.
“How can you play without a defensive midfielder in the most important game in club history, who was on the pitch in almost every game of the season, who ensures the balance, who gives everyone involved the necessary security?
“Why did he leave Rodri and/or Fernandinho out, start six attacking players and also play without a centre-forward?”
CITY WILL COME AGAIN
Even though we lost, this should not taint what has been a terrific season. It is disappointing, of course, but it is still a measure of the progress we have made. It should not be viewed as a failure.
To reach the Champions League final is a magnificent achievement and one we have waited many years for.
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