The deepest crisis in Pep Guardiola’s coaching career had to take its toll sooner or later. After the shocking 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League, we’ve seen the Spaniard’s “self-punishment,” which indicated that the pressure he was coping with was immense.Yesterday’s defeat to Liverpool – Man City’s sixth in the last seven games – fortunately did not cause the same Pep’s reaction but made him show one of his well-hidden traits – vanity. While the Reds’ fans enjoyed a 2-0 lead, singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to the Spaniard, his move was somewhat unexpected.Pep on the Reds’ fans’ sack chants: ‘I didn’t expect that at Anfield’Guardiola raised his hands, gesturing six with his fingers, alluding to the number of the Premier League titles he’s won. As justified as that reaction was, especially since he was “getting poked in the eye,” it was not something Pep got us used to. No, it was another former EPL manager who was no stranger to counting trophies, and – once Guardiola made a gesture – he was on everyone’s mind. Yeah, it’s Jose Mourinho.Pep Guardiola is officially in his Mourinho arc. pic.twitter.com/8Wqxk5VZlm— FootyEmporium (@EmporiumFooty) December 2, 2024 The Portuguese is known for his “little wars” with fans, rivals, referees… That’s why the “counting card” was often an ace up his sleeve but also the only arrow in his quiver. That bragging about his achievements seems to have started in England during his spell at Man United. The results were unsatisfactory, the pressure was enormous, and Mourinho snapped.The same happened to Pep and – one more time – nobody should judge him for it. It was a moment in which he showed he was a human being like everyone else. However, in Special One’s case, the “counting moments” became increasingly frequent, while the number of raised fingers remained the same, and his career started going south. Moreover, he’s never again won the Premier League.’Respect!’ Jose Mourinho’s had it with his press conference 👋 pic.twitter.com/JytoDhBVXE— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 27, 2018 During his spell at Old Trafford, Mou won the EFL Cup, Community Shield, and UEFA Europa League, which he grabbed five years later with Roma for the second time. After leaving Manchester, he led Tottenham and the aforementioned Giallorossi, ending up at Turkish Fenerbahce, where he’s still working. Whether you want to admit it or not, for a two-time Champions League winner and a man who coached Chelsea and Real Madrid, it’s a clear downfall.##NAJAVA_MECA_8538058##Therefore, Guardiola has to be careful and avoid getting caught in the web of his own vanity, like Jose did. Otherwise, in a couple of years, we could remember a fantastic manager whose fall began on one cold December night in Liverpool, when he exposed his human traits for the first time, allowing them to prevail.
