LONDON • Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola angrily hit out at the media yesterday for a perceived lack of respect shown to managers around the world, questioning why head coaches even bother with press conferences.
The Spaniard was unusually prickly at a media conference for today's game at Bayer Leverkusen, as he faced questions about whether he would be able to focus on his current and future jobs.
Showing visible signs of frustration because of questions about his summer move to the English Premier League, Guardiola stated he was only attending the press conference to preview the game because he had to.
"Us managers get no respect whatsoever in the world," he added.
"It doesn't matter what we say. I am here, okay, because I have to be here. There is no more respect for managers."
He also criticised some outlets for not asking about his team, who sit eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga.
"Why don't you write about the many nice things I say about the players?" he said.
"There are media outlets here in Germany that haven't asked me a single question about football since I got here.
"I don't know why managers even give press conferences any more."
The former Barcelona manager added he will not have a problem thinking about both Bayern and Manchester City over the coming months because, "I'm like a woman, I can do two things at once".
Guardiola did, however, admit that the manner of his departure from the 25-time German league champions is unusual.
"I know it has never happened before, a manager leaving Bayern. Normally Bayern leave the manager, but we have four months," he said.
Bayern (52 points) are on course for their fourth straight league title but will be without their new signing Serdar Tasci, who suffered a head injury in training last week.
The Bayern manager also said that midfielder Arturo Vidal was ready to play at the weekend after reports, denied vehemently by the club, that he had turned up for training intoxicated during the recent training camp in Qatar.
"He is a strong person," Guardiola said. "He is ready to play."
THE GUARDIAN
