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#3 Pep Guardiola's man-management
Guardiola's biggest criticism comes from his management of star players and squad fringe players. His idea of every footballer on the pitch being a chess piece on the board has often affected and objectified players. At times, the 50-year-old's commitment to, and obsessiveness over the tactical side of play has seen him struggle to win his players' loyalties.
At Barcelona, despite winning the respect of several La Masia legends such as Leo Messi and Andrea Iniesta, the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yaya Toure have all publicly voiced their dissatisfaction with Pep's coaching methods. Even Joe Hart and Claudio Bravo, players transfer-listed by Guardiola, felt betrayed by his man-management style of saving his affection for his star players.
#2 Pep Guardiola's Bayern blushes
At Bayern Munich, Guardiola reached a new peak in his tactical evolution and commitment to attacking football. He romped to the Bundesliga title during every season of his reign but failed to deliver the much-demanded Champions League crown.
In the 2013-14 season, tactical uncertainty got Bayern ripped apart in a 4-0 against Real Madrid, with braces from both Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Likewise, in 2014-15, Die Roten started off with a back three, leaving the likes of Luis Suarez, Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi one-on-one against Barcelona's centre-backs. Aiming for a utopian tactical blueprint, it ended up costing them the game.
A club that was already at the peak of its powers and expected to dominate European football, Bayern constantly floundered before the finals. It left many to rate Guardiola's spell there as a failure.
#1 2021 Champions League final
The recently concluded Champions League season will remain one of Pep Guardiola's biggest ever regrets. For the first time in over a decade, he found himself at the final hurdle of European competition only to lose spectacularly to a well-drilled Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.
Many critics feel Guardiola made a huge error by picking neither Fernandinho nor Rodri in an attacking lineup. With no holding midfielder to break up play, Chelsea ran rampant to emerge as 1-0 victors on the night.
The constant threat of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz completely unsettled the Manchester City backline, with the world viewing the game as a failed tactical masterplan.
This has been a constant theme of Manchester City's European campaign. Against bigger opponents in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, Guardiola has developed a reputation for overthinking and jeopardizing his own chances. Like he has against Lyon, Tottenham Hotspur and AS Monaco over the years at Manchester City.
