Pep left picking up the pieces

MUNICH. — Pep Guardiola has been left picking up the pieces amid the fall-out from Bayern Munich’s historic 4-0 hammering at home to Real Madrid which dethroned the Champions League soccer holders.Bayern suffered their heaviest home defeat in European competition on Tuesday night, losing the semi-final 5-0 on aggregate, with Guardiola admitting he made mistakes with both his tactics and selection in Munich.

“Debacle” was how chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described the defeat and most of the shell-shocked players expressed their “deep disappointment” in the mixed zone.

Germany’s media did not pull their punches.

Bild ran the headline “Real humiliate Guardiola” and Munich-based tabloid TZ echoed Rummenigge with “debacle Dahoam”, using the Bavarian word for “home”.

Bayern had never previously lost in Europe by more than two goals in Munich and the defeat made a mockery of their dream to become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League title.

Even with their European crown now gone, Guardiola has still won three titles this season and the German Cup can yet be added to their league, Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup triumphs.

But with their coveted Champions League hopes in tatters, Guardiola has already faced criticism of his fast-passing “Tiki-Taka” football and over reliance on posession after Real hit them on the counter-attack.

Having cryptically questioned whether his players were up to playing his style of football, Guardiola then insisted he was “proud” of what they had achieved this season prior to the Real drubbing.

“We need to think if this is the best system for the players,” said Guardiola, who is under contract until June 2016. I made a mistake with the tactics, the trainer wasn’t good today. We played badly, that’s my responsibility. I made a mistake with our tactics.

“We are at the highest level in Europe where such errors are punished.”

Such talk can only come from a head coach who feels secure in his position, but that will change quickly should there be any challenge to Bayern’s position at the top of German football.

Guardiola has the chance to redeem himself on May 17 when holders Bayern face arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in the German Cup final. — AFP.