Football
Jens Weber 9y

Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola: I am looking for love, not titles

Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola has said his priority is to be loved rather than to win titles.

Guardiola led Bayern to the Bundesliga crown last season, making it a record 25 German championships overall for the club.

He is preparing for the 2015-16 season and, speaking at a charity event in Barcelona, outlined what drives him on.

He said: "I do all I am doing in my life to be loved. My ambition is not to win titles. I am looking for love, nothing more.

"I read in an article by an American educationalist that a child won't learn if it does not feel empathy with the teacher. I try to use that in my work.

"Often a player feels bad because he thinks the coach does not like him and not because he is not playing."

He added: "I had a great player once who did not score. We went to a cafe together to talk. Not about football but about life. In the next match, this player scored two of our four goals. He felt special because he felt loved."

Guardiola's contract at the Allianz Arena expires in 2016, and Bayern honorary president Franz Beckenbauer is hopeful he will sign a new deal.

"It could be a nice challenge for him to build a new squad," the former Germany international said.

"The team will be completely different within the next couple of years. This transition will be made on the highest level, with a lot of spending money."

Beckenbauer thinks next season's title challenge will be a lot closer than last campaign, when Bayern finished 10 points clear of Wolfsburg.

He said: "Wolfsburg have proved that they can compete for the top spot. Dortmund and Schalke will come back stronger.

"Then there are Leverkusen and Gladbach. More teams will compete for the Champions League spots next season."

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