Pep Guardiola: ‘Bayern doctor quitting changes nothing - I’m staying here’

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/17/pep-guardiola-bayern-munich-doctor

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Pep Guardiola has said the fact that four members of Bayern’s medical team walked out on Thursday night changes nothing at the club and that he will remain in charge next season.

The famous – and influential – club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt quit his job after allegedly being blamed for the team’s 3-1 defeat at Porto in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday night. In a statement, Müller-Wohlfahrt said: “For unexplained reasons, it was the medical department that was chiefly blamed for the defeat. The relationship of trust has been permanently damaged.”

Related: Bayern Munich doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt quits after argument

The 72-year-old, who has worked at Bayern since 1977 and was followed out of the door by his son, Kilian, as well as Peter Ueblacker and Lutz Hänsel, refused to comment further on Friday when pressed on why he had resigned, saying: “Today is not the day, it is too soon.”

Guardiola, meanwhile, said in his press conference on Friday that he respected Müller-Wohlfahrt’s decision and claimed that it was business as usual at the league leaders. “This changes nothing. I will be here next season and coach this team. It is lovely here.

“I respect Müller-Wohlfahrt’s decision and that is all I can say. When a player is injured then it is not the fault of the doctor. Injured is injured. We could have lost against Porto even if we had had the injured players available. No one can guarantee that we would have won with our best XI.

“We lost because of Pep, as simple as that. When we lose it is my fault. Not someone from the board or the medical team. It is my fault and my fault only.”

Guardiola was also forced to comment on a Vine that circulated on Thursday night, from the recent game against Bayer Leverkusen, claiming to show the Spaniard sarcastically applauding Müller-Wohlfahrt after a Bayern player had got injured. “That was just me being disappointed. It had nothing to do with Müller-Wohlfahrt,” he said.

Related: Pep Guardiola will become Manchester City manager, claims Paul Scholes

Müller-Wohlfahrt has quit once before, after a disagreement with Jürgen Klinsmann in 2008, but returned as soon as the former Germany forward had left the club. Last season, Müller-Wohlfahrt reportedly had a disagreement with Guardiola over the treatment of the injured Thiago Alcântara.

Bayern were missing several key players against Porto, including Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martínez and Medhi Benatia. They said they “regretfully took note” of Müller-Wohlfahrt’s decision.