New Atlético Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic left Bayern Munich last summer, with a rift between himself and Pep Guardiola rumoured to be the reason behind the switch. However, in a recent interview with Sportske Novosti, it is clear that the fall-out was the motive for a move.
The 28-year-old striker said “Guardiola disappointed me because he didn’t treat me with respect and it was twice as good when Jupp Heynckes was there.
“Would I sit down with Guardiola for a coffee? That is something that’s not going to happen. In my professional life I don’t have to like everyone but if I feel a negative energy coming from a person then I try to avoid them.
“I didn’t deserve to be treated like that after giving everything for Bayern for two seasons. I felt that things would change for me just as he [Guardiola] arrived. I struggled to adapt to him but in the end you need both parties to make a success of something.
“I realised there was no future for me there so I resigned myself to leaving the club and had time to choose a new destination.”
Mandzukic feels the former-Barcelona coach omitted him because Pep Guardiola didn’t want the Croat to finish the season as top scorer. While he did in fact finish top goal-scorer, with twenty six goals in forty-eight games, time on the pitch was indeed limited towards the end of the season.
“Guardiola decided not to play me in the Cup Final because he didn’t want me to finish as leading goalscorer, so he did not let me play towards the end of the season. It wasn’t really important but it did show the lack of respect he had towards me. It would have made much more sense if he had told me I didn’t fit into his style of play.”
Having already notched up three goals in his first seven appearances for Altético, Mandzukic seems right at home under Diego Simeone. Whether he can emulate his Bundesliga form remains to be seen, but it's been a promising start and he would relish a chance to prove his worth in a Champions League tie against the Bavarians.