by Pep Guardiola is said to be ready to block any plans Cristiano Ronaldo may have to lure Mateo Kovacic to Saudi Arabia.
After Ilkay Gundogan’s surprise return to Manchester City last month, Kovacic’s position in Guardiola’s team appears to be under threat. The former Chelsea ace, 30, was signed as Gundogan’s replacement last summer, but with the German, 33, now back in the fray at the Etihad Stadium, Kovacic may have to settle for a place on the City bench.
As a result, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have shown an interest in the Croatian and are understood to have asked Ronaldo, who played with Kovacic at Real Madrid, to convince him to join. However, according to reports, Guardiola, 53, does not want to sell the midfielder and plans to block any departure.
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The news is likely to disappoint Ronaldo, 39, although it won’t come as a complete shock given how much Guardiola has thorned him in recent years. The two clashed in England and Spain, creating an interesting relationship based on mutual respect and dislike.
In fact, they always seemed like natural enemies. After all, their philosophy is diametrically opposed. Ronaldo is a rampant individualist, someone who thrives on chaos and is unapologetically driven by a hunger to achieve personal success.
Guardiola, on the other hand, is a meticulous collector, a mathematician in suede shoes, with discipline and order. If Pep football is geometry, then Pep football is a thunderstorm.
At Real Madrid, Ronaldo was the Darth Vader to Emperor Palpatine Jose Mourinho. They combined, and often outplayed Barcelona,Guardiola, considered by many to be the best club team ever assembled.
This intense rivalry led to tension between Ronaldo and Guardiola. A notable cold encounter occurred at the 2012 Ballon d’Or ceremony when Guardiola ignored Ronaldo’s attempt at a handshake. After tapping Guardiola on the shoulder and offering his hand, Ronaldo was met with a brief glance before Guardiola turned away.
Ronaldo’s previous comments about Barcelona and Guardiola may have influenced the referees in La Liga which influenced his actions. “It is impossible to play against them,” said Ronaldo. “The umpires help them a lot. There’s always something happening to them, always. I don’t understand it.”
After leaving Barcelona in 2012 and a year-long sabbatical following, Guardiola took the reins at Bayern Munich. In his final season in Germany he guided the German giants past Benfica to set up a Champions League clash with Real Madrid, and took a stinging swipe at Ronaldo after the game.
“I know Cristiano wanted Benfica in the semi-final. I’m sorry for him,” he quipped. However, Ronaldo and Madrid had the last laugh by eliminating Bayern and going on to clinch the title against Atletico Madrid in the final.
In 2016, Guardiola joined City, and Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus two years later. Reacting to the news of Ronaldo’s move, Pep couldn’t resist a subtle dig, suggesting that Real Madrid would adopt a more “aggressive” style without the Portuguese star’s presence, apparently referring to his reluctance to push a ball out.
“I’ve seen their games and there are things they haven’t done before. They go forward and they don’t stay,” he said. “They are very aggressive with the quality of players they have.”
In saying that, the former midfielder praised Ronaldo as a “50-60 goal” player and described him as “irreplaceable”, before later expressing regret that he did not have more top players at the Stadium Etihad. Not long after, Ronaldo reciprocated, praising Pep as “a great coach” and admitting that “his teams are always at the top, and his football speaks for itself.”
However, the appearance of unity between the two soon faded when Guardiola recognized City’s Bernardo Silva as “Portugal’s biggest star”. Despite this, Ronaldo did not hesitate to offer his services to City in the summer of 2021.
Even with an apparent clash of styles, Guardiola did not approve the deal before Manchester United dramatically intervened at the last minute and seized the transfer. At that point, for the first time ever, Guardiola and Ronaldo were not only sharing the national spotlight, but also as a city.
But despite more than a decade of prickliness, the desire between the two began to wane. Ahead of the 2023 Champions League final, when asked about Ronaldo’s influence on the game, Guardiola admitted he was “one of the best footballers ever”.
There was further evidence of their friendship when they were seen laughing on stage at the Globe Soccer Awards a few months later, cementing the notion that even the fiercest of enemies can and do have profound mutual respect. the competition to create links that transcend the competitive field.
