Guardiola loves the wind of chance

No question, this man loves the wind of change. No, right here we are not talking about the future of the 44-year-old Spaniard who in a few weeks will announce if he intends staying at the German Champions Bayern Munich or leave next summer. And only pessimistic-oriented football fans see in Guardiola's habit to change his team whenever he can a pattern that could deliver a hint about his expected decision.

However, when the German top club went into his fifth group match against the Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus 4-0 (3-0) in their Munich arena Tuesday evening, the Spaniard had come up with the 128th new starting eleven in 129 games. In 98 consecutive times he has changed his team and only once in his three years at Bayern has he nominated the same team in two consecutive games. It is obvious that Guardiola loves what in football is called "rotation" meaning changing around the personnel on the pitch.

Against Piraeus, Guardiola surprised pundits with five forwards (Kingsley Coman, Douglas Costa, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski) and a man in his defense who last appeared in the starting line-up in April, namely Holger Badstuber.

After several serious injuries, the 26-year-old Bavarian-born defender is making another attempt to play a vital role in his coach's rotational system, and if things go well, to be soon be back in the German national team. For German coach Joachim Loew, Badstuber could be of value as he not only can be placed in team not only as a central defender, like in the Piraeus game, but also at left back.

With their fourth victory in their Champions League Group F, Bayern secured top spot and are already certain of a place in last 16 with a game still to play. The goals for the Germans were scored by Douglas Costa (8th minute), Robert Lewandowski (16th), Thomas Mueller (20th) and Kinsley Coman (70th). Bayern's goal record now stands at 17 in five games.

The return of Holger Badstuber after all turned out to be not only a happy one as the defender was sent off by the referee after a foul on Brown Ideye in the 52nd minute.

"It is important to stay concentrated and finish the group as first. This secures you a first game away in the next round and a re-match we can play at home," Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said after his colors dominated the entire 90 minutes despite Badstuber was send off and Bayern had to finish the game with only ten.

Behind Guardiola's maniac-like attitude is not that he loves chaos on the pitch, but his never-ending attempts to use his changes to find out about players in different positions and his team with different line ups.

Guardiola wants to be prepared for all possible situations, or he at least tries to be. After all, Guardiola is eager to win Champions League with his German team. And he nevertheless may leave next summer, perhaps for the English Premier League as rumors seem to indicate his next port of call will be Manchester City.

But for now, Guardiola is in Munich with all of his heart. In the meantime it is not regarded as a catastrophe by the club if they lose a very special coach in some months time. For now, Guardiola is in charge of the best ever Bayern squad and seems to be happy about it. His team does not seem to be unduly affected by their coach's uncertain future.

While Guardiola's next steps will only be known at the end of December, Bayern Munich is developing a team for the future with some experts calling it "Bayern 2020". They seem to be wanting to make any decision to leave a hard one to make for the Spaniard.

Stars like Thomas Mueller, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Manuel Neuer are expected to extend their contracts for a further two or three years. On the one hand, Bayern is trying to shut the doors in the faces of potential buyers from the Premier League. On the other hand, club officials like Matthias Sammer, Director of Football, and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge want to shape Bayern's future team and if possible an era of dominance in world football.

In addition to the previously mentioned world class players and ones like Douglas Costa, midfielder Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski, Juan Bernat, Thiago, Arturo Vidal and Medhi Benatia all have contracts for the next three and a half years. Coman, who came on loan from Juventus Turin until 2017, could be bought by Bayern for 21 million euros.

Guardiola's main task is to keep up his team spirit until it comes to the Champions League knock-out phase next spring. At present Bayern seems to be the team that is in best shape of all the favorites, like Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris St. Germain.

But as Guardiola knows the crunch matches in the world's most important club competition are the ones in the Spring. "The coach keeps up everyone's attention and the competition in our squad despite the fact we have to play more or less very three days," Bayern director of sports Matthias Sammer said.

Maybe that is why Guardiola loves the wind of chance more than ever. During the last two years, losing twice in the semifinal to Real Madrid and Barcelona, Guardiola saw himself with his face to the wall, meaning he could not change or rotate his team enough to be a challenge for the so-called big boys of football. This time he is sure that times have changed for the better for him. Endi