Bayern: What happens when Pep says no?

Barcelona is about 1,400 kilometers away from Munich. The Spanish city is not particularly well known for fortune tellers. But when it comes to the future of Pep Guardiola, born in Santpedor near the Catalonian metropole, who is regarded as one of the citys most famous sons, Barcelona at present is the hot spot for Guardiola news. 

   While "Pep" was working with his B-team in Zagreb (without Manuel Neuer, David Alaba, Arjen Robben) for Bayern Munich's sixth and last group match in this season's Champions League, the match ended in a 2-0 (Robert Lewandowski twice) win for the Germans, several newspapers and other pundits connected with Guardiola's last club Barcelona again voiced their opinion that the 44-year-old Spaniard will leave his current club at the end of this season after three years, and will be bound for Manchester City in the English Premier League to start a new project with much less weight on his shoulders.

   Guardiola himself has said noting lately about what is in his mind, he only emphasized that he will be announcing his decision after the last match before the German Bundesliga starts it winter break on December 19. Then Guardiola is expected to have a last meeting with Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

   You don't have to be a Barcelona-based fortune teller to predict that Guardiola already made up his mind, after all breaking the news is only ten days away. 

   And sometimes the most thrilling question in Munich is not the expected one, "How will Guardiola decide?? but the one how will his club and, even more thrilling, his current team react when the Spaniard will only be a "part time worker" for the rest of the season? 

   Over the last few weeks fans around the world have heard a lot of statements which could be seen as the start of preparations at the 2015 German Champion for the post-Guardiola era. Several players such as Thomas Mueller recently said it would not bother him at all as, "we as a team have the dream of winning the Champions League no matter who our coach is." 

   Bayern's strong man "Kalle" Rummenigge tried to ease the rising tension by saying: "Coaches come and go, that's normal in our business." And Bayern's Director of Football, Matthias Sammer, said the club will continue to exist after Pep Guardiola.

   Preparations started after Rummenigge had expressed his wish that Guardiola stays for some more years and captain and ambassador Philipp Lahm went to see the coach to tell him just how much the players love working with him.

   Until now most things have worked well in Munich as far as the development of the team is concerned. Bayern top the German Bundesliga having lost only one of their 15 games and secured top spot in their Champions League group even before taking off for Croatia to meet Dinamo Zagreb in the last game before the knock-out phase starts next year. 

   So after the German winter break, the situation might be a totally different one. Everyone may be aware that the next months will be Guardiola's last ones in Munich and his third year will be his last chance to win the most important club competition with the club. 

   "We have the chance to win everything this season but we can only do it if everybody stays full focused on Bayern Munich," said Rummenigge when talking about the treble (German cup and championship and Champions League). If they don't succeed, Guardiola might leave with the new unflattering nickname of "the unfinished".

   Was Rummenigge only talking about the team when he was speaking of an important moment we are going through?

   So what comes next, meaning after Guardiola? Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently without a club but was talking about Real Madrid, Paris St. Germain, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and AC Milan as if he would take over all at once? Or has Rummenigge a surprise up his sleeve? Neither Guardiola nor Bayern Munich can wait for long. 

   It is one thing to talk about a life-changing event and feel you are prepared and then another, when the baby is born, to live with it. The rest of the season might turn out to be the hardest job ever for Guardiola and Bayern Munich despite having the best ever squad at their disposal. 

   The game in Zagreb was the expected easy one. It was more like a practice match Bayern Munich's B-team, or at least it was in the first half. After the break, Thomas Mueller and Jerome Boateng were introduced as the second string and were unable to create any clear-cut chances. With Mueller behind him, Robert Lewandowski scored twice while Mueller's penalty hit the post and secured the "winning prize" of 1.5 million euros UEFA, the European football federation, hands out for a victory in the Champions League group stage. 

   But that sum won't be of any help when it comes to the important decision that has to be made soon. "I don't think it is a matter of money when we talk about Pep Guardiola," said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently. Before Bayern get Guardiolas answer the Germans will know who will be their opponent in the next round. The draw will happen next Monday.  Endi