When Roma made their return to the UEFA Champions League, it was not only a test for the club but one for their coach Rudi Garcia as well. Roma are currently second of their Champions League group E, and prepare to meet with group leaders Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening. Roma are today on four points, after a resounding 5–1 win over CSKA Moscow and a rousing performance in their 1–1 draw to Manchester City.
In terms of Roma’s return on Europe’s greatest club competition, it has been successful so far. The performances have also served as redemption for Rudi Garcia, whose prior Champions League stints were not as successful.
When Garcia qualified former club Lille for the 2011/12 and 2012/13 editions of the tournament, the coach never got out of the group stages. In fact he finished bottom of his group both times, with the 2012/13 season being a particular failure as Lille were unceremoniously ousted of the Champions League with a paltry three points.
Today Garcia is at Roma, having benefited from his previous failures with Lille, and well on his way to leading the Giallorossi to an eventual qualification out of this year’s ‘group of Death’. Garcia’s current Roma are a team constructed following his football principles: confident in possession, generous in its efforts, and lighting-quick when springing on the counter-attack. Roma are stronger than the Lille team he boasted of — and certainly the one in his second Champions League campaign after Adil Rami, Yohan Cabaye, Gervinho, Eden Hazard, and Moussa Sow had all left — but the key is that the French coach drew great experience in the three years between his Champions League debut and his return to Europe with Roma.
In a crucial opening game against CSKA Moscow, Garcia took full advantage of the home support and blitzed the Russian side in the opening half hour, firing four goals past them. Indeed this was a team Garcia knew well enough, having met the CSKA Moscow previously in 2011/12 and taking four points from them. In the difficult away trip to Manchester City, Roma’s direct rivals for qualification, he successfully mobilized his team to make the comeback and control the game despite conceding an early penalty.
Now Garcia takes on group favorites Bayern Munich. Again this will be an opponent that will be familiar to the French coach. In the 2012/13 season, when Lille faced Bayern Munich, Garcia lost both encounters including a 6–1 away defeat to the Bavarians. Memories of that loss will surely still be smarting in Garcia’s mind.
The merit of Garcia is that he has made great use of his two years of Champions League experience since his first European jousts with Lille. Today he prepares to face Bayern Munich again, a game which will serve as a real barometer of his progress since he last faced the Bavarians in October and November of 2012. Fate would have it that just as it was two years ago, Bayern were also group favorites then, at the top of the group, and Garcia’s third Champions League match ahead of a back-to-back clash.
The match against Bayern Munich will indeed present a unique opportunity for Garcia — albeit with Roma this time — to see out a Champions League redemption of sorts.
Follow Ogo Sylla on Twitter at: @RossonerOgo_3
