Managers

Pep Guardiola is in pure form. The Manchester City boss was in full flow in the press room ahead of the Champions League semifinals. His team faces Neymar and Kylian Mbappé's PSG on Wednesday, but far from being intimidated by the scenario, the man from Santpedor enjoyed it.

"I've rarely been happier than I am now to travel with this team to Paris and try to do my best in the Champions League," he said at a press conference that left a bunch of headlines.

Something we often forget about professional footballers is that unlike most of us, they actually have pretty lousy job security. A manager will bench a player who is playing poorly without any second thought because the success of the team is more important than any individual player. 

Of course, the starting lineup is always fluid, but players have to fight every week to make the starting XI, even when it seems like their position is secured. And eventually, every player will be replaced; it is only a question of when. 

Raise your hand if you predicted that West Bromwich Albion would defeat Chelsea 5-2 at Stamford Bridge and then a week later overpower Southampton 3-0. Anybody? I would have been surprised just to hear that West Brom scored multiple goals in a match.

After recording just three wins and scoring only 20 goals in its first 29 EPL matches, West Brom has found the back of the net eight times over its last two matches, picking up two victories — each by three goals — in the process.

It has been a strange season in Spanish football as both Barcelona and Real Madrid are experiencing down years, but Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has seized on the opportunity to win a second LaLiga title for his club.

For a long stretch of the season, Atlético was nearly unbeatable. Following a pair of nil-nil draws early in the campaign, Simeone's side won 15 of 16 league games — the only misstep a 2-0 defeat to crosstown rival Real Madrid. This put the club 11 points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola criticized the lack of rest this season and said that UEFA and FIFA are "killing the players."

"It's too much. They are human beings, not machines. I know some of them are sad because they always want to play every game, but that's not possible," said Guardiola, who made six changes to his side in Saturday's win over Leicester City.

"To be good in all competitions this year without spectators, in the shortest season in history, if you don't rotate your players you can't compete and you couldn't be in the position we're in," he added.