Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season Getty Images

German football legend Lothar Matthaus has questioned Pep Guardiola's decision to leave Bayern Munich to join Manchester City. The 54-year-old star thinks Guardiola should have stayed in Bavaria, where he enjoyed total control over team affairs.

City confirmed Guardiola as their new manager for the start of the 2016-17 season earlier this week. The Premier League giants also revealed they had been chasing Guardiola since 2012, before he joined Bayern Munich.

However, Matthaus has questioned the wisdom of Guardiola's latest career move and suggested money may have been a deciding factor in his decision. "Perhaps he wanted a new challenge," Matthaus told Sky Sports. "Of course I can understand Pep - his salary must be insane. And he wants to experience something new - despite the fact that he already had the best team in Europe.

"Bayern fulfilled every wish, no matter what Guardiola wanted: the players, the coaches and even the doctors. He caused much disturbance off the field, but he is one of the best coaches on the planet. With the amount of money in circulation, I can understand Pep."

Although Matthaus is critical of some aspects of Guardiola's managerial style, the former Bayern star would have liked to have seen him resist the temptation of joining City. "I am one of his critics, but I would have loved to see him in Munich for a longer time," he said of the new City manager.

"He was always interesting and entertaining for the journalists. He improved the team in many areas, but on the other hand he caused confusion, which many people didn't understand."

Matthaus also warned that Guardiola's eagerness to play people in unfamiliar positions will not endear him to everyone at City. "I don't like his system, it changes during the game. He uses players in different positions, even if they could play better with their normal position," he said.

"I wouldn't want to play as left forward if I normally play right-back. For example David Alaba had to play as central midfielder, despite the fact that he played his best games as left-back. But you have to accept that. Guardiola was always successful, but in Munich he didn't win the Champions League.

"He should have signed another contract in Munich. He can work with a top team and the trust from the Bayern officials. But after his contract expired, he had every right to sign somewhere else."