'Pep has no interest in human side of football' - Benatia criticises Guardiola

Former Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia has criticised Pep Guardiola's people skills during his time as coach of the German side.

Guardiola signed Benatia from Roma for £22m (€26m) in August 2014, and the pair worked together at the Allianz Arena for two years.

Benatia, now at Al-Duhail in Qatar, has spoken out about his relationship with current Manchester City manager Guardiola, saying the coach made it clear 'we are not here to be friends.'

'It's my opinion that many share: Guardiola is someone who does not attach much importance to human relationships,' Benatia told Radio Monte Carlo.

'He says it is because he has been disappointed in the past.

'He said to me: "I bought you, I wanted you. You have this quality and the other quality. I need this, I will teach you this and that, you are here to do what I say, but we are not here to be friends."'

The Moroccan defender did admit that Guardiola was 'perhaps the best tactician in the world', as he installed his possession-based philosophy at Bayern.

Guardiola won three straight Bundesliga titles during his time at the club - Benatia was there for two of those triumphs - but according to the 32-year-old central defender, his relationship with Guardiola was completely different to that he enjoyed with Roma boss Rudi Garcia.

'I just left Rome with Rudi (Garcia). We weren't friends, but we had a great relationship,' Benatia continued.

'But with Pep, no. He is the boss, he is the one who decides, he is the one who tells you how to play.

'I said to him spontaneously: "You bought me for 30 million, so I have quality. If you took me to change me, you have to look for someone else."'

After leaving for Juve on-loan in the summer of 2016, Benatia signed on a permanent deal a year later before leaving last summer for the Middle East.

Guardiola, meanwhile, joined Manchester City and has won two Premier League titles at the Etihad.