Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography by Balague Guillem

Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography by Balague Guillem

Author:Balague, Guillem [Balague, Guillem]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409143765
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2012-11-15T00:00:00+00:00


In 2009 Barcelona won a sextet of titles, a record that had been achieved by no other team in history. They won everything they competed for in a calendar year: the Liga, the Copa del Rey against Athletic de Bilbao, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the World Club Championship. Those victories made Barcelona, statistically at least, the greatest team of all time, ahead of the Celtic of 1967, the Ajax of 1972, PSV Eindhoven of 1988 and Manchester United of 1999. Those four teams that had previously won the treble: the league, the cup and the European Cup. Pedro (‘he was playing in the third division the other week!’ as Pep reminded him every week – partly said with admiration, partly with caution) scored in every one of those competitions, another unprecedented feat. In the 2008–9 season Guardiola’s team played eighty-nine games and only lost eight, four of which were all but insignificant and none was lost by more than one goal.

The year had shown on occasions that everything is relative: ‘By doing the same, things may not have turned out this way,’ Guardiola reminded people. But one thing was clear: using Cruyff’s idea as a starting point, Guardiola had given the team methods by which to practise a type of football that was as elaborate as it was effective. Barça’s triumph broke with some football taboos that put the result before the play, as if they were incompatible.

Barça’s style has brought admiration from sports critics, similar to that generated in their day by mythical teams such as River Plate (1941–5) who ruled with an exceptional quintet made up of Muñoz, Moreno, Pedernera, Labruna and Loustau. As well as Budapest Honved (1949–55) with Puskas, Bozsik, Kocsis or Czibor, the foundations of that Hungary team that won at Wembley in 1953. And, of course, Di Stéfano’s Madrid (1956–60), winners of five consecutive European Cups, with a forward line of Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano, Puskas and Gento. Equally as celebrated was Pelé’s Santos (1955–64) and the Brazil team from the 1970 World Cup – that team that lined up with five ‘tens’ in attack: Jairzinho, Gerson, Tostao, Pelé and Rivelino. Or Sacchi’s Milan (1988–90), twice World Club Champions with players in the category of Van Basten, Rijkaard and Gullit.

In the summer of 2009 and after winning the Champions League, Pep decided to make changes to his squad. Samuel Eto’o had become one of the most consistent performers of the team even when he had to, as against Madrid and Manchester United, play on the right of the attack. He scored the opening goal of the Roma final but Guardiola understood that to continue allowing Messi to grow, he had to get rid of the Cameroon international.

That same summer, Madrid had paid €95 million for Cristiano Ronaldo, €67 million for Kaká and Barcelona were negotiating with players such as Filipe Luis and David Villa, talks which fizzled out in the end. Finally, they struck a deal with Inter to exchange Eto’o for Ibrahimović.



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