“I always try and give the players the security of knowing what they’ll encounter. This increases the possibility of doing things well.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“My role was to move the ball around the pitch for my team-mates to finish off the move,’ he says. The” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“We have to be able to dominate the game, and make sure that we aren’t dominated ourselves.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“For Guardiola, tactical concepts are taken in if the players have the right attitude and understand what they are doing.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“In the junior categories we wanted to mould the player. You must know what his strengths and weaknesses are, work on them… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“You get the player, based on what we need, and I will make it work,’ has always been his take on signings.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“I became a coach because I thought I could dominate the game with what I say, what I do, what we train… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He was a bit like me. You must have a lot of technique, move the ball quickly, avoid a collision – and… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Pep, for instance, created collective conditions to create one v ones for Messi. As simple and common place as that may sound… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“There was certainly an improvement and any dissent or unrest was external – in the media and on radio phone-ins – rather… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“there are few pure footballing training sessions and there is a lot of co-existence and it isn’t easy. But the lucky thing… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“above all else, they had to learn to win. Instilling a fiercely competitive, winning spirit into a team, an academy already blessed… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Little by little, the plan changed because one of the pillars of Pep’s methods is based on the evolution of the process.… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“that coronation of the team’s achievements paradoxically heralded the beginning of the end for Rijkaard’s Barcelona, as the first signs of indiscipline… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“On one occasion Guardiola explained that there are two types of coaches: those who think problems solve themselves and those who solve… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He wanted players who controlled the ball with their first touch, who had quick feet, who retained the ball and created superiority… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“It wasn’t enough for him to have had first-hand experience of the methods of Cruyff, Robson, van Gaal, Mazzone or Capello, so… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Players were fined €120 if they were late for training and had to stick to a twelve o’clock curfew – if they… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Why do we open up the field?’ Cruyff would explain. ‘Because if we have the ball and we are open, it is… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He also taught his players how to mark an opponent, teaching them to focus on a rival’s weaknesses – while accentuating what… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He continually learnt from everything he saw around him, from other teams, from coaches, from older team-mates. On one occasion, he asked… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“From his very first day in the job as coach, Pep went out of his way to appeal to the feelings of… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“The players who go through La Masía are taught to behave with civility and humility. The theory being that, not only is… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He gave a different edge to the defensive side of the game and that is where Barça became strong and attractive: losing… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Guardiola remained a lanky teenager with little muscle mass, the opposite of the ideal footballer’s stature. But great art is always born… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Guardiola immediately set about introducing a series of habits, working practices, systems and methodologies acquired after a career working with a variety… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“His philosophy is clear: first we should have the ball. With it, the opponent suffers and we have everything under control. Secondly,… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“When Pep signed a marketing agreement with Sabadell Bank, committing to a number of lectures and personal interviews as part of the… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“he wanted to confirm a personal theory: that a reserve team, like any other, could serve as a university of football; because… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“We are one. We are not little groups because in all teams this is what ends up killing team spirit.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Pep realised that in order to make the team a success he needed to add intensity and an increased work rate to… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Superiority in midfield, as predicted by Pep, was the key to the game.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He said that if you pass the ball well, you receive it well and have good control; then you have far more… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“a passer of the ball positioned in front of the defence who could provide the platform from which every Barcelona attack would… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“He could live with them playing badly now and again, he told them, but he demanded 100 per cent on the pitch… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“If each person does their job, and they know what it is because I make sure they know, then we are a… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Regarding positional play, he insisted on making sure the player stayed in his corresponding area, especially when the ball was lost.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Ramon Besa put it wonderfully: ‘He is a bit of a Quixote. In an era of fast food, Pep wants degustation football,… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“What makes you grow is defeat, making mistakes. It is what keeps you alert. When you win you think: “Great, we’ve won.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“In the end, Pep won most of the doubters over with a clever ploy, a few well-chosen words and a single bold… — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“The German team became more German than ever. They used in their performance the ‘Mia San Mia’ motto that the players wear on their… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“Before heading out on to the pitch, Johan Cruyff gave his players a simple instruction: ‘Go out there and enjoy yourselves.’ It was a… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“Ronaldo also dropped deep to receive the ball, turn round and run towards goal – and he always found space as the centre backs… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“It is better for a player to lose the ball when he is dribbling, feeling over-confident, than for a blunder, a mistake due to… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“We have to transmit trust and security in all the decisions we make. ‘That trust, security and sincerity are the fundamental pillars for a… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“On one occasion Guardiola explained that there are two types of coaches: those who think problems solve themselves and those who solve problems. Guardiola… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“He could live with them playing badly now and again, he told them, but he demanded 100 per cent on the pitch in every… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“The coach sat down with president Laporta, Beguiristain and Estiarte in the suite of the hotel in which the team were staying in the… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“Failure is when a player does not have a good training session, when the coach relaxes and stops caring, when the team doesn’t care… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“Ingla and Txiki set out a plan for the rest of the season which saw them working and consulting simultaneously with both Rijkaard and… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“Searching for that flash of inspiration, that moment, the magical moment: ‘I’ve got it. I’ve got it. This is how we are going to… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“The players who go through La Masía are taught to behave with civility and humility. The theory being that, not only is it pleasant… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“In future they must place themselves more cleverly to receive the pass, and to start pressuring their opponents more quickly.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“I saw Guardiola as a mystical type of person. The way he dressed – always in black – he was sometimes very quiet, constantly… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
“What you can’t do is study the talks, learn them by heart. Two or three concepts are all you need . . . and then you… — Guillem Balague Copy Share
