“He could live with them playing badly now and again, he told them, but he demanded 100 per cent on the pitch in every single game.” — Guillem Balague Copy Share Image
“Secondly, you should be able to control the ball with one touch. If you needed another one, you were not one of the best players, just a good one. If you needed an extra touch, you were playing badly.” — 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
