Page 157 - Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography

and he was pragmatic about Mourinho: ‘Criticising him would be looking down on Inter and that is
not fair.’
Two days after being KO’d from the Champions League by Inter Milan, Barça found themselves
playing for the league title away from home at Villarreal’s ground, with four games remaining.

Guardiola noticed that his players were hurt, broken by the defeat in the competition they were
anxious to win. ‘What do I say to them?’ he asked himself out loud an hour before sitting down in the
el Madrigal dugout. Pep was obsessed with motivational messages being clear, concise,
uncomplicated. He had previously used videos, even from YouTube, ideas, inspirational stories, even
lectures by heroes of his to boost team morale.
That day he approached his players smiling. There was not going to be a video. ‘Gentlemen, I can’t
ask any more of you. You have given me more than any coach could ask of his players. You’re great.

Thank you for everything. I just want to say one thing. If we go out there and we lose, and the league
is beyond our reach, it doesn’t matter. Not at all. Be calm. Thank you so much. For me, you are all
champions.’ Pep’s father, Valentí, was in the stands. Barça won the match 4-0 and recaptured the
league title once again, the second in a row for Pep’s team.

In his last press conference of that season, Guardiola sent a veiled message to the Madrid press when
he congratulated Madrid’s players and staff for forcing them to reach ninety-nine points to win the
title, ‘but only them’. The assaults from the Spanish capital were harsh and not easily dealt with by
Pep: ‘Sometimes we felt scorned. Sometimes we were ashamed to celebrate titles. We have only

played a sport in the best way we can but we have felt, for a while now, that we do things that are not
being supported everywhere. So we have to do the work of an ant, of not responding to all the attacks.
We know they have very loud speakers but it would only be fair if we all respected these players that
have dignified their profession with their effort. In any case, nothing will change, especially if
Mourinho comes to La Liga.’
Even before José’s arrival, certain sectors of the Madrid press were looking for reasons to
criticise and even attack Barcelona, a team that was receiving plaudits from the rest of the world.

According to that media: referees were benefiting Barcelona, the Spanish FA were helping them any
way they could, UEFA turned a blind eye whenever Barça were involved, the television schedule
was favourable to them – and some even suggested that opposition coaches were letting Pep’s team
win.
That sector of the media that wanted to take the Barcelona–Madrid rivalry to extremes would join

forces with Mourinho in the coming season – in what turned out to be a radicalisation of the coverage
that helped paint both coaches in very simple terms: this drama was going to be, right from the
beginning of the season, a struggle between good and evil in the eyes of the press.
After the summer, Guardiola welcomed the arrival of the new Real Madrid coach in his first press
appearance of the 2010–11 campaign: ‘Mourinho will improve me as a manager. It is important that
he works in Spain because he is one of the best in the world. He will make us all better.’ Pep knew
José’s tricks: a loyal core of players around the manager, criticisms of authority and refereeing, the
‘us against the world’ mentality and, ultimately, a very powerful, comprehensive method to win titles.

Pep had an idea of what was to come and his words were effectively a means of composing
himself, taking a deep breath, before rolling up his shirtsleeves for the battle that would inevitably
commence.
Before the season gathered pace, Mourinho and Guardiola shared a few pleasantries at that UEFA