Page 167 - Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography

night in Rotterdam all those years ago. Colleagues in the same dressing room. Friends, even.
Employees of Barcelona. José, what happened? Pep wanted to ask.
‘I’d only remind him that we were together, he and I, for four years. He knows me and I know him.
That’s enough for me. If he prefers to “go” with statements and claims of newspaper journalist friends

of Florentino [Pérez] about the Copa del Rey and to put more weight on what they write than on the
friendship, well, no, not quite friendship, but working relationship he and I had then, that’s his right.’
The scene was under control, the emotions applied with the right intonation. His body was
releasing an unquantifiable amount of tension, of accumulated rage. But, aware of the moment, having
captured everybody’s attention, and in the middle of the monologue, there was even time for humour.
‘He can continue reading Albert [Einstein ... Mourinho had said that he used to quote him in
speeches to inspire players]. Let him do all that with total freedom, or let him read the thoughts of the

journalists who suck on the tit of Florentino Pérez and then draw whatever conclusions he wants.
‘I will not justify my words. After the cup final I only congratulated Real Madrid and that is what
Barcelona do. I congratulate Real Madrid for the deserved victory against the good team I represent
with a lot of pride.’
Pep felt it was all said, job done. He was by then sitting very comfortably, and looked straight into
the cameras. To Mourinho.

‘I don’t know which one is José’s camera, I don’t know which one is your camera, but ...’
‘... this is it.’
Gauntlet taken up.

Although the day had been tense, the preparations for the training session were quieter, with the team
still recovering from the cup defeat. However, in the interval between Mourinho’s press conference
and Pep’s, the Catalan radio phone-ins were getting heated. Relatives of the players who had
travelled to Madrid and knew of the incitement of the Portuguese coach were incensed. How could he
get away with it?
The players were finishing training as Pep delivered his answer. He hadn’t got away with it.

Guardiola felt Madrid had taken the initiative, and he needed to seize it back. Impressions and
titles could have taken a definitive turn if Barcelona hadn’t reacted. It was the most delicate moment
of the season, with everything on a knife edge, and Pep felt saturated and ready, consumed and strong.
Manel Estiarte puts the moment into context: ‘Do you think it was a good idea to come out with all
that? Was it? When you’ve just come back from losing the Copa del Rey and they could really hurt us

in Europe, without Iniesta? If we had lost, it would have been seen as a mistake. Pep showed his
strength – it was without doubt the worst moment to do something confrontational like the “he’s the
fucking chief” thing.’
In other words, if Barcelona had lost the next Clásico it would have been analysed as a loss of
control, a rant; but it would be pure genius if it preceded a victory. Whatever way you see it,
Guardiola gave his side the tonic they needed.
Xavi: Pep had told us more than once he had to bite his lip, he needed to remain in control and not
react to the accusations and provocations. But on that day, the Real Madrid coach had attacked Pep

directly. He had mentioned him by name.
Puyol: They say things. Then more things, and more things, all lies. One day you have to blow up.
Xavi: I was impressed when I heard what Pep did: shocked. And I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Puyol: We have been attacked; people had made things up about us. That has always hurt us and