Page 188 - Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography

Stamford Bridge. The financial offers were growing with each attempt: €10 million a year, €13
million, even €15 million according to certain sources. But Roman Abramovich, fascinated and
seduced by the football practised at the Camp Nou, soon learnt that he would have to offer something
else to bring him to west London: a structure and a squad that would allow for that style of play.

Chelsea’s Russian owner has met Txiki Beguiristain three times since the former football director
of Barcelona left the club in June 2010. Abramovich wanted Txiki to structure the club but also to
serve as a platform for the arrival of Guardiola. Beguiristain understood his role, but felt that
Abramovich was mostly just looking for another adviser, not so much as a football model. There
wasn’t really an executive role offered, as Abramovich wanted to maintain his influence, so there
was no common ground or agreement reached.
Undeterred, Abramovich continued thinking of ways to attract Pep. Perhaps the most adventurous

proposal came in the summer of 2011, just after Barcelona had won the Champions League final.
Guardiola didn’t want to hear from any club at that point as he had already agreed to stay one more
year at Barça – despite the growing number of doubts creeping into his mind.
But Abramovich, having decided to let Carlo Ancelotti go, wanted to talk to Guardiola face to
face. The list of replacements for the Italian coach also included André Villas-Boas, José Mourinho
and Guus Hiddink. But Pep was at the top of that list. Michael Emenalo, technical director at the club

and friendly with Tito Vilanova – whom he once played with at Lleida – spoke with both Pep and his
assistant during that summer. Finally, Guardiola was invited to Abramovich’s yacht in Monaco at the
end of June: a meeting that would have to take place in total secrecy.
Pep wasn’t committing to a meeting. After two weeks of waiting for an answer, the Chelsea owner
received the message he least wanted to hear: that the Barcelona coach has declined the invitation.
Pep sensed that if he went to Chelsea, then there was a chance he could get his head turned – and why
take that risk? The following week, Villas-Boas was the guest on Abramovich’s yacht.

Pep’s message might have included an extra. The intermediary who was putting him in touch with
Chelsea thought it would have been a good idea if Abramovich appointed an interim coach for the
2011–12 season. Guardiola could then tell the Russian owner halfway through that campaign if he
was leaving Barcelona – allowing him to prepare for his arrival. It’s a good job that ultimately that
idea was not put to the Russian owner because, up until the end of April 2012, there would have been
not one but two clubs hanging on for Pep to make a decision.

Abramovich didn’t give up, though. He was aware Pep was seriously considering leaving
Barcelona and, after sacking André Villas-Boas in March 2012, he thought it would be a good
moment to renew contact with the Catalan coach. The plan was clear: Abramovich wanted to sign
Rafa Benítez for three months, rescue a season that threatened to collapse and give the team to
Guardiola in the summer.
But the meeting with the former Liverpool manager, who wanted a long-term commitment, did not
convert into a proper offer and the job was handed temporarily to Roberto di Matteo, and, after

winning the Champions League, for two more years.
While all that was developing, Guardiola didn’t want to hear from Chelsea or anybody else – he
didn’t want his world unsettled – and he made sure Abramovich got the message. He was going to tell
the club, the players, the world, that he was leaving and then he was taking a sabbatical. Without
having a particular team in mind, it was suggested to him that, while he was away in New York, he
could at least start meeting and planning with his next club, whichever that might be, start identifying

signings, planning organisational changes to lay the groundwork before he joined. But Pep, having just
said his farewell to his beloved Barcelona, only wanted to detox from football.