Page 74 - Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography

out to be the day he set out his stall and transferred his philosophy to the group.
As he made his way to the room, Pep repeatedly told himself: ‘Be yourself. Be yourself.’ He felt
that he had been through a similar experience at least once before, with the B team: the faces were
different, new people, there were new objectives – but the ideas that were going to be put across

were practically the same. And he had the same nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The squad filled the room in seats set out in rows facing the front, like a classroom, with little
room to spare. The medical staff, the assistants, the press guys, everybody who had travelled to
Scotland was invited to hear what he had to say. In the following half-hour he put across a message
that mesmerised the group, hypnotised as they were by his concepts, requirements and expectations,
his sharing of responsibilities and, above all, by his ability to generate a new-found feeling of team
spirit.

The players sat in silence, listening to Pep as he paced the room, making eye contact with his
listeners, first one, then another, showing a mastery of communication skills. He gestured and chose
his words well, finding the right tone, emphasising his ideas.
According to the recollections of many of those present (Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué, Tito, Henry, Eto’o,
Messi, fitness coach Emili Ricart, club media staff Chemi Terés and Sergi Nogueras among others)
we are able to piece together Pep’s words from that pivotal moment.

‘Gentlemen, good morning.
‘You can imagine what a huge motivation it is for me to be here, to coach this team. It is the
ultimate honour. Above all, I love the club. I would never make a decision that would harm or go
against the club. Everything I am going to do is based on my love for FC Barcelona. And we need and
want order and discipline.
‘The team has been through a time when not everybody was as professional as they should have
been. It is time for everybody to run and to give their all.

‘I’ve been part of this club for many years and I am aware of the mistakes that have been made in
the past, I will defend you to the death but I can also say that I will be very demanding of you all: just
like I will be with myself.
‘I only ask this of you. I won’t tell you off if you misplace a pass, or miss a header that costs us a
goal, as long as I know you are giving 100 per cent. I could forgive you any mistake, but I won’t
forgive you if you don’t give your heart and soul to Barcelona.

‘I’m not asking results of you, just performance. I won’t accept people speculating about
performance, if it’s half-hearted or people aren’t giving their all.
‘This is Barça, gentlemen, this is what is asked of us and this is what I will ask of you. You have to
give your all.
‘A player on his own is no one, he needs his team-mates and colleagues around him: every one of
us in this room, the people around you now.
‘Many of you don’t know me, so we will use the next few days to form the group, a family even. If

anyone has any problems, I’m always available, not just in sporting matters but professional, family,
environmental. We’re here to help each other and make sure there is spiritual peace so that the
players don’t feel tension or division. We are one. We are not little groups because in all teams this
is what ends up killing team spirit.
‘The players in this room are very good, if we can’t get them to win anything, it will be our fault.
‘And let’s stick together when times are hard. Make sure that nothing gets leaked to the press. I

don’t want anybody to fight a battle on his own. Let’s be united, have faith in me. As a former player,
I have been in your shoes, I know what you are going through, what you are feeling.