PEPCONFIDENTIALINSIDEPEPGUARDIOLA’SFIRSTSEASON

ATBAYERNMUNICH

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Contents

ListofIllustrationsAcknowledgements

PartOne–Time,Patience,Passion

1. DinnerwithKasparov2. ‘INeedtoknowEverythingabouttheClub,asQuicklyasPossible.’3. ‘ICouldseemyselfCoachingHereOneDay.’4. ‘TheywillbeattheVanguardofEuropeanFootballfortheNextFiveYears.’5. ‘I’mDesperatetowatchTraining–IWanttoseewhatPepDecidesto

Change.’6. ‘Leo,It’sPep.Canyoucomeover?Now,Please.’7. ‘DoyouseeLahm’sPotential?’8. ‘Thiago’sComing.’9. ‘TheIdeaistoDominatetheBall.’10. ‘WeDon’thaveaMessioraRonaldo–ButwehavetheRightCollective

Mentality.’11. ‘WhoareourUnstoppableGuys?RibéryandRobben.’12. ‘They’llClimbthatMountain10TimesinaRow.’13. ‘ItoldRosellIWouldbeGoing6000kmawayfromhim.’14. ‘BorussiaDeservedtowin.’

PartTwo–TheFirstTrophy

15. ‘MaybeitwasaMistake.’16. ‘WhatdoyouknowaboutAthleticism?’17. ‘Javi,LookatDante,LookatDante,TheLine,TheLine!’18. ‘It’snotPossessionthatMatters,ButtheIntentionBehindit.’19. ‘IDon’thaveanyMidfielders.’

20. We’reTryingtodothisRight,NotJustWinTitles.’21. ‘BringtheBallOutWellandyouwillPlayWell.’22. ‘ILoatheallthatPassing–ThatTiquitaca.’23. ‘Lahm…TheGuyisFuckingExceptional!’24. ‘Pam!Pam!That’sourStyleofPlay!’25. ‘BayernwerelikesomethingoutofaMovieToday.’26. ‘Lads,Idon’tknowhowtotakePenalties.I’veNeverTakenOneinMyLife.

Buthere’stheBestPenaltyTakerintheWorld.’

PartThree–2013:AProdigiousYear

27. ‘RightNowI’mnotthebestintheworld.’28. ‘HoenessistheHeartandsoulofthisClub–He’sVitaltome.’29. ‘WeareallHidingBehindtheCoach.’30. ‘Gentlemen,thisisTiquitacaanditisShit.’31. TheTreasureMap32. ‘Lahm?he’sasFootball-IntelligentasIniesta.’33. ‘For80MinuteswePlayedPerfectFootball–TheBestFootballI’veseenin

myLife.’34. ‘IfanyonewouldPrefermenottomaketheDecisions,NoProblem.You

Decidewho’sGoingtoPlay.’35. ‘I’mnotSayingmyWayisBetter.It’sJustmyWay.’36. ‘Diego!ILoveYou!’37. ‘PuttheGoodPlayersintheMidfield.That’smyIdeaandI’mGoingto

Stickwithit.’38. ‘TheWholeClubhastoldmethatFranckwantstoTalktome.Iwantto

Talktohim,too.’39. ‘ExcellenceisLikeaBubble.YoucanLookforit,ButitonlyAppearsfrom

TimetoTime.’40. ‘MistakesComewhenyouRelax.’41. ‘HereweareAgain.AnotherFinal.’

PartFour–TheLeagueinMarch

42. ‘InSixMonthsherePephasTriedmorethingsthaninFourYearsatBarça.’43. ‘I’mGoingtohavetomakesomeRadicalChanges.’44. ‘ILookattheFootageofourOpponentsandthenTrytoWorkouthowto

Demolishthem.’45. ‘PerfectFootballisDamnDifficulttoAchieve.’46. ‘He’ssoIntensethathe’llExhaustus.’47. ‘TheyliketheIdeaofTellingTheirFriends:IPlayforPepGuardiola.’48. ‘JustaswellwehadManu.WithoutthatHandIDon’Tknowwherewe’d

be.’49. ‘LahmBringsthisTeamtoLife.’50. ‘I’veGoneforControl.ControlandmoreControl.’51. ‘UliisOurHeart.It’sHardtoImagineBayernwithouthim.’52. ‘PickingaLine-UpisLikeSittinginFrontofyourChessPieces.’53. ‘ILoveYouPep.YouareinmyHeart,Man.’

PartFive–FallingDownandGettingBackupAgain

54. ‘ItHurts–ItmakesyouFeellikeyourSkinisBurning.’55. ‘AlwaysPicktheGoodOnes.Always.’56. ‘TheEssenceofFootballisWorkingouttheBestwaytoattackyour

Opponents.’57. ‘I’veNeverPlayedlikethis…NotEveninmyBoldestDaysatBarça.’58. ‘Arjen’saBeast.’59. ‘Idon’tConsiderMyselfaGoodCoach.’60. ‘WehavetoRememberthatifwedon’tRun,we’reNothing.’61. ‘ACompleteFuck-Up.’62. ISawPepUtterlyBeatenfortheFirstTime.’63. MeaCulpa64. ‘AllTeamsgothroughDifferentPhases’65. ‘JaviAndRobben,inDefenceandAttack’66. BloomintheGlowofHappiness67. TheKidandtheCaptain

Epilogue–ALastWordfromPepPlateSection

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS

‘WhenaclublikeBayerncallsyouhavetorespond.’Guardiolapreparestogreetapresspackof247journalists–thebiggestnumberevertoattendsuchaneventattheclub–athisofficialannouncementasBayernMunichheadcoach.GettyImages

‘Anyteamthathaswonfourtitlesdoesn’tneedmuchofanoverhaul.’TheimagesofBayern’streble-winningplayersloomlargeoverGuardiolainthehomechangingroomattheAllianzArena.GettyImages

Despiteinsistingthathissquaddidnotneedmanynewpersonnel,Guardiola’stechnicalrevolutionmeantasharplearningcurveforhisplayers,whowouldhavetoadapttheirtraditionalGermanstyletoamorepossession-basedapproach.GettyImages

GuardiolasurprisedhisnewplayersbyconversingwiththeminpassableGermanduringtrainingsessions.‘Ourlanguageonthepitchisallaboutgivinginstructions,’hesaid.GettyImages

‘Iknowhowmuchthismeanstohim,hisfirsttitle.IalsoknowabouthisoldrivalrywithMourinho.’FranckRibérycelebrateswithGuardiolaafterhissecond-halfstrikeagainstJoseMourinho’sChelseaintheUEFASuperCupinAugust2013.TheFrenchmandedicatedhisman-of-the-matchawardtohisnewboss.GettyImages

‘HaveyouseenhowwellLahmanticipatesthenextpass?Howheturnsandprotectstheball?Hecanplayonthewingorinthemiddleofthefield.’Guardiola’sconversionofBayerncaptainPhilippLahmfromright-backtomidfieldlinchpinwasoneofthefoundationsoftheirsuccessGettyImages

TeenagemidfielderPierre-EmileHøjbjergwasquicklyidentifiedbyGuardiolaasaprodigioustalentandwouldgoontofeatureintheDFB-PokalfinalinMayafteratraumaticseasoninwhichhelosthisfather.‘He’sshownmehowimportantitistoplaywithoutfear.Justtogetonwithplayingwhetheryou’reupagainstXabiAlonsooracompleteamateur,’saidHøjbjerg.GettyImages

GuardiolaquicklyrevolutionisedBayern’strainingmethods,introducingtacticalandpositionalworkattheexpenseofhardrunning.TheCatalanwouldfrequentlyteasehisplayersovertheirinsistenceonrunning.‘Whatpurposedotheselongrunshaveotherthantohurtyourback?’hewouldlaugh.GettyImages

Pepstretchesafteratrainingsessionwhilechattingwiththeauthor.‘Pepisvery

fussyabouthisappearance,’writesPerarnau.Guardiolachatswiththeauthorinhisoffice.TheBayernbossgavePerarnau

unprecedentedaccesstotheclubthroughoutthe2013-14seasonontheprovisothathedidnotwriteaboutwhathesawuntilthecampaignhadended.

LorenzoBuenaventura(left),Bayern’sheadfitnesscoach,explainstheteam’sphysicalpreparationstrategytotheauthor.‘Heistryingtointroducenewconceptstofootballandhelikestoseeitevolvingyearbyyear,’saysBuenaventuraofGuardiola.

‘I’mtryingtoimplementsomethingthatfliesinthefaceoftheculturehere.’Pepexplainsthedetailsofhisgameplan,theplayerpositions,sequencesandmovementstohiscoachesbeforetraining.

Guardiolaandhiswife,Cristina,embraceOktoberfestinMunichbydressingintraditionalGermancostume.‘Idon’thaveanyproblemwithallthatbecausewhatisimportantfortheclubisalsoimportantforme,’saysGuardiola.‘AtBarçaIdidn’tdomuchofthiskindofthing…eachhasitscultureanditswayofdoingthings.’

Guardiola’srelationshipwithArjenRobbenwouldprovepivotaltohisrevolutionatBayern.‘IlovethisstyleoffootballbecauseitremindsmeabitofthetraditionalDutchgame,thefootballVanGaalusedtoplay,’saidRobben.GettyImages

BastianSchweinsteigerscoresinthe1-1drawduringBayern’slast16second-legmatchagainstArsenalinMarch2014.‘Witha2-0leadfromtheawaygame,itmadenosensetotakerisks,’reflectedGuardiola,whowatchedhissideclaimtheirplaceintheChampionsLeaguequarter-finals.GettyImages

PepissuesinstructionstoFranckRibéry,JaviMartínezandPhilippLahmduringBayern’sBundesligamatchagainstWerderBremenonApril2014.‘IwantthemtodigintothatDNA,letthemselvesgo,run,liberatethemselves,’insistsGuardiola.GettyImages

ManchesterUnited’sgoalkeeper,DaviddeGea,isunabletosaveArjenRobben’sstrikeduringtheChampionsLeaguequarter-finalsecondlegattheAllianzArena.ItwasatougheveningforthehomesidewhofellbehindtoPatriceEvra’sstrikeandstruggledtobreakUniteddown,beforeemerging3-1winnersonthenight.‘Whatelsedidyouexpect?They’reabrilliantteam,’insistedGuardiola.GettyImages

GuardiolafacedhisoldElClásiconemesisRealMadridinthe2014ChampionsLeaguesemi-final.ItwouldprovetobeanunhappyreunionfortheCatalan,wholostthefirstleg1-0andthenchangedtacticsforthesecondlegatthebehestof

hisplayers,onlytogodown4-0.‘Igotittotallywrong,’headmitted.GettyImages

SergioRamosscoresRealMadrid’ssecondgoalduringtheChampionsLeaguesemi-finalsecondleg.Astonishingly,afteraseasonofdefensivesolidity,BayernconcededthreeofMadrid’sfourgoalsfromsetplays.GettyImages

AdejectedPhilippLahmlooksonasRealMadrid’splayerscelebratetheirprogressiontotheChampionsLeaguefinal.Guardiola’sdecisiontomoveLahmfromhisinfluentialberthinmidfieldtoright-backprovedaserioustacticalerroragainsttheSpaniards.GettyImages

BayernsecuredtheBundesligatitlewitharecordsevengamesstilltoplay.ItfulfilledGuardiola’sstatedambitiontoputdomesticsuperiorityaheadofeverythingelseinhisfirstseason,butalsodisruptedhisteam’smomentumintheChampionsLeague.GettyImages

JérômeBoatengshowershismanagerwithbeerastheycelebratetheBundesligatitle.‘Ilovedeveryminuteofthatshowerbecauseofwhatitsymbolised:wearethechampions.Nomeanfeat!’saidGuardiola.GettyImages

PepholdsalofttheBundesligatrophyafterBayerns’shomewinoverVfBStuttgart.‘Iparticularlyappreciatealltheeffortmadebyplayers…ithasnotbeeneasytocomebackfromatreble-winningseasonandstaymentallyorphysicallyatpeak,’saidGuardiola.GettyImages

SevendaysafterliftingtheBundesliga,ArjenRobbencelebratesscoringagainstBorussiaDortmundduringtheDFBPokalfinalatBerlin’sOlympiastadion.The2-0victoryafterextra-timeisatacticaltriumphforGuardiola,whoemployedamoreconservativeapproachafterlearninglessonsfromtheChampionsLeaguelosstoRealMadrid.GettyImages

GuardiolaisflungintothenightskyinBerlinaftervictoryinBerlin,mimickingthesamecelebrationduringhisspellatBarcelona.GettyImages

‘Ichliebeeuch.IchbineinMünchener[Iloveyou.I’maMunichmannow]’.CradlingtheDFB-Pokal,GuardiolajoinshisteamontheMunichtownhallbalconyatMarienplatzbeforeaddressingthefans.GettyImages

Bayernbecamethesecondteamtofollowatreble-winningseasonwithadouble,theotherbeingPSVEindhovenin1987/8and1988/9.GettyImages

‘We’vewonalotandeveryoneisdelightedbecausewinningtitlesbuysyouthetimeyouneedtostartbuildingthefuture.’Season2014-15willbringahostofnewchallengesforGuardiola,bothdomesticallyandinEurope.GettyImages

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ThanksgotoLufthansaandtheMunichU-Bahn(Metro)forgettingmethereontime.

AndtothesecurityguardsatFCBayern,ledbyHeinzJünger,whoshelteredmefromtheheatandthecold.

AhugethankyouisalsoduetoeveryoneatMunich’sHotelWetterstein,whereIspentmuchoflastyearandfeltverymuchathome.

Thanks also to Markus Hörwick, FC Bayern’s very able director ofcommunications,andtohis teamNinaAigner,CristinaNeumann,HolgerQuestandPetraTrott.

IamenormouslygratefultoalltheFCBayernplayers,andinparticulartoThiagoAlcántara, JerômeBoateng,DanteBonfim,Pierre-EmileHøjbjerg,PhilippLahm,JaviMartínez,ManuelNeuer,Rafinha,FranckRibéry,ArjenRobbenandBastianSchweinsteiger,fortheircollaborationandthekindnesstheyhaveshownme.

ThanksalsotoPaulBreitner,RomanGrill,JuppHeynckes,JürgenKlopp,AlexisMenuge, Christoph Metzelder, Stefen Niemeyer, Manuel Pellegrini, DanielRathjen,RonaldReng,Karl-HeinzRummenigge,Xavier Sala iMartín,ChristianStreich, Julien Wolff and Mounir Zitouni, who have all made interestingcontributionstothisbook.

ToMatthiasSammer,forallhispassionandhisGermanlanguagetutorials.Thanksalso to IsaacLluch, ayoung, talented journalistwhosevital support for

me,ineverysenseoftheword,knewnobounds.Sincere thanks to Guardiola’s technical team, Domènec Torrent, Lorenzo

Buenaventura andCarlesPlanchart,withoutwhosedirection and advice itwouldhavebeenimpossibletounderstandtheteam’strainingregimeandplayingstyle.

AndtoManelEstiarte,thekeythatopenseverydoor.ItisimpossibletoexpresstheenormousdebtIowehimforallhishelpandsupport.

And finally, to Pep Guardiola, the man who gave me this opportunity tounderstandindepththeworkingsofanelitefootballteam,forallthegenerosityheshowedmeeventhroughtheblackestmomentsoftheseason.

PARTONE

TIME,PATIENCE,PASSION

‘Weneedpatience.’KARL-HEINZRUMMENIGGE

***

‘Weneedpassion.’MATTHIASSAMMER

***

‘Weneedtime.’PEPGUARDIOLA

1

DINNERWITHKASPAROV

NewYork,October2012

TAKING A LAST bite of salad, Garry Kasparov shook his head and mutteredirritably:‘Impossible!’

For the third time that night he tried to fend off Pep Guardiola’s relentlessquestioning.TheCatalanwasdeterminedtounderstandwhyKasparovwouldnotevenconsidertheideaofcompetingagainsttheyoungmaestro,MagnusCarlsen,theworld’smostpromisingchessplayer.

Until then, the atmosphere over dinner had been perfectly congenial. Indeed,sincemeetingKasparovafewweeksbefore,Pephadmadenoattempttoconcealhisfascinationforthegreatchampion.

Kasparov embodies the qualities Pep prizes above all others: resilience,intelligence, dedication, persistence, inner strength and a healthy streak ofrebelliousness.Ithadthereforebeenanabsolutedelighttomeetupoveramealortwo. So far the conversation had covered a range of topics from economics andtechnologyto,inevitably,sportandcompetition.

Guardiolawasafewmonthsintohissabbaticalfromtheeliteofworldfootball.HehadpromisedhimselfayearoftranquilityinNewYorkandwasjuststartingtoenjoyit.

HehadspearheadedatriumphanteraatFCBarcelona,themostsuccessfulperiodintheCatalanclub’shistory–achievementswhichmayneverbematched.Duringhis four years in charge he won a formidable total of 14 trophies out of the 19available, including six titles in 2009 alone. Yet, despite all of the brilliance andpassion,theexperiencehadlefthimdrainedandexhausted.Increasinglydispirited,hehaddecidedtoleaveBarçabeforethedamagebecameirreparable.

NewYorkrepresentedafreshstart.Hewantedthechancetoswitchoff,forgetthepastanddiscovernewideas.Thiswasanopportunitytorechargehisbatteriesandtopupthereservesofenergythathadbecomesodepleted.Hewaskeentospendtimewithhisfamily,whomhehadneglectedunderpressureofwork.

Therewouldalsobetimetotouchbasewitholdfriends.OneofthosewasXavier

Sala i Martín, professor of economics at Columbia University, who had beendirectoroffinanceatBarçafrom2009to2010,duringJoanLaporta’sfinaltermaspresident.

SalaiMartín,arenownedeconomistwithaninternationalreputation,isagoodfriend of the Guardiola family and has lived in New York for some time. Hispresencetherewasanimportantfactorinovercomingthefamily’smisgivingsaboutmovingtothecity.ThechildrenhadnotyetmasteredEnglishandCristina,Pep’swife,wouldhavetoleaveherownjobinthefamilybusinessinCatalonia.

Initially,noneofthemwasparticularlyenthusiasticaboutPep’sproposal,butSalaiMartínpersuadedthemtogiveNewYorkagoandsofarthewholeexperiencehadprovedmuchbetterthanexpected.

SalaiMartínalsocountsGarryKasparovasaclosefriendandoneautumnnightwasforcedtodeclineadinnerinvitationtotheGuardiolas’NewYorkhome:‘SorryPep.Ican’tmakeittonight.I’mhavingdinnerwiththeKasparovs.’

He then suggested thathisCatalan friendaccompanyhim to themeal, an ideawhichdelightednotjustPepbutKasparovandhiswife,Daria,too.

Duringwhatwasa fascinatingevening, theconversationfloweddespite the factthatneither chessnor footballwasmentioned.They talked about inventions andtechnology,aboutthevalueofbreakingpre-establishedparadigmsandthevirtueofremaining steadfast in the face of uncertainty. Most of all, they talked aboutpassion.

CentraltothediscussionwasKasparov’sratherbleakassertionthattechnologicalpotential isbeingdirectedtotheworldofentertainmentmorethananythingelse.In his view, current technological advances lack the transcendence of theirpredecessorsandthishashelpedcontributetoworldwideeconomicstagnation.

According to the former world chess champion, even the birth of the internetcan’tbecomparedtothetransformativepoweroftheinventionofelectricity,whichresulted in authentic worldwide economic change. It gave women access to theworkplaceanddoubledthetotalvolumeoftheworldeconomy.Inotherwords,hebelieves that the economic impact of the internet in terms ofmarket productionratherthanpurefinance,isvastlyinferior.

Citing the example of the iPhone,whose processingpotential is far superior tothatoftheApollo11computer,theAGC(ApolloGuidanceComputer),whichhad100,000times lessRAMmemory,hepointedout thatwhilstACGswereusedtoputmenonthemoon,nowweusemobilephonestokilllittlebirds(areferencetothepopulargameAngryBirds).

SalaiMartínobservedtheencounterwithsomeadmiration.

‘Itwasfascinatingtospendtimewithtwosuchclevermenandbeprivytotheirdiscussionsabouttechnology,inventions,passionandcomplexity.’

Themutual fascinationwas such that a fewweeks later theymade adate for asecondmeal.SalaiMartín,whohadleftforSouthAmerica,wasunabletoattend,butthistimeCristinaSerra,Pep’swife,joinedthegroup.

Onthisoccasionthesubjectofchesswasdefinitelyontheagenda.Guardiola was surprised by Kasparov’s intransigent attitude towards the

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, whom he predicted would be the new worldchampion(Carlsendid indeedbecomechampionayear later inNovember2013,whenhebeatViswanathanAnand6.5to3.5).

Kasparovwasunstintinginhispraiseofthegreatyoungmaestro(then22yearsold),whomhehadsecretlytrainedin2009.ButhealsopointedouttheweaknessesCarlsenwouldhavetoovercomeinordertodominatetheworldofchess.

It was then that Guardiola asked Kasparov if he felt capable of beating theemergingNorwegian.Theresponsesurprisedhim: ‘Ihavetheabilitytobeathim,butinpracticeitisimpossible.’

Theanswer struckGuardiolaas littlemore thanpoliticalcorrectness. Itwas,heassumed,anattemptbytheimpetuousRussiantobeasdiplomaticaspossible.‘ButGarry,’heinsisted,‘youhavetheability,sowhycouldn’tyoubeathim?’

Forthesecondtime,therejoinderwasanemphatic‘Impossible!’ButPepGuardiolaisastubbornmanandKasparovhad,afterall,allowedhimto

open this particular can ofworms.Hewas not going to let thematter rest.TheCatalanstoodhisgroundandrepeatedhisquestionforthethirdtime.

This time Kasparov seemed to visibly retreat into the protective shell he haddeveloped in his chess playing days. Eyes fixed on his plate, as if defending aparticularlytenuouspositiononthechessboard,hesnapped:‘Impossible.’

A change of tactic was in order and Guardiola decided to wait for anotheropportunity to explore the reasons forKasparov’s stubbornness – not out of idlecuriosity but because he sensed that, somewhere within, lay the answer to a keyquestion forGuardiola:Whyhadhebeen sowornoutbyBarça?And, above all,howcouldheavoidrepeatingthesamemistakeinthefuture?

If Ihad todefinePepGuardiola Iwoulddescribehimasamanwhoquestionseverything, not through insecurity or fear of the unknown, but in the search forperfection. Although he recognises it as an impossible goal, it is nonetheless theforce that drives him. As a result, he is often left with a pervading sense ofunfinishedwork.

Guardiola canbeobsessional in this respect andbelieves that the ideal solution

can be found only after examining all the available options.Rather like amasterchessplayerwhoanalysesallthepossibilitiesbeforemovinghisnextpiece.

Whenhe sits down topreparehis gameplanhedoesnot spend time thinkingabouthisteam’sgeneralapproach.Hisplayerswillbegoingouttogettheball,playattackingfootballandwinthematch.

The basic strategy never changes but there is still room for nuance, for theapplication of a range of different options all of which he examines in theweekbefore a match. He goes over and over the line-up in his mind, analysing thecontribution of one player with respect to another and examining how theiropponentswillaffectwhathisplayerscando.Hewants tobe sureof the levelofsynergybetweenplayingpartnersaswellashowthedifferentlinesinhisteamwillworktogetherwhenunderattack.

Nomattertheopponent,hispreparationneverchangesandhewillnotrestforaseconduntil all thevariantshavebeendissectedandassessed.Then,whenhehasfinished,hegoesoveritallagain.ThisiswhatManelEstiarte,hisright-handmanat Barça andBayern, calls ‘the law of 32minutes’. The term refers to his often-fruitlessattemptstopersuadePeptodisconnect fromfootball.FromtimetotimeEstiarte will use all the resources at his disposal to curb the coach’s obsessionalbehaviour.Experience,however,has taughthimthatPepcannotbedistracted formuchlongerthan30minutesatatime.

‘Youinvitehimforamealinarestaurant,hopingthathe’llforgetaboutfootball,but32minuteslateryoucanseehismindisalreadywandering,’Estiarteexplains.‘He starts staring at the ceiling and, although he’s nodding as if he’s listening toyou, he’s not looking at you. In actual fact he’s probably thinking about theopposition left-back, the marking scheme for the midfielders, how much thewingers can support the inside-forwards…theguycanonlymanagehalf anhourandthenhegoesstraightbacktohismentalcontemplation.’

The stress caused by this constant need to analysewill bemuch easier to copewithatBayern,aslongastheplayersandmanagementarebehindhim.

In fact, Estiarte now insists on him leaving Säbener Strasse, Bayern’s trainingground,fromtimetotimeandgoinghometodisconnect.OntheseoccasionsPepdoesindeedgohome.Heplayswithhiskidsandthen,ataboutthehalf-hourmark,goesofftoalittlealcoveatthefarendofthehallandreturnstohisanalysis.His32minutes are up and, for the fourth time that day, he sets about exploring all theoptionsfromeveryangle.

This iswhyKasparov’s responsehadbecome so important tohim.This iswhyPephadtodeciphertheenigma.

Why would a legend like Kasparov, himself an amazing talent, consider itimpossibletobeatanopponent?

Intheend,itwasthefemalemembersofthisNewYorkgatheringwhoprovidedtheanswer.Bringingtheconversationbacktotheconceptofpassion,CristinaandDariabegantodiscussthepressuresandemotionalexhaustioninvolved.

‘Perhapsitisanissueofconcentration,’suggestedCristina.‘That’s it!’ Daria agreed. ‘If it were just one two-hour game Garry could beat

Carlsen,butinrealitythematchwouldgoonforfiveorsixhoursandGarryjustdoesn’twanttogothroughthepainofsomanyhourswithhisbrainonoverload,calculatingpossibilities.Carlsen isyoungand isn’t awareyetofwhat thatdoes toyou.Garryunderstandstheimpactonlytoowellandwouldn’twanttogothroughthatfordaysonend.Youwouldendupwithoneplayerwhocanconcentrateforfivehoursandanotherwhocanmanageonlytwo.Itwouldbeimpossibleforhimtowin.’

That nightGuardiolamanaged very little sleep.Hewas too busy reflecting oneverythinghehadheard.

2

‘INEEDTOKNOWEVERYTHINGABOUTTHECLUB,ASQUICKLYASPOSSIBLE.’

Munich,June24,2013

IT’STHEFESTIVALofSanJuan,Pep’s firstdayatBayern,and it is raining. Itdoes not seem to bother him.He is radiant, almost to the point that he has tocontainthefeelingofpurejoythatthreatenstooverflowatanymoment.

There are no nerves.What he feels is pure elation and he has no intention ofhidingit.Heisdelightedtohavereturnedtofootball;hefeelslikeheisstandinginthestartinggate,confidentintheknowledgethathisrideisfast,spiritedandeagertobeoff.EveryoneatBayernsharesthesameexcitedanticipation.ThisisthedayofPep’spresentationandemotionsarerunninghigh.Itisasiftheyhavejustaddedyetanother title to the treble won in the season just ended – or elsemade the firstconquestofthenewseason.

Thisisadaythatwillgodownintheclub’shistorybooks.Thecelebrationsare,however,lowkey.

Twohundredandfortysevenjournalistshavebeeninvitedtothepressconference–thebiggestnumberevertohavebeengivenaccreditationforaneventlikethisatthe club.Theatmosphere in theAllianzArena is extraordinary, as ifPep’s arrivalrepresentsnotasimplepresentation,moreanaccession.EnthusiasticnoisefillstheMunichstadiumandthere istensionintheairasasolidmassof journalistscramthemselvesintothepressroom.

Pep is delighted to be back in the saddle. No longer the exhausted figure wewatchedwalkingawayfromBarça;todaythereisagleaminhiseye,andhelooksrejuvenated.Heisdoingwhathelovesonceagain.Workingwithaballathisfeet.

‘Ilovefootball,’hedeclares.‘IlikeditevenbeforeIstartedtoplayit.Istillliketoplay it, I like towatch it, I like to talk about it. I’m going to shutmyself up inSäbenerStrassesothatIlearneverythingIneedtoknowabouttheclubasquicklyaspossible,rightdowntotheyoungstersintheyouthsystem.’

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, president of the executive committee, starts off byannouncingtheclub’sobjectives:‘Forus,themostimportanttitleistheBundesliga

because it represents 34 matches. The highest prize as always is the ChampionsLeague,but it is a competitionwhere there arenoguarantees and the thingsyoutakeforgrantedindomesticfootballdon’talwayswork.

‘I am really looking forward to findingoutwhatPepwill change in the team.’Thecoachwaveshishandsasiftosayheintendstochangeverylittle,althoughIhave the feeling that this is his natural diplomacy rather than anything else.Histechnicalteam,standingjustafewmetresawayfromhim,seemtoagree.

ManelEstiarte,whopreferstoworkquietlybehindthescenes,willbehisright-handman, thepersonwhowill tell it like it is, regardless ofwhether thenews isgoodor bad.DomènecTorrent shares thepost of assistant coachwithHermannGerland. Gerland is a Bayern man through and through, and has worked withplayerssuchasThomasMüller,DavidAlabaandPhilippLahm.

Lorenzo Buenaventura is sitting amongst the journalists. Buenaventura is thephysicaltrainerwhosededicationtoGuardiola issuchthathedroppedeverythingtofollowhimtoBarça,andhasnowjoinedhiminMunich.

Carles Planchart is next to Buenaventura. Planchart will be responsible forscouting, aswell as the tactical analysisof rivals and, stillmore importantly, theirmovementsonthepitch.

Cristina,Pep’swife, andMaria,his eldestdaughter, are in the sixth rowof thehall.His brother, Pere, has also come along today, accompanied by both EvaristMurtra, the director who initially suggested that Pep become Barça coach, andJaumeRoures,theimpresariowhocontrolsSpanishfootball’sbroadcastrights.

Thecoach’sagent,JosepMariaOrobitg, is the lastofthesmallgroupoffamilyandfriendswhohavemadethetriptobeheretoday.

Bayern welcomes Guardiola as if they have just found the final piece of theirpuzzle.Pep representseverything theyneed tomake that final leap to thehighestechelonsofthesport.

Rummeniggeputsit intowordsforus: ‘WehavemadeupamassiveamountofgroundonFCBarcelonabutremaininsecondplacedespitethegreatsuccessesofthis last season. I am delighted to have signed someone like Guardiola. It is aprivilegeforBayern.’

Guardiola tries to quieten the crowd and temper their growing enthusiasm: ‘Itwouldbepresumptuous to say thatBayern is about toembarkonanewera.Wehavetotakeitstepbystep.Expectationsareveryhighanditisn’tgoingtobeeasy.I’mactuallyalittlenervous.’

To everyone’s surprise, he speaks in very accurate German. He has a go atcomplexgrammatical constructions andcorrectlyuses thedemonstrativepronoun

‘diese’ as well as the difficult word ‘herausforderung’ when he talks about thechallengeshefaces.

InhisfirstfewweeksinchargetheGermanpresswillmakeafussofhismasteryof their languagebut, as themonthsgoby, itwillbecomeanormalpartof theirinteractions,evenifhehastoaskthemtoslowdownfromtimetotime.

Everyonewantstoknowwhatheintendstochange.ShouldtheyexpectthekindofrevolutionheinitiatedatBarçain2008whenheshowedRonaldinhoandDeco,thesupremelytalentedbutwaywardBrazilians,thedoor?

Pep shakeshis head: ‘There is very little in the team that has to change.Everycoach has his own ideas but, in my opinion, any team that has won four titles[includingthe2012GermanSuperCup]doesn’tneedmuchofanoverhaul.Bayernaredoingbrilliantlyandyouhaveanexcellentteam.Ihopetomaintainthesamelevel of success as Jupp Heynckes. He is a first-class coach and I admire himenormouslynotonlybecauseofhismostrecenttriumphs,butfortheworkhehasdonethroughouthiswholecareer.IhopetomeethimagainsoonbecauseIvaluehisopinion.It’sagreathonourtobehissuccessorandIhavethegreatestrespectforhim.’

Itisasiftheclubanditsnewcoacharestartingafresh.Pepwon14titlesinfouryearsatBarcelona,theMunichclubgatheredseventitlesinthesameperiod;butfortoday they have forgotten their past successes and are thinking only of this newbeginning.

UliHoeness, the club’s president, confesses thathehad topinchhimselfwhenGuardiola indicated an interest in joining them: ‘Initially,whenPep said that hecouldimaginehimselfcoachinghereoneday,wecouldn’tbelieveit!’

With almost childlike enthusiasm, big hopes and high expectations, they areembarking on this new journey together.But there is also an element of fear. Infootballeveryonestarts fromzerowitheverynewseason.Youareonlyasgoodasyourlastgame.

Pep:‘WhenaclublikeBayerncallsyouhavetorespondandIamreadytofacethechallenge.MytimeatBarcelonawasfantastic,butIneededsomethingnewandBayernhasgivenmethisopportunity.

‘ThereisgoingtobelotsofpressurebutI’lljusthavetoputupwithit.AsBayerncoachyouareexpectedtoplaywellandkeepwinning.

‘I want to reiterate that a team as successful as this one won’t need toomanychanges.’

Thespeechisverydifferenttotheonehedeliveredbackin2008,whenhetookoveratBarça.BackthenPeppromisedtostruggle,torunandtofightuntilthelast

whistleofthelastminuteofthelastgame.Here,theeffortistakenforgrantedandthe huge pressure that Guardiola will impose on himself and others will beconsideredmuchliketherainorthebeer inMunich, justanothernormalpartofeverydaylife.

Rightnowheisanxioustoexplainhisfootballphilosophy:‘Myfootballissimple:Iliketoattack,attackandattack.’

Then everyone makes their way down to the Allianz Arena pitch so thatGuardiola can sit on the coach’s bench for the first time. One of the Catalanspresent quotes Cavafy’s famous poem ‘Íthaca’ – a favourite of Pep’s. ‘May thejourneybelong,’hewishesPeponthisfreshMunichmorning.Guardiolaturnstohimandadds:‘Let’shopeit’sagoodjourney,too!’

Pephasspentasmuchtimeashecouldendureawayfromfootball.Someweekspreviously,ManelEstiartewastakenabackwhentheCatalanasked

himtohavehisofficeinSäbenerStrassereadyfromJune10.‘What on earth are you going to do there at that time of the summer?’ he

demanded.‘Therewon’tbeanyoneabout!Enjoyyourholidays,becauseverysoonyouwon’thaveanyfreetimeatall.’

Pepisbackwherehewantstobe.Pursuinghispassion.But what about Bayern? Why the change? Why would a treble-winning horse

decidetochangeitsrider?Porqué?Warum?Why?Tounderstand the reason forBayern’s decision to appoint a new coach just as

they were enjoying such success requires an understanding of the realities of amodernfootballclub,andtheroleofthedirectorsinanindustrywhichcombinesthetangiblewiththeintangible–mixinggoalsandroarsinequalmeasure.

Bayerncouldboastaproudhistory,financialclout, innateself-confidenceandastrongfanbase.Afteragloriousrunofsuccesses,thefuturelookedbright.Theyhadbuilt their excellence on the virtues that best represent the German character:endurance, unshakeable belief and an iron will. What they lacked was a playingphilosophy.

HoenessandRummeniggewerenolonger interestedinjustwinningtitles,nowthey wanted a clear identity, an enduring hallmark which would establish theirdominance once and for all. Theywished that, in due course, the Bayern brandwouldn’t simply be related to effort, courage, power and victory. They wantedmore.Inthisquest,Pepwasthechosenone.

Perhaps the real stroke of genius on the part of the Bavarian clubwas to startmaking changes at the peak of their success. After all, nobody would havecomplainedhadtheycontinuedwithHeynckesandhisstaffaftertheirtreblewin.

UnderGuardiola,theclubhopedtotakeaquantumleapforwardandachievethekindofconsistentandenduringsuccesstheycraved.Theyunderstoodthatnoneofthiswouldbeeasy.Heynckeshadsetthebarveryhigh.

Allofthishasledtothismoment.Here,today,onJune24,2013,intheAllianzArena.

OnthepitchGuardiola’seyesmeetthoseofMatthiasSammer,Bayern’stechnicaldirector,themanonwhomhe’llcometorelyinthecomingmonths.

Pep’s expression seems to hint at the paradox he is accepting.His climb startshere,atthesummit.Hismissionistoclimbhigherstill.

InMunichitrainsforabout134daysayear.JustonemorethingPepwillhavetogetusedto.

3

‘ICOULDSEEMYSELFCOACHINGHEREONEDAY.’

NewYork,October2012

‘PREPAREYOURSELF,MANEL.I’vechosenBayern!’InPescara,inthenorth-eastofItaly,ManelEstiartesmiles.Hardthoughithad

beenforhisoldfriendtocloseonechapterofhis life, thedecisionabouthisnextstep had obviously been an easy one. Their destination would not after all beEngland,butGermany.

TheexchangeistakingplacefivemonthsafterPep’sdeparturefromBarça.Inthistime, he has been flooded with offers: Chelsea, Manchester City, Milan and, ofcourse,Bayern.Inreality,theyarenotjoboffers,butloveletters,projectproposalsforthismostillustriousofcoaches.

ThedeparturefromBarçahadbeenlonganddifficultandGuardiolahadsharedhis plans with his friend Estiarte before speaking to the club, or even to TitoVilanova, his deputy and successor. The reason was pretty straightforward. Afterfouryearsatmaximumintensity,Pepwasdrained.Hehadnomoretogive.

Thiswasnottheonlyreason,ofcourse.Over his four-year tenure, Pep had been expected to act as coach, club

spokesperson, virtual president and even travel co-ordinator.During that timehehadalsostruggledtoremainongoodtermswithtwosuccessivepresidents.

HehadfoundinJoanLaportaadynamicbutpushyman,whopossessedvolcanicenergy and who could be supportive one minute and undermining the next.Electric,contradictory–occasionallylewd.

SandroRosellwasdifferentandPepquicklydiscoveredthatthenewpresident’ssmilingdemeanourconcealedthecold,treacherousheartofabureaucrat.Guardiolabalanced theat-timeshystericalbehaviourofLaportawithhisowncalm sobriety.He coped with Rosell’s sanctimonious posturing by injecting an overdose of hisownenergy.

Relationswith neither presidentwere simple. Pepmanaged to deal calmly andquietlywithLaporta’shistrionicoutbursts.Althoughthetwomenwerenotclose,

thecoachappreciatedtheopportunities thepresidenthadgivenhim.Laportahadinitially appointed Guardiola as Barcelona B coach and Pep had been hugelysuccessful there, bringing the team up from the tough Third Division, anachievementhestillconsidersoneofhisgreatestsuccesses.HisgratitudetoLaportawas absolutely sincere and also extended to the sports director, his old colleaguefromJohanCruyff’sDreamTeam,theelusivewinger,TxikiBegiristain.

ThetriumphsofLaporta’speriodincharge,however,concealedthestrugglesandskirmishesgoingonbehindthescenes.

AttimesPepfeltlikethecaptainofaponderousoceanlinerashefoughttosteerthe team in one direction whilst the club pulled in the other. No decision wasstraightforward, whether it involved transferring training sessions to the newtrainingground,makingsurehistechnicalstaffhadthesamesponsoredcarsasthesquad, organising publicity shots or agreeing the club’s official position on anyissue.FCBarcelonawasavastmachinethatmovedtoarhythmandleadershipstylethathadlittletodowiththewayGuardiolamanagedhisteam.

However,byearly2010Guardiolasensedthat thingswereabouttotakea turnfortheworse.Presidentialelectionswere loomingthatsummerandSandroRosellwasthefavouritetowin.Rosellhadbeenvice-presidentfrom2003to2005,untildisagreementswithLaportaforcedhimtoresign.

UnderLaporta, theCatalan coachhadwonall six titles:LaLiga, theCopadelRey, theChampionsLeague, theEuropean andSpanishSupercups and theClubWorldCup.

Rosellwontheelectionswithanoverwhelmingmajorityandhisarrivaladdedasenseofanimosityandresentmentto thealreadycomplexbureaucraticdifficultieswhichplaguedlifeattheclub.Inprivate,thenewpresidentreferredtoPepastheDalaiLama.BelievinghiscoachtobeaLaportadevotee,hewasslowtotrusthimandresentedthefactthattheteamhadpeakedtooearlybywinningthesixtrophiesduring his predecessor’s reign. The gulf between president and coach becameunbreachablewhenRosellpersuadedtheclub’sgeneralassemblyofmemberstovoteinfavouroftakinglegalactionagainstLaporta.Rosellwassmartenoughtoabstainfromthevotehimself,butforGuardiolaitwasthebeginningoftheend.

For four years, Pep demanded unstinting effort from his players. Nothing buttheirbestwoulddoandat timeshisexactingstandardscaused frictionwithinthegroup.Manyoftheplayerswereunfazedbytherelentlessworkrate,butsomefelttheyhadearnedtherighttorelaxabit.Theyweretheeliteofworldfootball,afterall,andtheyhadthetrophies toprove it.MorethanoneofPep’smenwerenowinterestedincontestingonlytheimportantgamesandtheybegantomakeexcuses

toavoidthekindofgrim,uninspiringwintermatcheswhichwereplayedoncold,inhospitablepitches.ToaddtoPep’swoes,onenewsigninginparticularwasfailingtoliveuptoexpectations.

Despite the team’s continuing success, Pep knew that his time at Barça wasnearing its end. ‘Theday I see the light gooutofmyplayers’ eyes, I’ll know it’stimetogo.’

Byearly2012,someeyeswerealreadyalittlelessbright.PeoplearoundFCBarcelonahaveoftenclaimedthatPep’sdecisiontoleavewas

influencedbySandroRosell’slackofsupportforhisplanstomakedrasticchangesto the squad. Plans which apparently included selling players like Gerard Piqué,CescFàbregasandDaniAlves.

The Catalan coach flatly denied this when we spoke: ‘It’s just not true. I leftBarcelona because I was worn out. I explained how I felt to the president inOctober2011.Therewasnochangeofheartafterthat.Soitwouldhavemadenosenseatallformetostartchangingthesquad.IknewIwasleaving!

‘The facts of thematter are thatwewon four titles that year andwere playingbetterthanever,withthe3-4-3weusedagainstRealMadridandthe3-7-0IoptedforintheClubWorldCup.WewereplayingbrilliantlybutIwasonmykneesandhadnonewtacticalideasleft.ThatwaswhyIleft.Therewasnootherreason.’

HavinggonetoNewYorkinsearchofsomepeaceandquiet,PepnonethelessstillhadtocopewithacertainamountofpartingshotsaimedathimfromBarcelona.

During his sabbatical year the job offers poured in. His ex-colleague TxikiBegiristain,thedirectoroffootballatManchesterCity,wasveryinsistent.HealsometupinPariswithRomanAbramovich,whowaspreparedtodoanythingtolurePeptoChelsea.

Bayern, too, were anxious to register an early interest and a delegation fromMunichattendedPep’slastgamewithBarça,thefinaloftheCopadelReyagainstAthleticinMadridonMay25,2012.TheCatalanclubwon3-0thatday.

IntheeventtheBayerndelegationdidnotgetachancespeaktoGuardiola,buttheymadetheirinterestclearduringameetingwithhisagent.Itwasjustsixdayssince the Munich team had suffered a painful defeat to Chelsea at home in theChampionsLeague final, agame theyhad lostonpenalties. ItwasanotherheavyblowfortheBavarianclubattheendofabitterlydisappointingperiod.Oneweekearlier, they had lost 5-2 to BorussiaDortmund in theDFB-Pokal [theGermancup]finalinBerlin.Theiropponentshadjustwontheirsecondconsecutiveleaguetitleafterabrilliantcampaign,beatingBayernbyeightpoints.

InthespaceofafewweeksBayernhadlostthreetitles:theBundesliga,theDFB-

PokalandtheChampionsLeague.AfterenduringtheagonisingChampionsLeaguedefeat,Heynckespromisedhiswife thathewouldonlygoon foronemoreyear.ThedirectorsofBayernfeltthesameway.Asubstitutehadtobefound.

FromthestartPepwaswelldisposedtotheoverturesfromtheBavarianclub.Ayearbefore, in late July2011,not long after a resounding3-1 victory in the

Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley, Barcelonacompeted in the Audi Cup in Munich. Pep liked the set-up at Säbener Strasse,despite the fact that it was smaller than Barça’s training ground and had fewertechnicalfacilities.TheCatalanwasimpressedandtoldManelEstiarteprivately:‘Ilikethisplace.Icouldseemyselfcoachinghereoneday.’

Estiarte was not too surprised by the comment. Pep had said something verysimilar a few months before, at Manchester United. The day after beating RealMadrid in theChampions League semi-final,Guardiola and Estiarte travelled toManchester towatchtheirnextopponent inaction. ItwasMay4,2011,andthepairsat together inthestandsofOldTraffordwatchingSirAlexFerguson’s teambeat Schalke 4-1.Once again Pep had turned to his friend and said: ‘I like thisatmosphere.Icouldseemyselfcoachinghereoneday.’

Guardiolahasalwaysfeltadeepadmiration,almostveneration,forthelegendaryteamsandplayersofEurope.EstiarteknowsthisandwasthereforenotsurprisedbyPep’s eagerness to meet up for a chat with Uli Hoeness and Karl-HeinzRummenigge in June 2011. The four had a quick coffee together and it soonbecameclearthathisfeelingsofadmirationforthetwoGermanswerereciprocatedinequalmeasure.

Bayernhad just appointed JuppHeynckes tomanage the secondphaseof theirproject, the initialstagehavingbeenoverseenbyLouisvanGaal.Guardiola, freshfrom winning another Champions League title with Barça, was still totallycommittedtotheCatalanclub.Atthatmomentnoneofthemcouldhaveimaginedhowcloselylinkedtheirdestinieswouldbecome.

There isno truth in the rumour thatPepgave theGermanshisphonenumberthatday.Thiswasamanwhohadwoneverytrophyimaginableandwhosefootballphilosophywasadmiredtheworldover.Hehadnoneedtoscribblehisdetailsonascrapofpaper.

‘Itdidn’thappenthewayithasbeenportrayedinthepress.WewerethereforafriendlyagainstBayernandwemetKalle [Rummenigge]andUli [Hoeness] forachat.ItoldthemhowmuchIadmiredboththeircurrentteamandBayernMunichasaclub.IthasalwaysbeenoneofthegreatclubsofEuropeanfootball.ButIhadnevergivena thought tocoaching there.Norwas I thinkingabout it then. Iwas

certainlynot offering themmy services.The fact that I endedup signing for theclubafewyearslaterwasjustatwistoffate.Itwasn’tsomethingIwasplanningorproposingthatday.’

Indeed,aswenowknow,thesituationwouldhavechangeddramaticallybythespringof2012.Withfourmoretitles(theSpanishandEuropeanSupercopas,theClubWorldCupandtheCopadelRey)underhisbelt,anexhaustedGuardiolawasbiddingawearyfarewelltoFCBarcelona.

Over inMunichmeanwhile, the indefatigableHoeness andRummeniggeknewthatHeynckeshadonlyoneyearleftandhadstartedtolookforareplacement.TheCopadelReyfinalwastheidealopportunitytoregistertheirinterest.

Withina fewmonths, inOctober2012,PepwouldbegivingEstiarte thenewsduringoneoftheirregularFaceTimechats.

‘Prepareyourself,Manel.I’vechosenBayern.’Thesetwomenarewellmatchedandhadbothbeenfirst-classglobalsportsmen

andOlympicchampions.Guardiolawasanextraordinaryfootballerwhopreferredtogounnoticedonthe

pitch.Hepositionedhimselffarfromtheopponents’goalandplayedapivotalroleindrivingtheflowofthegame.Hewasaplayerwhowasconstantlyplanninghisnextmove as he played the ball and everything he didwas designed to open upspaces and support his team-mates. For Guardiola, success meant organising theteamaroundhim.

Estiartewasanexceptionalathlete.KnownastheMaradonaofwaterpolo,hewasa prolific goal-scorer who possessed a killer instinct. He won every honour andtrophy available, earned578 caps, scored1,561goals for Spain andplayed in sixOlympicGames. For seven consecutive years, from 1986 to 1992, he was votedNo.1intheworldinhisfield.

The ease with which he seemed to single-handedly change the course of everygame also earned him comparisons with Michael Jordan, the greatest basketballplayer of all-time, and he was the top goal-scorer in four consecutive OlympicGames,aswellasinalltheothercompetitionshecompetedin.Despitethissuccess,onethingstilleludedhim.WinningOlympicgoldforSpain.

Intheenditwouldtakeachange inphilosophyrather thanathleticprowess tosecure this final prize. Having met and befriended Guardiola, Estiarte began toreflect upon his own approach to sport. He began to understand that while hisindividualisticplayingstyleandsingle-mindeddeterminationtoscorehadwonhimplentyofhonours,onlyeffectiveteam-workwouldhelphimtosecurethatelusivegoldmedal.Estiartedecidedheneededtomakesomechanges.

Alreadyaharshself-critic,heexaminedeveryaspectofhisowngameandsawthathis egotistical ideas had to go. Working co-operatively with his team-mates, hebegantoplayamoresupportive,enablingrole.Almostinevitably,Estiartelostthetopspotintermsofgoalsscored,buthissacrificechangedthefortunesofthewholeteamandSpainwonOlympicgoldandtheWorldCupconsecutively.

Working first atBarcelonawith Pep andnow assisting him atBayern, Estiartepreferstokeepa lowprofile.Heunderstandsmorethananybodythedifficultyofreconcilingpersonalambitionswiththeneedsofthecollective.

Nowadays,theMaradonaofwaterpoloisknownmostofallforhisintelligenceand intuition.Always ready toofferplayers thebenefitofhisownexperience,hisprimaryroleistosupportandprotectPepasmuchaspossible,ratherlikeagiftedmidfieldermakingawell-timedpasstohisstriker.

Pep toldme how important Estiarte is to him: ‘Coaching a football team is alonelyjobandthat’swhyIvalueloyaltyaboveallelse.Whenyouhittheinevitableroughpatch,youneedtoknowwhoyoucantrust.Manelhelpsmeenormouslyinahost of practicalways and is always happy to take on some of themore irksomepartsofmyjob.Allofthatisvitaltome,butmorethananythingit ishis loyaltyandemotionalsupportIprize.WhenI’mgoingthroughadifficultperiod,maybeevenstrugglingwithself-doubt,heisthereforme.Andhe’stheretoenjoythegoodtimesaswellofcourse.It’swonderfultohavesomeoneIcanchateverythingoverwith.Hewasaneliteathletehimself, thebest inhis field,andalthoughwecomefromdifferentbackgrounds,assportsmenwehavealotincommon.Manelhasanunerringinstinct.Heknowsimmediatelyifthingsaregoingwellornot.Heisquicktosensetheslightestchangeinatmosphereandcantellmewithabsolutecertaintywhetherornottheplayersarebehindus.Ifthere’saleakhe’llknowaboutit.Afterfive yearsworking togetherhehas learned to filterwhathe shareswithme and Ileaveittohimtodecide.Iregularlysaytohim,‘Manel,what’syourtakeonthis?’andcanalwaysrelyongettinganhonest, intelligentresponse.He interpretsbodylanguagebrilliantly,too,andknowsexactlywhataparticularlookorgesturemeans.The true greats all share this quality, this intuition. Other sportsmen do thingsmechanically,but tobe trulygreatyouneed this extra special ability.AndManelhasitinspades.That’swhyIneedhimhereworkingwithme–allofthatandthefact thatwe’regoodfriendsaswell.This is theMaradonaofwaterpolo,whohasachievedeverythinginhischosenprofessionandyetstillheisthefirsttorolluphissleevesandgetonwiththetaskinhand,nomatterhowtrivial.’

It isOctober 2012 and inNew York,Maria,Màrius andValentina, Pep’s three

children,arestillstrugglingtolearnEnglishandadjusttolifeattheirnewschool.TheCatalancoach’sphoneisringingoffthehookwithjoboffers.

TxikiBegiristain’sManchesterCityarestillkeen,andveryinsistent.Abramovichisdeployingallhischarm.HewantsPepandispreparedtomouldtheteamtohisspecifications.TheGermans, too, are determined, although their pitch is slightlylowerkeyandtothepoint.

‘PrepareyourselfManel.I’vechosenBayern’ChoosingBayerndoesnotmeansigningthecontractimmediately,however.Itis

just the first stage in the negotiations about financial terms and footballingphilosophy.

HoenesspromisesPepfromthestart:‘Don’tworry,we’llfindthemoney.’Bayern prefer to avoid debt and their policy is to ask their clubmembers and

sponsorstofootthebillforanynewinvestment.InthiscaseeveryoneishappytoinvestinPep.

Theydiscuss theirpreferredplaying styles and thekindofplayers the clubwillneed. Not a lot more needs to be said. Pep, Uli and Kalle are on the samewavelength.Theconversationgoessowellit’salmostasifthethreeofthemhaveaball at their feet. They discuss Mario Gómez, Luiz Gustavo and AnatoliyTymoshchuk,andPepinsiststhathewantstoholdontoToniKroos.

ByDecembertheyarereadytosignthecontracts,andpresidentHoenessmeetsGuardiola at his home in New York. Guardiola then informs Manchester City,ChelseaandACMilanthatheisgoingelsewhereandbeforelongSkyItaliabreaksthenews.Bayern’shandhasbeenforcedandonJanuary16theclubhastilyissuesastatement. Unfortunately they also, rather insensitively, fail to inform Heynckesfirst. The incumbent coach feels badly let down. His friends Hoeness andRummeniggehadtoldhimtheywerelookingforareplacement,butnotwhoitwasgoingtobe.

OverinBarcelonatonguesarewaggingandPep’scriticsaccusehimoftakingthesoft option. Little do they know that back in Munich Jupp Heynckes’metamorphosisfromcoachtolivinglegendhasjustbegunandthatheisabouttolead his team through a jaw-droppingly successful treble, setting the bartremendouslyhighforhissuccessor.

4

‘THEYWILLBEATTHEVANGUARDOFEUROPEANFOOTBALLFORTHENEXTFIVE

YEARS.’

Munich,June25,2013

‘THE REJUVENATION OF Bayern Munich’s football is still ongoing. Phasethreebeginshere.’

PaulBreitner, aBayern andRealMadrid legend, is speaking fromanoffice onSäbenerStrasse.Theconversationrangesfromthelate1970sonwardsasheoutlineseachstageoftheregenerationproject.

‘WhenKalle[Rummenigge]andIplayedforBayernundercoachPalCsernai,weusedacertainsystem.Andwestucktothatuntil2008.Whetheryoucallit4-1-4-1or4-2-4or4-4-2doesn’treallymatter.Thetacticalideaswerethesame.Itwasjustthatsomeofthemovesweredifferent.Butthatsystemisancienthistorynow.Thisisthe21stcenturyandallofthatshouldbeconsignedtothepast.’

ItwasclearthatthingshadtochangeatBayern,butnobodyknewexactlyhowtogoaboutit.Thatis,untilthearrivalofDutchmanLouisvanGaal.

‘Weknew that in themoderngameyouonlywin titlesbyplaying thekindoffootballBarcelonaespouse,’Breitnerpointsout.

‘Barçahadstartedtoplay likeabasketball team.Theymovedmuchmore,keptcirculatingtheballandalteringpositions.Theywereaimingforhighpossessionandliked to keep changing the rhythm of their game. It always felt like they hadproduced five hours of possession, when they had in fact only played for 90minutes.That’swhatmodern football is all about. It’swhatweneed tobedoingnowandperhaps even for anotherdecade.At leastuntil anothernew idea comesalong.Buthowwerewegoingtobringourantiquatedsystemup-to-date?LouisvanGaalwastheanswerwecameupwithand,happily,itwastherightonebecausehecompletelytransformedourfootball.’

ForBreitner,VanGaalrepresentedthekeytothefirstphaseoftherejuvenationofBayern’sgame.

‘He changed a few positions and introduced possession-based football. We

swappedBayern’straditionalstyleforthishigh-possessiongame.Buttherewasstillnoflexibilityintermsofplayers’positionsandeveryonehadtostickrigidlytohisownarea.Noonewas allowed towanderoutofhis specified sphereof influenceandwebegan toplayone-touch football.Wehad to focusonpassing theball toeachother.Insomematchesweendedupwith80%ofpossession,buttherewasnoreal rhythmor pace.After half an hour, everyone in theAllianzArenawould beyawningatthisdisplayofconstantpassing.Ibetallofthe71,000spectatorscouldpredictoureverymove.Ourgamewaswellexecutedbutvery,verypredictable.’

PhasetwowouldbeinthehandsofJuppHeynckes.Breitner: ‘He maintained Van Gaal’s system, but tinkered with this idea of

constantpossession.Hepointedoutthatthebasicideawassound.Whatwelackedwas speed and regular changes of rhythm. It took two years for him to fullyimplement his ideas and hewas rewarded in the second half of season 2012-13,whenwetoppedtheleaguewitharecordnumberofpoints.Inthefirsthalfoftheseason,betweenAugustandDecemberhewasstillworkingonsomemovesbut,bythe beginning of the secondhalf, in January andFebruary, the teamwas alreadydisplayingthedesiredrhythmandwasproducingacompletelydifferentgame.’

NowPepwilloverseetheexecutionofstagethree.‘That’s it exactly.Heynckes continued to opt for fixed positions.Hewanted a

high-speedgamethatwouldproducealotofgoals.Thatwasthekey.Itwasn’tjustaboutpossession;wewantedlotsandlotsofgoals.Now,underPep,we’rechangingto more flexible positioning. We’ll be circulating the ball more and aiming toproduce non-stop fluid movement, very much in the image of what Barça weredoingtwoorthreeyearsago,whentheywereattheirpeak.’

BreitnerisspeakingafterhehasjustpresentedGuardiolaastheclub’snewcoach.Assuch,hiswordsspeakofhopesandaspirations,ratherthanactualreality.Bayern,let’snot forget,havegone through sevendifferent coaches in just10years.FromOttmarHitzfeld toGuardiola.Seven.Not themostconvincingevidenceof rock-solid stability, even if Breitner’s words do go some way to justify the thinkingbehindtheirlastthreeappointments.

It is a day after Pep’s presentation and people are already asking the inevitablequestion: ‘Is this the start of a new era in European football? Are we seeing thebeginningofBayerndomination?’

In the Biergarten, a traditional Bavarian tavern in Munich’s Viktualienmarkt,threeCatalanjournalistsaddressthisveryquestion.RamonBesaofElPaís,MarcosLopezofElPeriódicoandAra’sIsaacLlucharenotconvinced.

‘Itcouldhappen,butit’sbynomeansinevitable.Barçaareshowingnosignsof

deterioration. In fact, they’re strengthening all areas of their game. There’s noreason to believe that we’re witnessing the birth of the new dominant force inEuropean football, the successor to Team Pep. We don’t as yet see Guardiola’sBayernasthegreatnewEuropeandictator.’

MounitZitouni,ajournalistwiththeGermanmagazineKicker,pointsouthowimportant emotional intelligence will be to the success of Operation Guardiola.‘Pephasaplanand theplayerswillhave toalter someof their current ideas.Wejournalistswillalsohavetomakeanefforttounderstandwhathe’sdoing.It’svitalthattheplayerschangetheirgameandembracethisnewstyleoffootball.ButPep,too,needstoadapt.Thisisgoingtobeabouteveryonemakingsomecompromisesin order to get the right results. These are quality players, but it is emotionalintelligencethat’sneededhereasmuchasanythingelse.’

AlloverGermany,supportersgatherinthegreatfootballcitiestoexchangeviewsoverafewbeers.Therearejournalistsandbloggersaroundandtonightwe’rediningwithoneparticulargroupactiveonTwitterusing#tpMuc.Oneof theirnumber,StefenNiemeyer, a supporterwho followsBayernwherever they go, endorses theclub’s decision. ‘In December 2012 we had lost our way in the Bundesliga, theDFB-PokalandtheChampionsLeague.AtthatmomenteveryonewassayingthatBayern were the perfect team, but that wasn’t the case. One of Bayern’s greatstrengthsisthatweneverstoplookingforwaystoimproveandmoveforward.TheydiditwithHeynckesandnowthey’redoingitwithPep.ObviouslyHeynckeshasleft a very special legacy,but there are still things to aim for.Wehave a score tosettlewithMourinho’sChelseaintheEuropeanSupercupforexampleanditwouldbe great to get a second consecutive Champions League title. Despite theirunquestionable talent, our players could still improve certain areas of their game.Therearestilllotsofthingstoworkon,let’sputitlikethat.AndPepisthemanforthejob.Thisisawin-windecision.’

Makingsuchasignificantchangewhenthingsaregoingsowellwouldgenerallybe considered the high-risk option in the world of football. ‘It actually makescomplete sense tome and I’m right behind this decision,’ insistsNiemeyer. ‘Upuntil last yearGuardiolawas considered thebest coach in theworld, for awholehostofreasons.ThiswasagreatopportunityforBayerntotakealeapforwardandtheytooktherightdecision.Everyonebenefitsfromthis:BayernMunich,thefans,GuardiolaandGermanfootballasawhole.Ithinkthathisplanistobroadenhisknowledge of the football played in other parts of the world and learn aboutdifferentsportingmentalities.He’llthenapplythatknowledgetothekindofgamehe learnedatBarcelona,agamethatcomesprettyclose toperfection.That’swhy

he’sbeensokeentoworkabroad–toimprovehisownstyle,changehisideasandperfecthistacticalapproach.PephashadalotoftimetostudyBayernandIdon’tthinkhe’lltrytoimitatetheBarcelonagame.He’llsetouttoimproveourfootballbymaking changes here and there, and then he’ll be off in three years, to studyfootballinanothercountry.’

ChristianSeifert,chiefexecutiveoftheBundesliga,agrees.‘EveryoneinGermanyisdelightedwithhisappointmentandtherehasbeennohintofangerorjealousy.We all see Pep as a real godsend, someone whose contribution will benefit thewholeBundesliga.Thisisaverypopularchoiceandthingscanonlyimprovenow.’

Butback toPaulBreitner fora lastwordon the reasons forPep’s signing. ‘ForBayern,Pepwastheonlysuitablecandidate.Hewasourfuture,theonlypossibility.Allwehadtodowasworkouthowtogethim.’

TheBayernboard’sdecisiontookcourage.Theywere,afterall,makingchangestoawinningformula.Breitneriskeentocorrectthisnotion. ‘Thatdoesn’treflectthe facts of the situation. Even before the start of the 2012-13 season, JuppHeynckes had toldHoeness andRummenigge that itwould behis last year.Weknewthathewas leavingandthatwe’dhavetofindareplacementandtheboardstartedtodiscussPep.Infacttheyhadalreadybeenconsideringhimwellbeforewewonthetreble.

‘Then inMarch andApril people began to challenge our plans.Heynckeswaswinningeverythingand the teamwason top form.Whyonearthwerewegoingahead?BecauseHeynckes had already taken thedecision in June2012of course!Pep’s appointment wasn’t high risk. Everyone was absolutely convinced that heshouldbeournextcoach.’

‘SoarewegoingtoseeBayerndominatingEuropejustastheydidinthe70sandasBarçahavedoneinrecentyears?’Iasknext.

‘They’ll be at the vanguard of European football for the next five years, evenwithoutwinningtheChampionsLeagueeveryyear,’heassuresme.‘Inrealityyoudon’t have to win it every year to be considered the best. Bayern are about toembarkon the samekindof golden eraBarça enjoyed for five years.There isnodoubtinmymindatall.’

Ipresshim further. ‘Wouldyouagree that it’s a little ironic that theBayernofFranzBeckenbauerhassignedthe‘son’ofCruyfftosecuresuccess?’

Breitnerrefutesthissuggestion. ‘Notatall,notatall.Wehavehugerespect forDutchfootballandJohanCruyffhasbeenbothafriendandaworthyadversaryinthepast.Heis,moreover,afinepersonandwasafirst-classcoachwhenhewasatBarça.Thereisdefinitelynothingironicaboutthissituation.’

BeckenbauerandCruyff,emblematicplayersforBayernandBarçarespectivelyaswell as national icons in Germany and Holland, faced each other in the 1974WorldCupfinalinMunich.Nowtheirheirshavecometogetherinpursuitofthesameobjective:thedominationofEuropeanfootball.

Onthisparticularchessboard,Pep’spiecesareallinred.

5

‘I’MDESPERATETOWATCHTRAINING–IWANTTOSEEWHATPEPDECIDESTOCHANGE.’

Munich,June26,2013

IFPEPGUARDIOLAhadtogointobattle,LorenzoBuenaventuraisthemanhewouldwantbyhis side.Anatural early riser,Buenaventura ishappy togetupat6amforabreakfastmeetingtodiscussthatafternoon’strainingsession.

ItisJune26.DayOne.Pephasknownforafewdaysnowexactlywhattheinauguralsessionwillinvolve.

ItwilltakeplaceintheAllianzArena,andnottheSäbenerStrassefacility,becausetheclubisexpectingasizeablecrowd.Upuntilnowthetwomenhaveneededverylittlediscussiontoplantheworkofthefirstsevenweeks.WithPepinNewYorkandLorenzoinCadiz,theyhavelimitedthemselvestoexchangingafewideasandorganisingtheirdiaries.Theclubhasplannedadozenmatchesbefore thestartoftheBundesligaonFriday,August9.ThematchesincludebothaDFB-Pokalgameand,moreimportantly,theGermanSuperCupinDortmundagainstnolessarivalthan Borussia. Later Bayern will organise a friendly in aid of the victims of thefloodswhichhaverecentlydevastatedBavaria.

OnMay14,Guardiolaemailedhiscolleaguesafive-lineactionplanforthefirstsevenweeks.Hisobjectiveswerestraightforward:dowellintheGermanSuperCupand begin theBundesliga in good shape.His proposals,written in bothGermanand Catalan, included organising pre-season training in Italy. Everyone wasdelightedwiththeidea,whichforPepwouldbearealtreatafterthegruellingpre-seasontoursofAsiaandNorthAmericahehadenduredwithBarça.Buenaventuraisalsopleased.

Inhisfirst45daysinMunich,Bayern’snewheadfitnesscoachwillhavetoco-ordinate13matches (10 friendliesandthreeofficialgames)aswellas45 trainingslots,ofwhich12willbedoublesessionsinthemorningandevening.AnagendaofthiskindwouldhavebeenimpossibleatBarcelona.

At Bayern, the training and matches combined mean that the players willcomplete60sessionsinonlysevenweeks.Bythestandardsofmodernclubsitisanabsolute luxuryandBuenaventurahasapermanentgrinonhis face.Hedoesnot

speakGerman,justEnglish,buthasnoproblematallcommunicatingwithhisnewcolleagues.

Consideredoneof the foremost fitnesscoaches in theworld,Buenaventurawastrained by Paco Seirul.lo. Although originally from an athletics background,Seirul.lobecameabrandnameinthefitnesstrainingoffootballersandprofessionalsfrom other team sports.He used his ownmethods when he worked with JohanCruyff’sDreamTeamandspent25 successfulyearskeepingBarçaplayers fit andhealthy.

Buenaventura uses Seirul.lo’s ‘structured microcyle’ approach which involvesshort training cycles over three to five days, focused on one area. It might bestrength–resistance,elasticstrengthorexplosiveforcedependingontheplayerandthe particular stage in the season. Training sessions simulate the technical andtactical aspects of thenext game and the ball is always used. In otherwords, theplayerstraininthesamewaytheyplay.Guardiola’sprinciplesunderpineveryaspectoftrainingandbeforethesessionheandBuenaventuraagreetheday’stacticalandtechnicalobjectives.Thesethenbecomethefocusofthesession.Onedayitmightbe bringing the ball out from the back, the next they’ll work on pressing theoppositionfromthepointatwhichtheballislost,andsoon.Consequentlyinthis,Bayern’sfirstsession,theballwillplayastarringrole.

Rummeniggehasalreadytoldmehowexcitedheis:‘I’mdesperatetoseetraining.IwanttoseewhatPepdecidestochangeintheteam.’

MatthiasSammerviewsthisfirstsessiondifferently: ‘This istheopportunityforPepandtheteamtogettoknoweachother.Thisiswherewestarttoworktogetherashonestlyandasopenlyaspossible.’

In the event, the day holds a few surprises for Rummenigge, Sammer and, ofcourse,theplayers.Thereisnojogging,nolongsprints,noweightlifting.Theydonotdoanycircuittrainingandthereisnosingleexercisethatfocusesonathleticism.Infact,allthatawaitstheplayersastheyarriveisamountainoffootballs.

OverbreakfastinMunich’sWestinGrandHotel,Pepgoesoverhisplansforthedaywithhisteamandat7.30amtheysetoffforSäbenerStrasse.TheplayershavecomeinearlyformedicalchecksandPepwantstosay‘hi’.

Out on the grass of the stadium’s training ground, the new arrivals meet theveteran technical staff who have remained with the club since Jupp Heynckes’departure. Hermann Gerland who, along with Domènec Torrent, will be Pep’sassistantcoach,isherealongwithToniTapalovic,whohasbeengoalkeepingcoachsince he arrived with Manuel Neuer in 2011. Andreas Kornmayer and ThomasWilhelmi,thefitnesscoacheswhowillworkunderBuenaventura,arealsoreadyto

starttheday.By four in theafternoonBuenaventuraandhis twoassistants are in theAllianz

Arenapreparing for the training session.Threemembersof theyouth teamcomewith them. They will be briefed on the day’s exercises so that they can thendemonstrate to the first team. Meanwhile, some 7000 fans stream towards thestadium,allofthemmorethanhappytohandoverfiveEuros inaidofthefloodvictimsdespitethearduousjourneytheyhavehadtoendure.Maintenanceworkinthe Munich subway system has forced them to disembark at Alte Heide metrostationinsteadofthemuchmoreconvenientFröttmaningstop.Stoically,theyleavethemetroandboardaslowbustothestadium.

InthenormalcourseofeventsthecitizensofMunichprefertotravelinsilence.Travellersaretobefoundreadingortypingintotheirmobilephones,buttelephoneconversationsarerare–aphenomenonwhichcancatchtherathermoreexpansiveMediterranean visitor unawares. The only exception to this rule is the veryoccasional whispered conversation.Onmatch days, however, all of this changes.The silence is shattered by the jubilant roars of fans pouring into the carriages,usually cheek-by-jowl with their rivals. Together they turn the journey into achantingcompetition.

Todaythingsarealittledifferent.ThisisthefirstchancetoseePep.Heishereatlastandwholefamilieshavecomealongtocelebrate.ThereisafestiveatmosphereonthelongtrektotheAllianzArena.

Pepdecidesnot to share the season’s objectiveswith theplayers today.Hewillsave this crucial information until the whole squad is together. Several keypersonnelarestillabsentforonereasonoranother.JaviMartínez,DanteandLuizGustavo will not be here until July 15. Arjen Robben, David Alaba, MarioMandžukić,XherdanShaqiri,DanielVanBuytenandClaudioPizarroaredue tojointheteaminItalyinsevendays’timeandMarioGötze,BastianSchweinsteigerandHolgerBadstuber arenursing injurieswhich, inBadstuber’s case,will plaguehimfortherestoftheseason.

Ithasbeen398dayssincePeplastranatrainingsessionandheisitchingtogetbacktoworkinhisnaturalhabitat,thefootballpitch.

At exactlyoneminute to fivehe trotsoutonto thegrasswithabout20playersfollowinghim.Manyofthemareyouthteamplayers.Theygatherroundhimandhekeepshis instructions shortandto thepoint: ‘Ineed justone thing fromyou.Keep running. I don’t mind if you miss a pass or mess up a move, just keeprunning.Ifyoustopthat’sit.Kaputt.You’reout.’Traininghasstarted.

Thefirstteam-talkisjustasbrief.Twohourslater,JanKirchhoff,oneofthenew

Bayern signings, will comment: ‘We thought he’d stick to English, but all hisinstructionswereinGerman.’

Thesessionstartswithsomewarm-uprondos.Theplayersaredividedintothreegroups.Ineachgroup,sixplayersformacircle.Theiraimistopasstheballtoeachotherasquicklyaspossiblewhilsttheirtwoteam-matesinsidethecircletrytostopthem. Today the Bayern players are much less fluid than their Barcelonacounterpartswhohavebeendoingthissincetheywerekids.Infact,thechampionsofEuropeappearalittleslowandclumsyastheystrugglethroughtheexercise.Pepscratches his head. Apparently his players have come here expecting athleticstrainingandheretheyarekickingaballabout.

Thelowersectionsofthestandsarepackedbutquiet.Onmatchdaysthefaithfulflocktotheirfootballingcathedrals,readytosingthemselveshoarse,butrightnowtheyhavecometowatchtrainingandarespectfulsilenceistheorderoftheday.

Thewarm-upconcludeswithtwoeight-minuterondos,acoupleofdrinksbreaksandafewstretches.Upuntilnowthefocushasbeenongeneralballworkbutthenextexerciseismorespecific.Thistimeitisaboutresistancework,whichtheydointhree lines. Pep and Buenaventura have to keep correcting the players who arestrugglingtounderstand.Theyusetheyouthteamplayerstodemonstrateagainandagain.Pepisworried.Heisstillscratchinghishead.

Buenaventuraexplains:‘Theplayersworkinanarea70metreslong.Theyrunthefirst leg slowly, practising three different technical-tactical exercises. Then theysprintback.Ittakesaboutsixminutestocompletebothlegsandtheywillactuallybecoveringabout4kminthe150-metrespace.Itinvolvesresistanceexercises,butalsorequiresthemtoworkco-operatively.Theideaisthatthey’llthentransfertheseskills to their game. Each exercise incorporates an aspect of Pep’s footballingphilosophy.Oneislookingforthethird-manmove,thesecond,2v1exercisesandthethirdisapassingdrill.

‘Theplayersstartoffworkingtogetherinthreesandthenmoveontoindividualexercises. It’s all completely new to them. In the past, resistance work like thiswouldhaveinvolvedcontinuoussprintsof800to1000metres,orlonger-distancerunning.

‘Whatwedoisgetthemusingtheballandwealsointroduceconceptslikeinter-co-operationatthisstage.’

Matthias Sammer and Bastian Schweinsteiger watch intently from the bench.Basti is still recuperatingfromanoperationonhisrightankleonJune3.Initiallythedoctorspredicteda10-dayconvalescence,butmorethandoublethattimehaspassed and he is still not fully fit. From the standBadstuber andGötze are also

watching their team-mates.Badstuberwill have to undergo another operation onhis right knee in September. He was injured during a match against BorussiaDortmundandneededcruciateligamentsurgery,buttheinjuryhadflaredupagainbymid-May.Besidehim,Götzeisrubbinghisthigh.OnApril30hedamagedthehamstringareaofhisleftlegduringtheRealMadridvBorussiaChampionsLeaguesemi-final.Anxious to play in the final, the player returned too early and his legcollapsedagain.Almosttwomonthsaftertheoriginalinjury,Götzeisstillout.

All threeplayersare takingmuch longer thananticipated to recover full fitness.Guardiolascratcheshisheadoncemore.

Outon thepitch thebasicexercises, supervisedbyLorenzoBuenaventura,havefinished. The players have been sprinting faster than necessary and have madetechnicalmistakesasaresult.Thismaybebecausesomanyyouthteamplayersarehere todaybut itwill take10more trainingsessions forPep’smentoperfect thisexercise.

Nowtherearefourroundsofpositioninggames,lastingfourminuteseach.TheseexercisesinholdingpossessionareavitalpartofPep’sarsenal.Fourplayersformarectangle, fourmore position themselves within it and there are three wildcards.The ball circulateswith the first touch and the coach shouts from time to time,‘Drück!Drück!(Press!Press!)’

Whatwe are seeing are the first signs ofwhat Pepwants Bayern to become: ateamthatcirculatestheballquicklyandappliesintenseandconstantpressure.Twoplayersaresingledoutforspecialattention.ThefirstisToniKroos,whoneedshelpto get his body into the ideal position for greater fluidity and the non-stopcirculation of the ball. One of Pep’s basic axioms is that every player should bethinkingahead tohisnextmoveashepasses theball.Asaplayer,Guardiolawasalwaysasecondaheadofeveryoneelse.HespendsalongtimewithKroos,whomheseesasthefutureconductorofthisBavarianfootballingorchestra.Heshowshimthatitisnotenoughtopasstheball.Itmustbedoneanticipatingthenextmove,sothathecanthenpositionhimselfcorrectly.Itisvitaltoofferimmediatesupport,atthe new base of a triangle of players, so that the ball movement can continuewithout slowing down and so that the team can both dominate and control theplay.Thatwayhis team-mateswillhavemoreoptions. It isall aboutpassingandthenmaking yourself available. Sometimes thatmeansmoving, at others, stayingput. Effective passing is about thinking one step ahead of everyone else. Kroosseemstograspthepointeasilyandstarts toapply theadviceashecarriesout theexercises.

Then it is JérômeBoateng’s turn.The coach seeshimas a real talentwho just

needsa littlebitofguidance.Astheseasonprogresses,Pep’sattentiontoBoatengwillreachalmostobsessionallevelsasheworkstoeradicatetheplayer’sthreeweakpoints. Pep will ask him to work on holding his position in the defensive line,defendingwithpowerandavoidinglossofconcentration.

Fromday one Pepmoves the defensive line severalmetres higher up the pitchthan the team is used to. The objective is better marking and anticipation ofoppositionforwards,plusafaster,bolderandmoreaggressivedefence.Hewantshisdefenders playing much further forward and Boateng’s input could be crucialwhenever JaviMartínez ismissing.Training is over for the day – 80minutes ofshort, intenseexerciseswhichhaveallowedtheplayers toworkonvarious tacticalaspects of the game. It will be like this for the rest of the season and Pep willcontinuetoleadshortsessionsof90minutes,duringwhichhewilldemand100%commitment.

Pep still wants a private chatwith two of his players. The first is Pierre-EmileHøjbjerg, amidfielderwhomadehisdebut for the first team inApril2013agedonly17.AlbertCelades,aformerBarçaandRealMadridplayerandcurrentlytheSpanish Under-21 coach, has prepared a detailed report on the youngster forGuardiola, inwhichhedescribesHøjbjerg as adiamond in the rough.Guardiolahaswatchedtheplayercarefullyduringthisfirstsessionandattheendputsahandon his shoulder. The coach intends to invest time and effort in refining andcorrecting the young Dane’s performance. This will start with intensive sessionsoverthenextfourweeksandthenmoresporadicallythroughouttheseason.Hewillsetaboutteachinghimallthetricksofthetradewhichhehimself,havingplayedinthesameposition,learnedasayoungster.

During the stretching and proprioception exercises whichmark the end of thesessionandarecombinedwithsomegentleabdominalwork,theplayerssitaroundthe centre circle. Pep grabs the opportunity to have a one-to-one with FranckRibéry.Today’sexchangesetsthetonefortherestoftheseasonandtheirmutualadmirationisimmediatelyobvious.Pepisimpressedandfascinatedbytheattacker’stalentandtheFrenchmanbelievesthatunderPep’sguidancehisownprofessionaldevelopment is about to takeanothermassive leap forward. It isnot just that thetwomengetonwell.Theydazzleeachother.Despitethisitwillbemonthsbeforethe two begin to actually understand each other. And not just because of thelanguage barrier. Today, as the rest finish off their stretching exercises, Pep asksRibéry if he would be comfortable playing in central attack. Ribéry does notunderstand.TheCatalancoachhasbecomeaccustomedtoLeoMessiplayinginthe‘false9’position.Astrikerwhodoesnotonlyprowlthepenaltyboxbutplaysmuch

deeperandwhoimproviseswhentoarrivearoundtheedgesofanattack.Onewhoattacks the zones in which the opposition centre-halves work, but without thembeingabletopatrolhim.ForGuardiolatheidealstrikerdoesn’tworkpermanentlyinthebox,insteadhearrivesthereattheculminationofacollectively-constructedattack.

PepintuitivelyunderstandsthatRibéryhasthepotentialtobecomeaformidablepresence down the middle, but the French winger cannot yet visualise what hiscoach wants. It will take both time and passion before Ribéry mutates into thecentralattackerPepislookingfor.

Guardiolamaynothavemuchtimetosparethesedays,butnoonecoulddoubthispassion.ItisthereinhisfaceashesignshundredsofshirtsforfansthelengthandbreadthoftheAllianzArena,patentlysurprisedandmovedbythewarmthoftheirreception.Heisback.Footballiscoursingthroughhisveinsoncemoreandnoproblem seems insurmountable. At his side,DomènecTorrent speaks in EnglishandHermannGerland responds inGerman.Over the comingmonths itwill bevitalforthetwomentounderstandeachother.

Asthedaydrawstoaclose,LorenzoBuenaventuraisthelasttoleave.FortherestoftheseasonhewillmakeithisbusinesstoarrivefirstandleavelastandthesightofhimstrollingfromthepitchasthelightsgooutwillbecomeafamiliaronehereatSäbenerStrasse.

6

‘LEO,IT’SPEP.CANYOUCOMEOVER?NOW,PLEASE.’

WeideninderOberpflaz,June29,2013

WEIDENINDEROberpfalzisasmalltowninthePalatinateregionofGermanynear the border which separates Bavaria and the Czech Republic. It is also thelocationofGuardiola’sfirstmatchasBayerncoach.

It’smiddayonSaturday,June29.SofarPephashadtocontenthimselfwithjustfourtrainingsessions,inwhichseveralofhisyouthteamplayershavehadastarringrole.HehashadnochoicebuttousetheyoungstersashewaitsfortherestoftheEuropeanchampionstojoinhimatpre-seasontraininginTrentino.Only13ofthesquad’s main players will contest this match and the rest of today’s line-up aredrawnfromtheyounghopefuls.

It is going to be an easy game. Every season Bayern play a ‘fantasy football’fixture,knownlocallyasa traumspiel,againstoneof the3600supportersclubs inthecountry.TodaythehonourhasfallentoWeiden–Bayern.Itisahugeeventforthe 41,684 inhabitants and around 11,000, more than a quarter of them, haveturnedout.Itisgoingtobeonebigparty.

Despitethefestiveatmosphere,Pepseesthisasanopportunitytomakehisfirstdeclarationofintent.

Histeamwillbeplayingwithasoleholdingmidfielder.OneofthemanyreasonsforJuppHeynckes’successatBayernwashisuseofthedouble-pivote(doppelsechsinGerman)partnershipofBastianSchweinsteigerandJaviMartínez.ThetwoplayedintheareanormallyreservedfortheNo.6andtheirrolewastoclosedownspacesandbreakupoppositionattacks.Togethertheywereaformidableforceandakeypartoftheteam’streble-winningseason.

OneofPep’s firstdecisionsuponarrivingat the clubwas todispensewith thissystem.Duringhisownplayingdays,Guardiolaplayedasasoleholdingmidfielder,positioninghimself in frontof thedefenders andorganising the team fromthere.The position is known atBarça as theNo.4.TheArgentines call it a 5, and theGermansa6.

InSpainthispositiontendstobecalledthemediocentro.It’stheplayerwhotakestheballdirectlyfromthedefendersorthekeeperand,withthewholeofthepitchopeninfrontofhim,electshowhisteam’splayre-starts.He’salsotheguychargedwithcuttingouttheopposition’sfinalpass–theonewhocanavoidthebackfourpaying theconsequencesofanunstoppablecounter-attack.Hisdefensivequalitiesareessential.

Backinthelate1980s,Guardiola–lean,slowandlackingthepowerfulphysiqueofadefender–wasstrugglingtomakeitasayouthteamregularwhenhecaughttheeyeofCarlesRexach,JohanCruyff’sassistant.

‘Guardiolaisn’tgettingagame,butheisthebestoftheyoungsters,’Rexachtoldhisboss.SureenoughPep,whowasalreadyanaturalinattackandwouldquicklyevolveintoagiftedplaymaker,wassoonplayingforthefirstteam.

Onjoining,GuardiolawasgiventheNo.4shirt,littleknowingthathewasabouttodefinethatposition–thatnumber–atBarça.

CruyffsawhimasacrucialpartofhisnascentDreamTeam,whosemesmerisingfootballwouldsowtheseedsofBarça’sascendancyfordecadestocome.

Consciousofhisownfailings,Pepsetouttomaximisehistalents.Lackingspeedhimself,hewouldensurethattheballcirculatedatapacethatnoplayercouldevermatch.Unwillingtorisktoomanyphysicaltackles,heusedhisdevastatingpassingtocut through theopposition.Asayoungplayer,Guardiolawas already formingthefootballphilosophyhewouldlaterimplementsosuccessfullyasacoach;high-speed, attacking football as the best form of defence; effective passing and ballcontrol,andaslittlehardtacklingaspossible.

WesatdowntogetheroneDecemberdayin2013,justaftertraining.‘DoyouthinkIwouldhavelasted11yearsatBarçaifalltheywerelookingfor

wasspeed,strengthandtheabilitytoscoregoals?’Inthe385gamesheplayedforBarcelona,Pepscoredjust13goals.

Tosurviveinthejungleofthefootballworldhehadhadtofosterandexploitthenatural skills he possessed, rare as they were at that time. He used his personaltrainingregimetodevelopnotjustphysicalstrengthbuttechnicalprowessandwashappy to play a supportive role, distributing the ball with deadly accuracy. Peppridedhimselfonhisabilitytoanticipatethenextmoveevenbeforehehadtheballat his feet and delighted in using his passing to trick his opponents and breakthroughtheirlines.

‘IfIhadalineoffiverivalsinfrontofme,asusual,they’dwanttomakesurethatwecouldonlycirculatetheball inaU-likecircularmovement infrontofthem–searchingfromwingtowingforspaceviathemidfield,butnevergettinganydepth

or creating any danger. This line of five midfielders would inevitably be tightlypeggedtothefourdefendersbehindthem–therewouldbenospacebetweenthelines.Thesetwocompactlinesofoppositionobligedmetousespacewideinorderto avoid danger. I’d use two wingers – making themselves available on eachtouchlineandcapableofgoingdeepwhenitwastherighttime.Theotherattackersneededtomovebetweenthetwolines.ToachievethatIhadtoleadthelineoffiveastray–moveitabout,shakeitup,introducedisorder,trickitintothinkingthatIwasabouttogowideagainandthen–boom!–split themwithaninsidepasstooneofthestrikers.Andthat’sthat.Theyareturnedinsideout,suddenlyhavingtoruntowardstheirowngoal.Basically,that’showIseparatedmyteamfromothersduringmycareer.’

All of this is exactlywhat Pepwants fromhis holdingmidfielder. At Barça hefounditinSergioBusquetsandhereinWeideninderOberpfalz,inlateJune2013,itistheyoungPierre-EmileHøjbjerghehasinhissights.

PepheardgoodthingsaboutHøjbjergbeforecomingtoBayernandithastakenjustacoupleoftrainingsessionsforhimtofallinlovewiththeplayerwho,havingstarted in April under Heynckes, clearly has a dazzling future ahead of him.Højbjergreadsthegamebrilliantlyandhasanastonishingabilitytobreakthroughfiveplayerswithasinglepass.PepthinksthathemayjusthavefoundtheBusquetsof Bayern, although at 17 the young player has a bit ofmaturing to do. In factHøjbjergistheonlyoneofthe23toplaythefull90minutesofthisfriendly.Thegameendswitha15-1victoryand,asexpected, their rivalshavegiven themveryfewproblems.

Guardiola’s debut XI consists of Neuer; Lahm, Kirchhoff, Can, Contento;Højbjerg,Schöpf,Strieder;Markoutz,MüllerandRankovic.

But let’s leaveWeiden inderOberpfalz for amoment to talka little about theidiosyncrasiesoffootballterminology.Everycountryintheworldseemstohaveitsowntermstodescribewhathappensonthepitch.We’vealreadyseenthataplayerin the samepositionwill be called a 6 inGermany, a 5 inArgentina and a 4 atBarça,wherehewillalsobeknownasapivote.

Somethingsimilarhappensinthenumericalsequenceswhichtrytoindicatethespecificpositioningofagivenplayeronthepitch.

Guardiola has no time for these schematics and dismisses them as ‘lists oftelephonenumbers’.Oneofhismentors, JuanmaLillogoes further: ‘You’llneverseeplayersinthosepositions,notevenwhentheyfirstcomeoutontothepitch.’

However, for our purposes and to better explain the point, I’d like to refer totheseformationsnow.Pep’s4-3-3inSpainwouldbea4-1-4-1toaGerman.Two

distinct ways of presenting the same formation: four defenders, an organisingmidfielder, two attacking midfielders, two wingers and, at the point of it all, astriker.

Ofcourse,nomatchplancouldeverconveythecomplexityoftheorganisationofafootballteam.Forourpurposes,however,whenItalkaboutGuardiola’sBayernteamIwilloftenrefertothe4-3-3formation.

Asexpected,Pepplayedasolemidfielderinhisfirstgame.Asaplayerhedislikedplaying as part of a double-pivote because it limited his space on the pitch, andneutralisedtheeffectofhisabilitytoanticipatethenextpass.Hefeltlostandillatease and as a coach is reluctant to impose that systemonhis players.Over time,however, he would rethink this attitude and eventually come up with his ownparticularversionoftheposition.

Today,HøjbjergplaysverywellandGuardiolaseessomethingofhimself intheyoungDane.Helikesthewayhepositionshisbodywhenhegetstheballandthenfeints onewaywhile actually intending tomove in the opposite direction.He isconvinced that he has indeed found a diamond in the rough.His jobwill be topolishtheplayeroverthenextthreeyears(thelengthofhiscurrentcontractwithBayern).

Everyone in Weiden is enjoying the celebrations, despite the final score. Theyoung Austrian, Oliver Markoutz, scores the first goal of the Guardiola era, 10minutes into thegame.Athalf-time the scoreboard shows0-3,but in the secondhalfthemenfromthesupporters’clubcollapse.Bayern’sline-uphassomechanges.It’s now Starke; Rafinha, Wein, Boateng, Schmitz; Højbjerg, Weihrauch, Kroos;Weiser,RibéryandGreen.InthesecondhalfToniKroosstealstheshow,althoughall the photo opportunities are provided by two youngsters: Patrick Weihrauch,whoperformsbrilliantlyandscoresfourgoals,andJulianGreen,a lethalpresenceonthewing,whoputsthreeaway.Kroosplaysacompact,fluidgameandseemsascomfortableplayingontheleft,hispreferredside,ortheright.

Thereisnoseriousopposition,butPepnonethelessusesthe45minutestowatchand assess his players. Even before taking over and certainly from the very firsttrainingsession,Pep’sinstinctshavetoldhimthatToniKrooswillbeavitalpartofthemotorthatdriveshisteam.

TodayFranckRibéryplaysasafalseNo.9.It’shisdebutinapositionGuardioladeveloped for Leo Messi and which helped turn the Argentine into the world’sdeadliestplayer.Pepwouldnotclaimtohaveinventedtheposition,butitisonehecherishesandhewascertainlyresponsibleforgivingitanewleaseoflife.

Thefalse9existedinfootballasfarbackasthedayswhentheArgentineAdolfo

Pedernera was playing for and leading Máquina de River Plate (1936-1945),although the first player to really make it his own was the Hungarian NándorHidegkuti, known for his great exploits in the Hungarian national team of the1950s,theMagicalMagyars.PlayerssuchasAlfredoDiStéfano,MichaelLaudrupandFrancescoTottihadallbeengreatexponentsof the samepositionbut ithadfallenoutoffashionuntilMay2,2009,whenPepGuardiolarevivedit.ThevenuewastheSantiagoBernabéustadium,BarcelonaagainstRealMadrid.Thetwoteamswerebattling itout for theSpanishtitle (the firstof the threeconsecutive leagueswonbyPepwithBarça).The scenewas set for theCatalan to unleash his secretweapon.

Tenminutesintothegame,withthescoreat0-0,PepgavethenodtoMessiandSamuel Eto’o. The two players had to swap positions. Eto’o, usually a centre-forward,movedtotherightwingandMessi,arightwinger,tookuppositioninthecentreof the field–butplayingdeeper,more like anattackingmidfielder thanastriker.ChristophMetzelderandFabioCannavaro,theMadridcentre-backs,werelost.Theyhadnoideahowtocounteractthechange.

WhilstresearchingthisbookIhadthechancetomeetMetzelderoverdinnerinDusseldorfinNovember2013.Thatastonishingdaywasstillfreshinhismemory.‘IthinkitwasthatdaythatPepfirstusedthefalseNo.9.HeputEto’oontherightandMessi inthecentre.Fabio[Cannavaro]andI lookedateachother. ‘Whatdowedonow?Dowefollowhimtothemidfieldorstaydeep?’Wedidn’thaveacluewhattodoanditwasimpossibletocatchhim.’

Barça’shistoricwinwasavitalvictoryintheraceforthetitle,butitalsomarkedanunheraldedperiodofgloryandprestige.

The false 9 would go down in history as one of the more extraordinary ofGuardiola’s innovations, not because he invented it but because he was able toredefinethepositionthroughanexceptionalplayer likeMessi.HowthendidPepcometoresuscitatethememoryofthistypeofplayer?

Itwasthedaybeforethematch–aholidayFriday,May1,2009.Guardiolahadstayedatthestadiumtostudyhisopponents.Thiswasawell-establishedroutineforhim,whichhecontinuestodayatBayern.Hespendstwodaysanalysingtheteamthey are about to face, looking for strengths and weaknesses. He reviews entirematches as well as sections of the videos his assistants have picked out for him.DomènecTorrentandCarlesPlanchart,whoarenowatBayern,providedthiskindofinformationforhimbackthen,too.

The day before the game, he shuts himself in his office, puts on some gentlemusicandthinksabouthisapproachtothematch.Whereshouldtheyattacktheir

opponents?Whatisthebestwaytodominate?Heisseekinginspiration;inspirationwhichcomesonlynowandagain.PepputitintowordsinBarcelonainSeptember2011,whenhewasawardedtheGeneralitatdeCataluña’sgoldmedal.

‘Beforeeverymatch I lockmyselfup inanoffice I’ve setupmyself. I sitdownwithpenandpaperandwatchtwoorthreevideos.Itakelotsofnotes.That’swhenthat flashof inspiration comes– themoment thatmakes senseofmyprofession.TheinstantIknow,forsure,thatI’vegotit.Iknowhowtowinthematch.Itonlylasts for about a minute, maybe 80 seconds, but it’s the moment that my jobbecomestrulymeaningfultome.’

Whenhetalkedabout thismomentofmagichewasprobably thinkingbacktoMay1,2009.TothatwonderfulmomentwhenheshowedthewholeworldthathehadfoundanewwaytobeatRealMadrid,whoatthatpointwereona17-gameunbeatenrun.Havingwatchedapreviousmatchbetweenthetwogreatteams,Pepnoticed how much pressure the Madrid midfielders Guti, Fernando Gago andRoystonDrentheputonhisownplayers,XaviandYayaTouré.Healsonoticedthetendencyofthecentraldefenders,CannavaroandMetzelder,tohangbacknearIkerCasillas’goalmouth.ThisleftavastexpanseofspacebetweenthemandtheMadridmidfielders–avast,emptyspace.

It was 10pm and Pep was alone in his office. Everyone else, including hisassistants,hadgonehome.HesatinthatdimlylitroomimaginingMessimovingfreely across that enormous empty space in the Bernabéu, having shaken off theMadridmidfielders.He sawhim face-to-facewithMetzelder andCannavaro, thetwo players frozen on the edge of the box, unsure whether or not to chase theArgentine. The image was crystal clear and he picked up the phone. He wasn’tcallinghisadvisors,orevenXavi,thebrainsofhisteam.Instead,GuardioladialledMessi’snumber.

‘Leo, it’sPep.I’ve just seensomething important.Really important.Whydon’tyoucomeover.Now,please.’

At 10.30pm there is a gentle knock atPep’s office door and a 21-year-oldLeoMessicomesin.Thecoachshowshimthevideo,pausingittopointouttheemptyspace.Hewantshisplayertomakethatspacehisown.Fromnowonitwillbe‘theMessizone’.

‘TomorrowinMadridIwantyoutostartonthewingasusual,buttheminuteIgiveyouasignIwantyoutomoveawayfromthemidfieldersandintothespaceIjustshowedyou.It’sthesamethingwedidlastSeptemberinGijón.’

InGijón,onSeptember21,2008, in trouble afterhaving lost their first leaguematch against Numancia and drawn the second against a weak Racing de

Santander,Guardiola’s future asBarça coachhung in thebalance.Hedecided tosend Eto’o to the right wing and playMessi in the space between midfield anddefence,asafalse9,justastheyoungArgentinehasdonemanytimesintheyouthteams. Itwas a resounding victory forBarça (6-1) andmarked the start of Pep’sdominance inEuropeanfootball.Now,sevenmonths later, thecoachexplainshisideastotheplayerwhowillimplementthestrategyagain.

‘TheminuteXavi orAndrés [Iniesta]breakbetween the lines andgive you theballIwantyoutoheadstraightforCasillas’goal.’

Itwasasecretbetweenthetwo.NobodyelsewouldknowabouttheplansuntilPepexplained toTitoVilanova the followingday in the teamhotel. Justminutesbefore kick-off onMay 2,Guardiola tookXavi and Iniesta to one side and toldthem.

‘When you see Leo in the space between the lines down the middle, don’thesitate.Givehimtheball.LikewedidinGijón.’

Thatday inMay2009, the strategyworkedperfectly andBarçadestroyedRealMadrid,winningbysixgoalstotwo.MessihadbecomeafalseNo.9andPepwashappy. From that day to this,Guardiola has stuck to this system.Today it’s thedebutofhisMunichfalse9,FranckRibéry.

Pep took the time to explain his idea during their first training session in theAllianzArena,buttheFrenchmanstillhasn’tquitegotit.Havinglearnedhistradeonthestreetsofhishometown,allRibéry’sinstinctstellhimtogettheballonthewing,makeadribblingrunandgetittotheboxbeforepassingitforanassist.It’stough for him to understand that he can take a qualitative leap forward as afootballerifhequitsthewingandplaysinthemiddle;ifhedropsabitdeeper,getstheballinspace,behindthedefensivemidfielders,andrunsatthecentraldefendersinsearchofagoal.

Guardiolabelievesthathehasthreeorfourplayersinthesquadwhocouldadapttoplayasa false9:MarioGötze,Ribéry,ArjenRobbenandThomasMüller.HehasmadeastartwiththeFrenchman,althoughsofarit’snotworkingparticularlywell.

Ribéry starts off on the inside and plays well alongside Kroos, Weiser andWeihrauch.However,graduallyhedriftstowardstheleftwing,hisnaturalhabitat,where he feels most comfortable, even though the white line hems him in.Guardiolaletshimbe,forthetimebeing.Butthecoachwon’tforgethisplans.

Everyone enjoys the party at Weiden in der Oberpfalz, despite the huge goaldifference,orperhapsbecauseofit.TheBayernfanshaveseentheirstarplayersupclose–thesetreblewinnerswhohavenowbeenjoinedbythatapparentlyinvincible

coach,PepGuardiola.However,whilstthefansmakethemostofthisopportunitytoseetheiridols,thecoachleavesthepitchlostinthought.Højbjergandthelonemidfielder;Kroosandtherhythmoftheteam;RibéryandthefalseNo.9.

Thereisalottothinkabout.

7

‘DOYOUSEELAHM’SPOTENTIAL?’

Regen,June30,2013

ITISSTILLfourdaysbeforeBorussiaDortmund’spre-seasontrainingstartsandBayernare alreadycontesting their second friendly.This time theyareupagainstTSVRegen.

A table overflowingwith buns, pastries and drinks awaits them in the dressingroomandafewoftheplayersimmediatelytuckintothechocolatetarts.ThisisthesecondmatchinarowtheyhavebeentreatedtoasimilarspreadandGuardiolaistakenaback.Withanhour-and-a-quarter leftbeforekick-offhetakesaminutetoaskKathleenKrüger,theteammanager,whybothTSVRegenandWeideninderOberpfalz felt it was appropriate to provide his players with pastries and shereassureshimthatitwasBayernthemselveswhooriginallyestablishedthecustom.

Regen is near the border betweenGermany and theCzechRepublic, an hour-and-a-half from Munich. The local team, TSV, plays in the German seventhdivision and was founded in 1888. This game will mark the club’s 125thanniversary. Seven thousand spectators are crammed into the tiny stand and theyapplaudwildlywhenDanielKoppopensthescoringforthehomesidewiththefirstgoal of the game. It is a sunny day and Guardiola has chosen a line-up that isreminiscent of the teams he fielded during his final days as Barça coach.He hasgonefora3-4-3formation,withEmreCan,JérômeBoatengandDiegoContentoas the only defenders. The Catalan journalist Isaac Lluch, who will cover Pep’sentirefirstseasonatBayern,highlightsthis inhismatchreportforthenewspaperAra: ‘With this 3-4-3 Guardiola brings the German champions to quench theirthirstattheCruyffistfountainhecarrieswithin.’

Asaplayer,Guardiolawaswellusedtothe3-4-3formationthatCruyffemployedso successfully during his time in charge of Barça. Later as coach, the sameformationwouldhelpPep find away to integrateCescFàbregas intohis line-upafter theplayer’s return toBarcelona.Playingwith threedefenderscanbeahigh-riskoption,butPep’sinsistenceontacticalprecisionmeantthathisteamcoulduseit timeandagainwithoutstandingresults.Oneof themostmemorablemoments

cameduringaRealMadridgameintheBernabéuwhenJoseMourinho’steamtookthe lead after only 27 seconds with a goal from Karim Benzema. In response,Guardiola, who had started with a 4-3-3 formation, took just 10 minutes toreorganise his team into a 3-4-3which, in the end, resulted in a 3-1 victory forBarcelona.

This istheformationheoptsforinthefirsthalfoftoday’sgameinRegen.Hisobjectivesatthisstageofthepre-seasonaresimple.Hewantstotrythingsoutandwatchhisplayers’reactions.Hewantsadeeperunderstandingoftheircapabilities.Hisownanalysiswillbemuchmorepenetratingthanasuperficialscoutingexercise.Hewantstotesttheirlimits.

OneofthecommonmisconceptionsaboutPep’stimeasBarçacoachwasthatheplanned to duplicate every position in his team, giving him two right-backs, twoleft-backs,twocentre-forwardsandsoon.Infact,hewantsfootballerswhocanplayin at least two, if not three positions.He is looking formenwith the talent andflexibilitytoplayascentraldefenders,defensivemidfieldersorcentralmidfielders.Players likeSergioBusquets.Orascentraldefenders, full-backsoneithersideandmidfielders,likeJavierMascherano.

Ultimately,Pepwouldpreferamuchsmallersquad.Hisidealwouldbenomorethan 20 players in total with each player, except for certain key posts like thegoalkeepers,excellinginthreedifferentpositions.Guardiolaknowsthathealreadyhasplayersinthesquadwhofitthebill.JaviMartínez,forexample,hasshownatboth Athletic Bilbao and Bayern that he is equally comfortable as a defensivemidfielder,centralmidfielderoracentraldefender.

ButPepwantsmore.Hewantstofindoutexactlyhowfarhecanpusheachofhisplayers.Rightnow,duringthispre-seasonperiod,beforehismenfaceanyseriouscompetition,hehastheperfectopportunitytodoexactlythat.Andthisiswhyhehasstartedtrainingsoearly.

RibérymayhavebeentheheroofWeiden,buthereinRegenitisPhilippLahmwho steals the show. Isaac Lluch writes: ‘The evergreen captain of Bayern andGermanyapproachedthegamewithdeterminationandresolveand,inhispositioninmidfield,breathednew life into the gamewithhis attacking flair.Hiswas themaininnovationoftheday.’TodayLahmhasplayedinthepivoteposition,aroleuntilrecentlyoccupiedbyHøjbjerg.

Bayernwin their second friendly game 9-1.On theway home,Guardiola tellsSammerthattheyneedanutritionist.Hedoesn’twantanymorepastries.ForPep,the players’ diets, and in particular their post-match nutrition, are a vitalcomponent of their professional life and need to be closely controlled. His

requirementsarefarfromradical,buttheyaredemanding.SammerwastesnotimeincarryingoutPep’swishesand,withinaweek,leading

nutritionist Mona Nemmer will join the Munich expedition to Trentino. TherewillbenomorebunsforBayern.

On the samebus journeyhome,Pep’smind iswandering.He’s thinkingaboutLahm. The conversation between Guardiola and Domènec Torrent, his assistantcoachwhoissittingbesidehim,laststhewholejourney.Itfocusesononesubject.

‘Do you seeLahm’s potential?Have you seenhowwell he anticipates thenextpass?Haveyouseenhowheturnsandprotectstheball?Hecanplayonthewingorinthemiddleofthefield.’

Itisclearthathehasjustmadeoneoftheseason’sbiggestdiscoveries.

8

‘THIAGO’SCOMING.’

Arco,July6,2013

HALF THE POPULATION of Europe seems to descend on the airports androads.Thesheervolumeoftouristscatchesmeunawares.Ihadforgottenthatitisalready the first weekend in July, the start of the holiday season. To add tomywoes,Itakethewrongroute.InsteadofdrivinguptheeasternshoreofLakeGarda,Ioptforthewesternside.Itisalovelyjourneythroughprettylittlevillagesablazewith colourful flowers, but the speed limit is 40 kilometres an hour as I drivethroughSalò,Boglisco,Gargano,CampioneandLimonesulGarda.IttakesmeawhiletoreachTrentino.

Forthefourthconsecutiveyear,BayernhavecometothispartofnorthernItalyfor their pre-season training. The Munich club is a big draw and the regionalauthoritiesarehappytopayasignificantamountofmoney,aswellassubsistencecosts, to guarantee the team’s presence here. I can vouch for the club’s pullingpower. Trentino is bursting at the seams, and not just with German tourists.Guardiolaandhismenattractcrowds.

I’vecomealong toobecause,with the initialperiodof intensework inMunichbehindhim,Pephaspromisedtohaveacoffeewithmesothatwecantalkaboutthisbook.InTrentinothingsareabitcalmerandhehassometimetospare.

MyarrivalatBayern’strainingcampinArcobringstwosurprises.ThefirstisthatSaturday’ssessionwillbeclosed.Therewillbenoaccessforthepublicorthemedia.DuringhisfouryearsasBarçacoach,Guardiolainsistedonclosedtrainingsessionsand itwas perhaps to be expected that that hemight take the same approach atBayern.

PresidentUliHoeness initiallyrequestedanopen-doorpolicytogivesupportersasmuchaccessaspossibletotheplayersthroughouttheseason,buthehasagreedthat his coach need open up only post-match training. The rest of the squad’spreparationwillremainprivate.

TherearetworeasonsforGuardiola’sapproach.Hepreferstoworkwithasfewdistractionsaspossibleandheisalsokeentoavoidhistechniquesbecomingpublic

knowledge.His training sessions don’t focus solely on tactics for the next game;theyarepartofanongoing,season-longteachingprocess.He’llintroduceaspecificmoveorkeyaspectofhisgameintoeverytrainingsessionandallowtheplayerstopractiseit.He’llthenrevisitthemovewiththematalaterstage.Theideaisthathismen will refine and eventually master a variety of plays which he can then usewheneverstrategicallynecessary.Itisnotalwaysthenextgamehehasinmindashetakes his men through the moves he wants them to perfect. He wants as muchprivacyaspossibleandwhenhegetsbacktoMunichhefullyintendstoblockoffSäbenerStrasse’smainpitch.

The secondmajor surprise is thatPephasdecided tograntmea first-hand, in-depthinsightintotheteam’swork.Ihadhopedthatacontrolledlevelofaccess,theoddcupofcoffeewithhim,andlimitedattendanceattrainingsessionswouldgivemeenoughmaterialforthebook.ButGuardiola’sunexpectedofferchangesallmyplans.FreeaccessmeansthatIwillbeprivytoeverythingthatgoeson.I’llbeableto observe his coaching methods up close and witness the decision-making andplanningprocessasithappens.Essentially,Iwillbespendingmonthsattheheartofthis elite team with complete access to an enormous amount of internalinformation. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that thechampionsofEuropeandthemostsuccessfulcoachofthedecadewouldgrantmesuchaprivilege.

Pepasksforonlyonethinginreturn:mytotaldiscretionduringtheseason.‘Youcanwriteabouteverythingyouseeandbeascriticalasyoulikeinthebook

butduringtheseasonpleasedon’ttalktotheoutsideworldaboutwhatyouwitnessinside.’

Iamenormouslygratefuldespitethefactthatmyjournalisticskillswillhavetobeput on hold for a while. For one year I will live through all of the team’svicissitudes.Thehighsandlows,theinjuries,thetactics,theline-ups,theperiodsofsickness,thegoodbehaviourandbad,thejokes,thepraise,theworries,thetransferplans…Iwillknowitall,yetthejournalistinmewillhavenovoiceuntilthedayIpoureverythingIhavelearnedintothisbook.

So, the doors of the Arco stadium are closed for the training session today,Saturday,July6,2013.IthasbeentwodayssinceBayernarrivedinTrentinoandGuardiolahasusedtheirrest timethismorningtoshowhisplayersavideoaboutpressingtheopposition.Theyareimagestakenfromthefirstseventrainingsessionsandthecoachexplainstohismenthathedoesn’twantlongruns.Hedoesn’twantto see Ribéry and Robben running 80 metres in every game as they attack theopposition defence. Pep wants attacking runs that last ‘four seconds at peak

performance’.The afternoon training session focusesonpressing, too.Thedefenders andone

midfielderstartthingsoff,workingtogetherattheback,andtheforwardstrytogettheballfromthemusingfast,aggressivepressing.

Neuer’s skilled footworkstandsoutandMandžukić’sEto’o-styleaggressionalsoimpresses.Thecoachshoutshisinstructionstohisplayersashedirectstheirefforts.

‘It’sfour-secondpressingonly.Idon’twanttoseeRibérychasinghiswingerthelengthofthepitch.Heneedstomakeitintothecentreandstayput.WhatIneedisfor themall topress together for justa fewseconds.Thatway they’llget theballbackhighupthepitch.’

Attheendofthesession,Pepsitsdownonthebenchintheheatoftheafternoonandshareshisideas:‘Weneedintense,precisework.Ifallwewereinterestedinwasone-on-onemanmarking,allthiseffortwouldn’tbenecessary.Icouldjustsitbackand thatwouldbe enough.Butweare aimingat avery specific styleofplayandmustthereforeworkextremelyhardtoperfecteverysinglemove.’

Thereisnomiddleground.Iftheplayerswanttoplayhisbrandoffootball,theywillhavetogiveitallthey’vegot. ‘Wehavetotrainwiththemaximumintensity.It’sjustliketherondos:youdothemwith100%effortoryoudon’tdothematall.Iftheplayersdon’tlikethemthenthey’rewelcometogomountainrunning,butinthatcasewe’llneverachieveourpotential.’

Zonaldefendingratherthanmanmarking;four-secondpressingwiththenearestplayerinpositiontopressthemanwho’sabouttoreceivetheball;movingcalmlyintothemiddletocreateandusespace;workinginaco-ordinatedway.Pepbreaksdownhisfundamentalideasaboutthegameforme.

‘This team just needs to slow down a bit. They’ve already got everything elsedownpat.Theyneedsomedeceleration in thecentreof the field.Neuermakesacleanpassandtheymovetogethertopenetratedeeper–completelyco-ordinated.Iwant intricatepassingastheymoveforward,nottoofast initially,sothatnoneofourmenendsupinthewrongplace.Ahighly-organisedadvanceuntil theyreachthecentreandthen,boom!Wetramplethemunderfoot!’

Kroospossesses thisability toslowdown,asdoSchweinsteigerandGötze.AndThiago.

‘Thiago’scoming,’Peptellsme.Ihavetoaskhimseveraltimes:‘WhichThiago?ThiagoAlcántara?Thiagofrom

Barça?AreyoutalkingaboutthepearloftheBarçayouthsystem?’‘Yes,thatThiago,’hereplies.BayernarehopingtotransferMarioGómeztoFiorentinaand,sincethestrikeris

happytomakethemove,thedeallookssettogothrough.TheclubwillthenbuyThiago,whomBarcelonahavebeentryingtotransfersincethesummerof2011,ayearbeforeGuardiolalefttheCatalanclub.

MarioGómezisacommittedprofessionalwithastrongworkethic.Hecontinuesto train as hard as his team-mates despite the fact that his transfer to the Italianteamisabouttogothrough.Inothercircumstances,Pepwouldbequitehappytokeephimbecausehevaluestheplayer.Inreality,however,hewouldstruggletofindarole fortheGermanstrikeralongsidetheothercentre-forwards,MandžukićandPizarro,inthefalse9systemhisteamwillplay.PepalreadyreliesonMarioGötzeandFrankRibérytofulfilthisroleandGómez’sdepartureisthereforeinevitable–whichmustmeanthatThiago’sarrivalisimminent.

In fact Thiago is interested in signing only for Bayern, and the deal is donewithout any difficulty. Despite claims by some sections of the media that he isconsideringManchesterUnited,theeldestoftheAlcántarabrothersisdesperatetobe reunitedwithGuardiola. For the timebeinghe is holedup in a little holidayhouse in Begur, on the Costa Brava, where he barely has any means ofcommunicationwiththeoutsideworld.Hehasevenhadtobuyaspecialantennato get an internet connection. Thiago will spend several tense days waiting forGómez to signwithFiorentinaand forRummenigge,Bayern’s chief executive, toclosethedealwithBarça.Intheenditwillbeeightlongdaysbeforenegotiationsarecompleted,onSunday,July14.

GuardiolaandhisstaffareextremelyhappyatBayern.AsanationtheGermansarerenownedfortheirefficient,ifattimesoverlyrigidorganisationalskillsandtheBayernpressdepartmentcertainlylivesuptothisreputation.TheyhaveestablishedapresscentrehereinTrentinowhichwouldbetheenvyofanyWorldCupmediacentre.

The people at Bayern treat Guardiola and his staff with the greatest of care.Nobodydoubts foramoment thathe is secondonly to thepresident in termsofimportance and everyone works together to ensure his ideas and plans are fullyimplemented.People are alreadycommentingon the efficiencyof thememberofstaff responsible for logistical organisation, as well as the impressive work of theteam manager, Kathleen Krüger, a young woman who until recently was amidfielder in the successfulBayernwomen’s team.Kathleen is responsible for allfirst-team administration issues and she carries out her duties with assuredefficiency.

A few days ago Pep stopped taking German lessons. His teacher, a BorussiaDortmund fan, stayed inNewYork. Pep believes that he now knows enough to

carryoutthedailyinteractionswithplayersandpress.‘Ourlanguageonthepitchisall about giving instructions. I use the imperative a lot: drück (press), schwingen(balance),sehrgut(verygood).WiththistypeoflanguageIthinkIhaveenoughforthemoment.’

After the session, which has focused on pressing, Stefano, who looks after theArcostadium,offersusarefreshment.Swelteringintheeveningheat,weareonlytoopleased toaccept.Stefano is a culturedmanwhoexplains, toouramazementthat,despitebeingsituatedinthenorthofItaly,neartheAustrianTyrolprovince,Trentinoishometonofewerthan450differentfruitspecies,someasheatreliantasthe avocado. It seems that Arco and Riva del Garda have their own specialecosystems with the kind of microclimate which supports this amazing naturalphenomenon.Here, in the shadowof themountain range, lies an abundant fruitgarden.

Stefanoknowsalotaboutnaturelocallyaswellthecultureandgeographyofthearea.He alsohas anose for football. ‘Guardiola is the thirdBayern coach Ihaveknown in fouryears.VanGaaldirectedwithhis eyes,with facial expressionsandsilence.Heynckeswasacoachwhomovedabitmoreandgaveafewinstructionstohisplayers.ButGuardiola!He’sawhirlwindofenergy,avolcano.’

9

‘THEIDEAISTODOMINATETHEBALL.’

RivadelGarda,July7,2013

THEREARECURRENTLYnoguestsstayingattheLidoPalaceinRivadelGarda–exceptfortheBayernparty,whohavereservedthewholehotel.Onthis,thefirstSundayof July, twoguardspatrol the steel fence that rings the lakesidebuilding,which is accessed via a longwoodedpath.Here, thousandsofbirdswelcome thenewly-arrived traveller.Theirunceasing chorus is an adman’sdreamand if rightnowthereisaplaceoftranquilityandcalmintheworld,thisisit.

PepisontheterraceoftheLidoPalacegoingoveryesterday’strainingsessiononhislaptop.Heisobsessedbyfootball,obsessedbyworkandrevelsinthehoursofdetailed,methodicalanalysis.Hewill,fromtimetotimeoverthenext12months,reproachhimselfforthismeticulous,demandingattitudeandisawarethattherearethoseinfootballwhotakeamorelight-hearted,lessfastidiousapproach,preferringto put their faith in good luck and raw talent.However, thewhispered tones inwhichhetendstoexpressthesesentimentssuggestthat inhisheartofhearts,he’shappyasheis.

Inside,ontheothersideofthewindow,DomènecTorrent,hisassistantcoach,isalsostudyingthepreviousday’s trainingonhiscomputer. It’sacurioussituation.Pep is outside and Domènec inside. Both men are reviewing yesterday’s ‘four-secondpressing’exercisesbuttheychoosetodoitseparately.

‘IpreferwatchingitwithoutPepsothatIcanmakemyownevaluationandthenswapnoteswithhimlater,’theassistantcoachtellsus.

He shareshis own takeonhis boss’s first fewweeks atBayern: ‘Pep isoff to aflyingstartandismoremotivatedthanever.Ikeeptellinghimthatwehavetogopiano,pianothough.Wedon’twanttooverwhelmtheplayerswithtoomanynewconcepts. These guys are switched-on tactically and they have welcomed ourtrainingmodelwhichinvolvesalotofballworkandnocontinuousrunning,butwehavetotakeintoaccountthatallofthisislikeawholenewlanguagetothem.’

Thisconceptof languagelearningwillcomeupinconversationagainandagainthisseason.Guardiolausesittodescribeaparticularwayofunderstandingfootball,

bothintermsofmatchstrategyandtrainingmethodology.Thecoachmakesacleardistinctionbetweenthenotionsof‘thecoreidea’,‘language’and‘people’.

Forhim,‘thecoreidea’istheessenceofateamanditscoach.Morethanasingleconcept,itisthesynthesisbetweenaparticularbeliefsystemandthegroup’sstatedmission.ItcanbesummedupinaphraseoftenusedinPep’splayingdaysbyJohanCruyff,themanwhohasbeenlikeafatherfiguretohiminthecourseofhiscareer:‘Theideaistodominatetheball.’

‘Language’isthewayinwhichthecoreideaisexpressedonthepitchandistheculminationofatrainingregimewhichusesarangeofsystems,exercisesandmovestoreinforceunderstandingandmasteryofthebasicconcepts.

Andfinally,‘people’.Thequalityoftheideasandthecomplexityofthelanguageareofnoconsequenceifyourplayersarereluctantstudents.Essentialthoughitmaybe, it is not merely sheer talent that matters here. The player must also becompletelyopentolearningthesecretsofthelanguage,topractisethemandmakeimprovementswherenecessary.Theymusthavecompletefaithinthisprocess.

InGuardiola’s view these three concepts, the ‘core idea, ‘language’ and ‘people’arefundamentalpartsofanyplayingmodelandcandetermineacoach’schancesofsuccessorfailure.

ToGuardiola,hisjobatBayernMunichpresentsfargreaterchallengesthanthosehe encountered at Barça. There is a simple explanation for this. At Barça, thelanguageofthegameistaughtfromaveryyoungage.Thousandsofchildrenpassthrough La Masia, the club’s youth academy, where they are taught the BarçalanguageasdefinedbyJohanCruyffmorethan25yearsagoandimplementedbyaseriousofgreatcoachessincethen.Theylearnthespecificdetailsofthisuniqueandprecise language. By the end they will have mastered this particular brand offootball so that by the time a player hasmade it into the first teamhewill haveaccumulatedmorethan10,000hoursofpracticeandtraininginthissingleplayingmodel.Assuch,hehasbecomeafluentspeakerofthelanguage.

There isnoequivalentatBayern,at leastnotwith the same levelofuniformityeither in terms of the language or themachinewhich teaches it – and this has amajor impact onPep’s plans.DomènecTorrent explains: ‘It’s likewe’re showingthemthenumbers first, thenthedaysof theweek, thenverbs,etc.This isahugedepartureforthemandweneedtobeflexibleandcautious.Inthepasttheyweretaughtaboutman-markingandnowwe’retalkingintermsofcoveringawholearea,forexample.Wedon’twantthemtomarkaplayerandabandonthepositionswe’veassignedthem,becauseall it takes isa longpass,andtheoppositionwill ruinourorganisation.Itwilltaketimebuttheyareassimilatingeverythingwell.Yesterday’s

pressingexerciseswerewellexecuted,particularlyconsideringitwasonlythesecondtimetheyhaddonethem.’

IamstruckandrathersurprisedbythewaytheplayersinteractwithGuardiola.Idon’t sense anyof theusualhierarchicalbarriersbetweenplayers andcoach.Thismorning,withthesoundofbirdsongintheair,thecoachseemslikejustanotheroneofthelads.BoatengandAlabagoouttotheterracetoshareajokewithhim.Schweinsteigerinterruptsandsitswithhimforawhileashesayshisgoodbyes.He’sgoing back to Munich, along with Doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, tocontinuetreatmentonhisanklewhichwasoperatedonatthestartofJune.Thereare fewerof thenecessary resources inTrentino than inMunichandhis recoveryhasbeenslow.ThisworriesPep.HewantsBastitoplayakeyroleinimplementinghisplayingmodel.Hesendstheplayeroffwithgoodwishesforaspeedyrecovery:‘Weneedyou,Basti.’

LorenzaBuenaventura arrives.Hehas spent themorningoverseeinga strength-buildingworkoutfortheyoungestplayers,aswellasaninductionsessionforArjenRobben, who has recently joined the team. ‘We gave Robben the same basictraining the others had in their first day in the Allianz Arena, the three initialexercisesandtheworkondevelopingcompactdefensivecover.Heassimilateditallbrilliantly,andquickly.’

GuardiolaisparticularlyinterestedintheDutchforward’swork.‘Splendid,Pep,absolutelysplendid,’reportsBuenaventura.‘Heworkedreallyhard.’

Robben will be one of the surprises of the year. Guardiola’s appointment hadbarelybeenconfirmedinJanuary2013whenpeoplebegantoquestionwhetherthenewcoachwouldwanttokeeptheDutchplayeron.ThedoubtspersistedevenafterRobben scored the goalswhichwere so decisive in the club’sChampionsLeaguevictory.Buttheplayer’sattitudeonhisarrivalinTrentinohasbeenjustrightandthemanresponsibleforthewinninggoalatWembleyhasapproachedhisworkwithall the hunger of a youngster desperate towin a place in the team. Robbenwillcontinue to apply this same work ethic, in the process earning the support andadmirationofhiscoach.

WhenIspoketoRobben,heexplained:‘Istartedtheseasonwithanopenmindandwashappytotrynewideas.’

Maintaining an open mind is essential for anyone hoping to learn this newfootballinglanguage.Pep’splayersarequicktodemonstratethatthisisonequalitytheyallshare.IfthebosshasgonetotheeffortofmasteringGerman,theleasthisplayerscandoislearnthelanguageofthemanfromSantpedor.Theplayers’initialunfamiliaritywiththerondos, theKreisspiele, soonchanges topositiveenthusiasm.

ToniKroos,whoisdelightedwiththenewregime,issurethattheballwillbecomeagoodfriendtohim.‘Theballmovesveryfast,’explainsDanielVanBuyten,‘andthatmeanswehavetoplayandthinkjustasfast.’

Lorenzo Buenaventura takes the chance to share his impressions of the coach:‘Pep is obsessed bywork but he’s also a revolutionary. Bayern had just won thetreble when he took over and 99% of coaches would have come here and notchanged a thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But he wants to transcend themundaneandordinary.Heistryingtointroducenewconceptstofootballandhelikestoseeitevolvingyearbyyear.Therehavebeenseveralkeyperiodsinfootballinthelast25years:[Arrigo]Sacchi’sera,theeraoftheDutchandtheeraofBarça.’

Months later, during theChristmasholidays, FabioCapellowill say somethingsimilar:‘Guardiola’seraisoneofthethreegreatestlegaciesinthemodernhistoryoffootball:theDutchschool,Sacchi’sMilanandGuardiola’sfootball.’

Butlet’sgetbacktoRivadelGarda.Itisalreadyclearthattheplayers’adaptationtoPep’snewgamewillnotbeeasy.Orfast.

Lorenzo Buenaventura: ‘It isn’t the same as speaking to Xavi and Iniesta, whohavespent20yearsatBarcelona.Theylearnedallofthisthereandhaveputitintopracticeathousandtimes.It’sanotherthingentirelytodoitherewithanyspeed.Pepalwaysstartswell.HegoesslowlyatthebeginningasheexplainsA,BandC.Butthentherewillbethissuddenaccelerationwhenyouleastexpectitandbeforeyouknow it,he’son toZand is revising theentirealphabet. In realityyoucan’texpectsuper-quickresultsfromthiskindofimmersion.’

Outsideonthespaciousterrace,Pep’searsmustbeburningbecause,despitethebirdsong, he seems aware of everythingwe’re saying.He comes in and joins theconversation,wavinghishandsaboutanimatedly.

‘That’sallwellandgood,butifwelosetwoconsecutivegameseveryonewillsayit’sbecauseofalltherondotrainingwe’redoinginsteadofspendingthepre-seasondoing1000-metrerunsorsprintingupTrentino’smountains,’helaughsashegivesBuenaventuraafriendlyshove.‘Theplayerswon’tsayitandpeoplelikeToniKrooswillinsistthathelovestrainingwiththeball,butthere’snodoubtthatifwestartlosingsomejournalistwillblameitonthewaywetrain.’

Buenaventuralaughsatthisvisionofdoom.‘I’veworkedwitharound30coaches.Lotsofthemwereverygoodandallofthemleftmewithsomething,somedetailIcouldlateruse.ButPep,he’sthewholepackage.Hepossessessomethingwhichisvitalinsport:awillingnesstotakerisks.Itislikethathighjumper[DickFosbury,1968]whoonedaydecidestojumpbackwardsandbreakallknownrecords.Howmany football professionals are so willing to break themould and dispense with

tradition?People say, ‘There’s nothingnewunder the sun’.Well, I beg todiffer.Pepiscapableofcomingtoanewcountry,assessingwhat’sbeingdoneandworkingouthowtorespond.Heisconfidentenoughtotakerisksandintroduceinnovativeideas.’

MonaNemmerhas joinedBayernastheteamnutritionistandtodayisherfirstmorning atwork. She is also sitting out on the terrace, surrounded by the hotelchefs,withwhomsheisplanningthemenuforthenextfewdays.Sheis28andhasworked previously in the youth sections of the German national team. BayernlistenedtoGuardiola’srequest.Theplayers’post-matchmealswerealreadycarefullyplannedbytheclub.Theteambushasitsownkitchen,wheretheplayersgettheirpost-matchrationoffreshlycookedpasta,saladandmeatorfish,prepared,asisallofBayern’s catering,bywell-knownchefAlfonsSchuhbeck.Thesemeals arevitalfor their physiological recuperation.Despite this however,Pep felt that therewasroom for improvement and now Mona, who will closely monitor the players’nutritionalintake,hasjoinedthestaff.

Buenaventura agrees that this is vitally important: ‘Like all big teams, Bayernplaysagameeverythreedays,andthataffectsthewayweprepare.MedicalstudiesinItalyhaveshownthatthespeedofpost-matchrecoverydependsentirelyontheplayers’ diet. If they eat properly then they should have recovered 80% of theglycogenintheirmuscleswithinthreedays.Only80%!Justimaginewhatitwouldbeiftheyateunhealthily!Andafterfourconsecutivematchesincyclesofthreedays,theriskofinjuryincreasesby60%.’

In order to cope with the demands of these three-day cycles, players must berotated.Playing sooftenmeans that theplayersnever recovermore than80%offitness,injuriesoccurmorefrequentlyanddipsinperformancearecommon.

‘InBarcelona,playerslikeMessi,Busquets,Xavi,AlvesandPedrowouldplayuptonineor10games[inthree-daycycles]andeverysooftenoneofthemplayed12.TheonlyexceptionwaswhentheywerecalleduptoplayforSpain,butofcoursethatmeantthattheywerestillplayinggames.Thisisterriblefortheplayersbecause,aswellastheriskofinjury,itcanmeanasudden,brutaldownturninperformance.That’swhyitisimportanttohaveafullsquadwhichallowsyou,fromtimetotime,toleaveaplayeroutofagameandgivethemalittlerestcycleoffivedaystraining,’explainsBuenaventura.

InBayern, life is likely tobe lessdemanding. ‘The fact that there isno tourofAsiainthesummerisalreadyablessing.Andthispre-seasontraininggivesusarealadvantagebecausewehave a seriesof complete five-dayperiodsduringwhichwecanworkwithout interruption. In those five-day slotswedosixor seven training

sessions,butwithouttheusualphysicalexertion.Laterintheyearwealsohavetheverywelcomewinterbreak.’

Over thenext fewmonths,LorenzoBuenaventurawill talk at length about thebenefits of thewinter break but todayhe simply says: ‘Having14days of rest atChristmas and two weeks of preparation afterwards is a huge competitiveadvantage.’

GuardiolaandTorrentcomparenotesasthemorningdrawstoaclose,aftereachofthemhasfullyreviewedyesterday’strainingexercises.

OutontheshoresofLakeGardathebirdsarestillsingingasthecoach’sthoughtsturn to Schweinsteiger’s ankle problems,whilst the player himselfwends hiswayhometoMunich.

10

‘WEDON’THAVEAMESSIORARONALDO–BUTWEHAVETHERIGHTCOLLECTIVEMENTALITY.’

Arco,July7,2013

THEYHAVEBEENtraininglikebeasts.AsPepGuardiolaapproachesthebenchheshouts:‘ThisishowBarçatrainedthat

firstyear!’Heopenshis armswide andwaves themabout, thewaywe’ve seenhimdo so

many times during amatch.He shouts again: ‘That’s how they trained that firstyear,likebeasts.’

We are sitting on the bench next to Arco’s tiny training pitch. Bayern arepreparing for the great battles ofGuardiola’s first year as successor to the treble-winner,JuppHeynckes.

MatthiasSammer,theclub’ssportsdirector,isseatedonthesamebench,chattingaboutwhatGuardiolaisinstructinghismentodooutthereonthepitch.Theteamisplayingagameof10v11andthecoachwantstoseehisforwardspressinghardand his defenders andmidfieldersmarking tightly. Guardiola is running up anddown, all thewhile shouting instructionswhilsthisplayersworkwith formidableintensity.

Sammersmiles:‘We’regoingtohavesomefun.’‘Wehavetwoobjectives,’SammerwilltellusthisSundayafternoon.‘Wewantto

establishourselves at the top level and then set aboutbuilding an eraof repeatedandconsistentsuccess.’

Somemonthsbefore,inJanuary2013,whenthetreblewasstilladistantdream,aseniorexecutive fromoneof theworld’sbiggest sportsgoodscompaniesput it tomelikethis:‘InMunichtheyaren’thappywiththeplayingstyleoftheteam.Thedirectorshaveamodernvisionofmanagementandbelievethattheteamshouldbeplaying differently. At the moment they’re doing well and are very focused onwinning,butHoeness andhis colleagueshaven’t forgotten that this teamhas losttwo Champions Leagues in three years, two Bundesligas in a row and has beentrouncedintheDFB-PokalbyDortmund.Theywanttowin,buttheywanttoplayinamoreconsistentwaywhichwillavoidallthehighsandlows.’

So itwas thatGuardiolawasbrought in to spearheadwhatPaulBreitnercalledthe‘thirdphase’ofBayern’splan.

When he was still in New York, Pep had already begun to envisage his idealBayernline-up.We’venevermanagedtofindthetimetochataboutitbutIreckonthat at that stage, before hehad the chance to get to know theplayers, his teamwouldhave looked something like:ManuelNeuer in goals.A defence of PhilippLahm,JaviMartínez,Dante,DavidAlaba;BastianSchweinsteigeraspivote;MarioGötze,ToniKroosinmidfield;ThomasMüllerandArjenRobbeneithersideofthefalse 9, Franck Ribéry. His ideal would probably have been to have Götze andRibéryalternatingasfalse9s,butifthiswaswhathejotteddownashesatinNewYorkplanninghis line-up,eventswouldprovethatateamisa livingorganism.Itgrows and develops, suffers setbacks and has to overcome obstacles. Over time,expectationsarecreatedandthe teamimproves someareasof itsperformancebutdeterioratesinothers.Inotherwords,itevolvesandusuallyinwaysthatyoucouldnothaveplannedfor.Intheend,itneverturnsoutquiteasyouimagined.

In any case, neither JaviMartínez norDante are in the Trentino group, vice-captainSchweinsteigerhasgonebacktoMunichbecausehisankleinjuryhasbeensoslowtohealandGötzeisstillrestrictedtoanexercisebikeinthegym,despiteitalreadyhavingbeentwo-and-a-halfmonthssincehishamstringinjury.Robbenhastrained only once andThiago still hasn’t signed for Bayern. If he did once havevisionsofhisoptimal line-up,Pephasdiscovered that the reality is verydifferentandhismainpreoccupationatthemomentiswhetherornotThiagowillarriveintimefortheGermanSuperCupfinal inDortmund.Ifnot,he’llhavetoconsiderexposingyoungPierre-EmileHøjbjergtotheBorussiasharks.

Alaba,DanielVanBuyten,MarioMandžukić,XherdanShaqiri,ClaudioPizarroand now Robben have been re-united for this pre-season training camp, whilstsevenyouthteamplayersmakethereturntripbacktoMunichafterworkingwiththeveteransfor10days.

Pepspendsalotoftimechattingone-to-onewithhisplayers.HefindsinJérômeBoateng a player who readily assesses and corrects his own performance and inNeuersomeonewhoseobviouspotentialinspirescompletetrust.Fromdayonehediscovershis football alter ego inToniKroos andover timehis chatswithLahmwillrevealaprodigiousandunexpectedtacticalintelligence.Højbjerg,too,receivesindividualattention.Theyoungstergetsaprivatemasterclassonpositionalplay–taughthowtomovetheballforward,findtherightpassinglinesandpushhisteamforward. From now on Pep will protect his young protégé. He sees in him themakingsofagreatfootballer.

The main activity of this Sunday afternoon training session in Arco is a 40-minute gamewhichhas twoobjectives.Pepwants the forwards toworkon theirpenetrationandhealsowantstoseehowco-ordinatedtheotherplayerscanbeinpressing the opposition. To achieve this first objective, Mandžukić and Müller,supportedbyRibéryorShaqiri,havetopressandpunishtheoppositiondefendersuntiltheyhavethemabsolutelyhemmedinononeside.OnceagainPepispleasedwiththeirperformance.

‘Theirpressing isbrutal. IfyouaskMüller tomakea40-metrediagonal run tothe otherwing, he’ll do it at full speed, regain his position and do it a hundredtimesmoreifnecessary.’

ButPep alsomakes it clear thatpressingof this ferocity around theoppositionpenaltyareawon’tbethenorminthecomingseason.‘We’llneedtoworkthishardonthepressingonlyagainstateamlikeBarçaandperhapsoneortwomore.Everyotherteam…well,thesecondorthirdtimewepressthemhardthey’lljustresorttokickingtheballlongandgiftinguspossession.We’llhaveotherpreparatoryworktodo–againstteamswhowanttoputtheballlongovertheheadsofourdefencetomakethemhavetoturn,andindefendingthesecondballwhenateammountsacounter-attack.’

LorenzoBuenaventuraexplainswhyGuardiola insistsonperfectingthisexercisewhenitisn’tsomethingheplanstousefrequently.

‘Hedoesn’tliketoleaveanythingtochanceandisthekindofcoachwhomakessurehisplayersunderstand everymanoeuvre, even theones they’ll useonly threetimes a season maximum. He wants his men to have a range of tools at theirdisposal.Themajorityof teamswon’tplayout fromthebackwhenthey face thegreatslikeBayern,Barça,Arsenal,MadridorManchesterCity.

‘Therefore,knowinghowtopress thekeeperandhis full-backsvia strikerswhoarepushedashighupthepitchaspossible isaresourcewe’llneedrarely.Butwemustknowhowtodoit.That’swhyPeplikestoexplainitandkeeponexplainingitthroughouttheyear.’

Thesecondobjectiveofthistrainingsessionfocusesonensuringplayerscombineand co-operate to press the opposition (wherever on the pitch) and onmarking.Whenthecentraldefendergoesouttopresstheoppositionstriker,theorganisingmidfieldermustdropbackandfillhisspace.Ifthefull-backmovesuptopressthewinger, then thecentraldefendermustmove tocover and,onceagain, thepivotemidfieldermustdropbacktocoverthecentraldefender.Iftheysucceedinpressingthewingerthenthefull-back,centraldefenderandorganisingmidfielderwilleachhavebeencrucialinrobbingtheballback.

TheBayernplayersgooverthesemovesagainandagain.FromtimetotimePepstopsthegameandcorrectsthem,especiallyBoatengandHøjbjerg.Hewantsthemtogettothepointthatco-ordinationbetweenthembecomesinstinctive.‘Ithastobe instantaneous. If Jérôme moves up to challenge, Højbjerg, you cover hisposition.IfLahmruns,JérômecovershimandHøjbjergcoversJérôme.’

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, like Sergio Busquets, the linchpin of Barcelona, has anaturalsenseofposition.Itisaninnateskillandsomethinghehasneverneededtowork on. At just 17 he doesmost of the right things automatically.He has alsocomealongreadyandwillingtolearn,unlikeanotherpromisingyoungplayerwhoseemstoreactbadlytoGuardiola’scorrections.

Ateamisalivingentity.Someplayersdevelopandimprove,likeShaqiri,whoisimpressingthecoachwithhiswork,orHøjbjergandBoateng,whoseemtosoakupevery little detail. But there are also others who disengage, either in terms ofperformanceortheirattitude.Ateamisnotahomogenousgroup.

Ifhehadbeenthere,Rummeniggewouldhaveenjoyedthetrainingsession,buthehasstillnotarrivedinTrentino.HeistyingupthelooseendsofMarioGómez’stransfer to Fiorentina and once he closes this deal he will get on with that ofThiago.TheplayerhasalreadyreachedanagreementwiththeMunichteamandisnot interested in going anywhere else. No one from Bayern anticipates anyoppositionfromBarça,whohaveforsometimebeenveryopenabouttheirwishtosell theplayer.WhenGuardiolawasstillcoachingBarça, inthesummerof2011,the club was already testing the market. Later, they agreed to include an escapeclauseintheplayer’scontract,whichdetailedthatifThiagoplayedlessthanastatedminimumnumberofminutesperyear,hisrescissionfeewoulddrophugely,to€18millioninsteadoftheprohibitive€90millionfigureinhisoriginalcontract.Later,having won the Spanish league, nobody at Barça was interested in changing theteamdynamic just so thatThiago could reach the target amountofplaying timeanditseemsunlikelythattheclubisgoingtorejectareasonableoffernow.

Attheendoftoday’strainingsessionArjenRobbenwillexplainwhatheseesasBayern’smainvirtue: ‘Wedon’thave aMessior aCristianoRonaldo,butwedohavetherightcollectivementality.Wealsohavequalityplayers,playerswhostandout.Whenwe attack,we are always looking for thenext goal andourdefence iscompactandco-ordinated.Thatisourstrength.’

Guardiolaapproachesthebench,visiblypleasedwiththeteam’swork.‘That’showBarçatrainedthatfirstyear!That’showtheytrainedthatfirstyear,

likebeasts,’herepeats.‘Itjustisn’tpossibletoalwaysbeatthetopofthemountain.[Usain]Bolt, [Roger]Federer…wethought theywouldnever stopwinning,but

it’snotpossible,it’sjustnotpossible.’HisresponseevokesthatofGarryKasparovinNewYork:‘Impossible!’Despitebeingchampions,Bayernarehungry.Desperatelyhungry.It’sasifthey

havenotyetmadeittothetopofthemountain.‘Rightnowweare allhungry.Theplayers,because theyhave anewcoachand

newconceptstolearnandtheywanttowinplayingalittlebitbetterthantheyhaveinthepast;me,becauseIwanttowinwithadifferentsetofplayers.Let’sseeifwecandoit.’

11

‘WHOAREOURUNSTOPPABLEGUYS?RIBÉRYANDROBBEN.’

Arco,July8,2013

PEPNOWHASaclearmentalpictureoftheline-upwithwhichhewouldliketostarttheseason.Neueringoal,withLahmandAlabasupportinghimasfull-backs,although Rafinha is also performing very well in training and will be a greatalternative;JaviMartínez,BoatengandDantearethethreeplayerswhowillhavetosharethetwocentraldefensivepositions.

In front of them, Schweinsteiger will slot in as the only dedicated holdingmidfielder.Whileit’scertainlytruethathedidhisbestworklastseasonaspartofadoublepivotepartnership,Guardiolathinksthathisvice-captainisfullycapableofperforming at the same level solo.Beside him, he’ll haveKroos andThiago, twoattackingmidfielderswithtremendouscreativeskill.Thiago,ofcourse,hasnotevensignedyet.If,intheend,hedoesn’tmakeittoBayern,thenGötzecouldtakehisplace.Inattack,Guardiolahasanumberofoptions,althoughallofthem,ofcourse,includeRibéry. In the comingmonths,however,Pepwill come to appreciate themassivegulfbetweentheline-upheisconsideringnow,inearlyJuly,andtherealityofeventsastheyunfold.

Amongstotherthings,withinthenextsixmonths,bytheendof2013,theteamwillhave sufferedavirtualepidemicof injuries.Only fourplayerswillmake it toChristmasinjury-free;reservegoalkeeperTomStarke,midfielderBoateng,defenderVan Buyten and the forward ThomasMüller. The 20 remaining players will allhavefallenvictimtoinjuries.Someofthem,suchasNeuer,MandžukićandAlabawillgetofflightly,butforSchweinsteiger,ThiagoandRobben,thedamagewillbefarmoreserious.Andthat’swithoutevenmentioningHolgerBadstuber,whowillfindhimselfspendinghissecondyeartryingtorecoverfrominjury.ThissituationwillruinGuardiola’splans,obligehimtoreinventplayerstocovercertainpositionsandforcehimtochangemanytacticaldecisions.Allofthiswillmakeitmuchmoredifficultforhisplayerstoassimilatenewgameplans.Thingswillmovemuchmoreslowlyasaresult.

ThecoachisanticipatingnoneofthisashesitshereonthebenchinArco,havingjustcompletedanotherworksession,andexplainshowheenvisageshisBayernwillplay. In this respect he is spot-on. Slowly but surely, Bayern will produce thefootballPepintendsthemtoplay.AndonJuly8,2013,GuardiolaanticipatesthatBayern’sfuturesuccesswillbedrivenbywhathappensonthewings.

Atfirstglancethismayseemsurprising,becauseinhisdaysasaplayerandcoachat Barça the team’s gamewas driven from themidfield. Think of the Barcelonamidfieldfromthe2011ChampionsLeaguefinalagainstManchesterUnited:SergioBusquets,Xavi,AndrésIniesta,andevenLionelMessidroppingbackfromhisfalse9position.Maintaining superiority in thecentral areawasalwayspartof thePepbrand.CouldhedispensewiththisatBayern?Inreality,no.Heistryingtoexplainthathestillwantsthatsamesuperiorityinthecentre,butnowhewantstogoonestepfurtherandredoubletheteam’seffortsonthewings.

AtBarça,GuardiolahadLeoMessi,whomhecalls‘thebeast,’‘theanimal’.Messiwas the perfect solution for Barça. His team-mates would outnumber andoverwhelmtheoppositioninthemidfield,givehimtheballandthenhe’ddotherest.TherewouldbenoMessiatBayern.PepwouldhavetalentedplayerssuchasMarioGötze–able, elusive, intelligent andaprodigiousgoal-scorer–andMarioMandžukić,anothersuperbstrikerandatough,efficientwarrior.ButMessiwasinadifferentdimension.

So,underthehotItaliansun,Pepunveilshisplayingidea.Aseverhewantshisplayers to establish numerical superiority in midfield, but to also cause theoppositionchaosinthewidepositions.AtBarça,IniestaandXavidominateddownthemiddle, whereMessi would then destroy the opposition defence. At Bayern,Guardiolaseesthingsslightlydifferently.

‘Whoareourunstoppableguys?Thewideguys–RibéryandRobben.Wehavetousethatweapon.Wehavetobesuperiordownthemiddleofmidfield,butopenupthewidthwithdiagonalpasses.ThatmeanswehavetopushthewholeteamupfieldinordertoreleaseRobbenandRibéry,becausetheycan’tbedroppingdeeptostarttheplay.’Hewillexplainthisoverandoveragain.

Withinjusttwoweeksofarriving,ithasalreadybecomethecoach’sobsession–Ribéry andRobbenmust no longer bemaking 80-metre runs up and down thewingtoattack,defendandre-starttheplay.‘Iftheyaretheonesre-startingtheplaysodeep,they’llhaveboththeoppositionmidfielderandfull-backinfrontofthemtogetawayfrom.Thatmakesitreallydifficult.However,ifwesetareallyhighlineandestablishourcentraldefenderswherethemidfieldwouldnormallybe, thenitwilllimitouropponents’scopetodoubleuponthewingers.Wewillconverteach

playintoaone-vs-onesituation.InthattypeofsituationourguysaretheverybestandI’dbackthemtogetgoals.Theycanalsocrossexcellentlyandwe’vegottop-quality finishers to put those chances away. At Barça, Messi did the destroyingdownthemiddleofthepitch–atBayernitwillbeRibéryandRobben–butfromthewings.’

These then are his plans in themonth of July. It will take himmore than sixmonthsbeforeallhismenareavailableandhewillneedallhiscreativepowerstosolvethedifficultiesahead.

However,itisn’tenoughtoexplainhowhewantsthemtoplay.Thisissomethingthathastobeworkedondayin,dayout.AsLorenzoBuenaventuraexplains:‘Pephastoldmethatwewillputmuchmoreemphasisonthewidepositionsthanwedid atBarcelona.Why?Because there aredifferent ingredients in the recipehere.AcrossfiveBarçamatcheshowmanytimeswillourfull-backgetupandcrossintotheoppositionbox?Perhapsfourtimespermatch–atmost.BecausewhenMessiplayedwide, at the beginning, he’d always try to get by hismanwith a dribble,ratherthancross.IfDaniAlvesreachesthebyelinethennormallyhe’llcuttheballback, rather than cross. Moreover we didn’t have so many goal-scorers, so fourcrossespermatchwouldbeahighnumber.ButatBayernthere’llbegameswherewecrossmorethan20times,becausewesimplymustfeedMüllerandMandžukić.Obviously, if you’ve got the ball out wide and you see these two penalty-boxpredators arriving then the normal thing is to get the ball into them.Bayern areinfinitelymoreequippedtotakeadvantageoftheballintotheboxthanBarçawere–betterthanmost,infact.Pep’sbigchallengeistosuccessfullycreatechancesfromwidepositions,butstillkeeporderinthemiddleofthepitchtoprotectagainsttheopposition’scounter-attack–tobeawareofwheretheballwilldropifit’sclearedfromacrossand,thus,attackthesecondballtoo,notjustthefirstcross.’

TheBayern fitnesscoach,who isalsoaqualified footballandswimmingcoach,will put extra care into supporting this part of Pep’s strategy.He’ll create specialtraining routines to re-create this complicated pattern that Pepwants to achieve:establishing superiority in midfield, opening up the wings for the guys who candestroy the opposition, finishing on the volley inside the penalty area and at thesametimebeingproperlyplacedtocutoutacounter-attack.

Someweeks later,at theendofSeptember,Buenaventurawill,overcoffeeonanon-trainingday, recall this conversation inTrentino and explain further: ‘A fewdays ago we trained in the headquarters of the bank that sponsors Bayern[HypoVereinsbank]. The main exercise involved three men playing the ball outfromtheback–sometimeswiththefull-backtightwiththem,sometimespushed

forward; in front of them, the pivote and two attacking midfielders, plus threeforwards. The attacking moves need a diagonal pass, breaking through oneoppositionline.Attheendofthemove,ourattackingmidfieldershouldbeontheedge of the box.We’d place one of the dummies from the free-kickwalls in theplacewewantedhimtoendup,sothatanycounter-attackcouldbesnuffedout.Itwasacuriousroutinetostage.’

Afterafewdays,Pepexplainedtotheplayerswhytheyhaddonetheexercise:‘Doyourememberthatdaythatyoudidthisandyouweremeanttoenduppositionednexttothedummy?Wellthereasonwas…’

Buenaventuracontinues:‘AllofthisistheresultoftheanalysisPepcarriedoutonGerman football: who played counter-attack football, how, and how to protectagainstit.Itmeantreachingtheoppositionpenaltyboxinnumbersandallatthesame time, and always vigilant not to suddenly be caught on the counter. If it’salreadytoughtoco-ordinateagood,effective,balancedattack,imaginehowharditistoaddinthefactthatweneededtohavehalfourmindsonwhatwouldhappeniftheattackbrokedownandhowtobepreparedfor theoppositioncounter-attack!This is the ‘extra’ that Pep has: to be capable of analysing how they play in anygiven country, to not renounce his own strengths [in this case the wide play inwhichBayernexcel]buttobepreparedtoprotectourselvesagainstthebreakdownand the counter, all at the same time. And every day introducing another smalldetailofhisownplusoneortwoabouttheoppositionteam.’

Let’sgobacktoTrentino.OnthemorningofJuly8,MarioGómezbidsabriefbut elegant farewell to his team-mates after breakfast. It has been amonth sinceMatthiasSammer,thesportsdirector,toldhimthatBayernwantedtotransferhim.Gómez,whohad losthis place toMandžukić, ongoaldifference, accepts. ‘I loveBayernandIwill alwaysbelong toBayern,’ theplayer tellshis team-mates today.Andhepackshisbags.

ManykilometresawayfromLakeGarda,Thiagoisalsokeentostartpacking.Hehas made his deal with Bayern and all that remains is for Rummenigge to callSandroRosell, theBarcelona president.Thiago has had threeweeks’ holiday andhas just started to train by himself.He is nervous about some last-minute detailunravellingthewholedeal.TheotherthingthatworrieshimisthatthereareonlythreeweekstogobeforetheGermanSuperCupfinalagainstBorussiaDortmund,andheisdesperatenottomissit.

12

‘THEY’LLCLIMBTHATMOUNTAIN10TIMESINAROW.’

Arco,July92013

GUARDIOLA HAS NEVER considered himself a creative genius, an inventor.Instead he has defined himself as an ‘ideas thief’, someone who, as a footballer,experimentedbutmostofall learned,andwhenhedecidedtobeacoachkeptonlearning.Whenhereachedthetopasacoach,hestillfelthehadmoretolearn,sohestudiedthestrategiesofthebest.‘IdeasbelongtoeveryoneandIhavestolenasmanyasIcould.’

Hisinfluencesincludealltheonesyoumightexpect.Firstandforemost,Cruyff,hiscoachatBarcelonaandhismentor.ButalsoArrigoSacchi,whoseMilanteamwon back-to-back European Cups. He was influenced by contrasting footballingvisions,suchasthoseofCésarLuisMenotti,Argentina’sWorldCup-winningcoachin 1978, and Sacchi’s heir atMilan, FabioCapello.TheDutch, the Italians, thefierce competitiveness of theArgentinians, the innovationof theHungarians, thehunger for centre-pitchdominanceofBarça, theperfectionismofMarceloBielsa,theanalyticalclarityof theSpanishcoachJuanmaLillo(moreor lessunknownatthetoplevel)andthepassionoftheScots.

Ifheisafootballrevolutionaryitisthankstothewayhedeconstructsideas.Thefalse9positionheusedwithMessiisagoodexample.Asaplayer,Pepwasateam-mateofMichaelLaudrupinCruyff’sDreamTeam.Laudrupwasanimmensefalse9.Thisteam,whichwonfourconsecutiveSpanishleaguesandgaveBarçatheirfirstEuropean Cup, played for a long time without a centre-forward. Cruyff left thecentre-forward’szoneemptyandusedLaudrupasa‘manwithoutazone’.Therivaldefenderswouldgetalltangledup,notknowingwhattodowithhim.Beforetheyknew it, Laudrupwould be long gone from the penalty box, having left thewayclear for his team-mates to arrive suddenly andput theball away.Guardiolawasboth witness and protagonist during this era. Later, he continued to study theevolutionofthefalse9positionintheworkofAdolfoPedernerainthe1930sand40s,NándorHidegkutiandPéterPalotásofthegreatHungarysideofthe1950s,

the legendaryAlfredoDi Stéfano,Laudrup andFrancescoTotti, themodern-dayRomanicon.

He extracted the essentials from everything he’d learned and then broke downandreconstructedthepositionforMessi.

Whatisthetrueessenceofthefalse9?Leavinganormallyoccupiedzoneempty.Teams put a centre-forward in the main part of the penalty area, bang in themiddle,theareawhere,ifyoustriketheballyou’remorethanhalfwaytoscoring.Itwasaboutclearingspaceinthecentralpartofthemostattackingzoneonthepitch.PepsawthatMessipossessedthetacticalabilitytounderstandit.Hewantedtogivethe best area of the pitch, the centre-forward’s space, to his best player. But heplanned to do it by leaving it free, unoccupied. The area would be his, he toldMessi, but only on condition that he didn’t use it except to finish a chance.Heneededtoget intothezoneforthefinalshot,butheshouldn’tstaythere.Andofcourse,weallknowhowwellhisideasturnedout.

Itwasexactly this typeofcreativityhewas looking forwithFranckRibéryandArjenRobben in telling them to limit their runs to amaximumof 40metres. Itmeant eliminating the deficiencies of a movement and reconstructing it usingdifferent principles, whilst still maintaining its core purpose. He still wanted apenetrating attack down thewing, quick and direct, but itwould bemore brief,more intense and starting from a greater point of advantage.However, first he’dhave to ensure that the teamweremoving as a group toward themiddle of thepitch.

‘We’d likeRibéry not to drop back any further than the centre line,’ confirmsManelEstiarteonthemorningofJuly9.

TheBayern players are training hard despite the fact that they are due toplayBresciainafairlyimportantfriendlythisevening.

‘RibéryistotallycommittedtoPep’scause.Maybetherearethingsthathewouldprefertododifferently,butheputs100%intoeverything.He’saterrificguy,whohastakenonboardallthestrengthsoftheGermangame.Hiswillandenergyareabsolutely limitless.Wewanttoharness thatenergy.Wedon’twanthimrunning80metresacrossthepitch20timesamatch.Weneedhimconcentratinghiseffortsonshorterburstswhichwillactuallybemoreproductive.’

Themorningtrainingsessionisbrutallyintense,asallofthisseason’strainingwillbe.Itspurposeistotraintheteamindefensiveorganisation,correctingthemwherenecessary.Pepispassionateaboutimprovingtheteam’sdefensiveskills.Thisisoneof his main characteristics. Guardiola is no romantic idealist when it comes tofootball, nor is he an aesthete, as has been claimed. He is a single-minded

pragmatist.Aboveallelse,Pepwantstowin.Ifhe’sworking sohardon thedefensiveorganisation, it isbecausehewants to

attack.OnedayinSäbenerStrasse,Isaidtohim:‘Youworkondefensivestrategymost.’

Hisresponsewasshort:‘Becauseit’sabsolutelyessentialifIwanttoattackalot.DefensiveorganisationisthecornerstoneofeverythingelseIwanttoachieveinmyfootball.’

Throughout the season therewillbedozensof sessions like theonehehas justfinished in theArcoStadium,duringwhich the teamhaspractised facing crossesfromfull-backsanddefendingagainstcorners.Theyhavealsocoveredhowtocopewiththelongballdownthemiddletothepenaltyboxandhowtodefendwhentheopponentattacksingreaternumbers.

Hisplayershave trainedwell andEstiarte isdelighted. ‘Theywork likeTrojansandtheirattitudeisjustoutstanding.They’rereadytolearnandarewillingtohaveagoatanythingweask.Ifweaskedthemtoclimbthatmountain[heislookingouttoArcoCastle],theywouldclimbit10timesinarow.’

Guardiola, as always, ismore circumspect: ‘Itwon’t be easy.At the startwe’regoingtofindithardbecausewe’regoingtohavetoplaywithgreatintensitywhilst,at the same time, thinking about the new concepts, and it isn’t easy to play andthink simultaneously. It’s pretty difficult to spend 90minutes concentrating andplayingwell,whilstthinkingaboutthemovesyouhavetomakeorwhereyouhavetobe.’

Thecoachwarnsthattherearedifficultiesonthehorizon,nowthateveryoneispredictingahappyand straightforward future for the team: ‘Itwon’tbe easy,’heinsists. ‘Theyarefindingitdifficulttoassimilatesomeconceptsbecausetheyhavealwaysdefendedman-to-maninallareasofthepitch,butnowIamchangingitsothattheyleavenogapsorpositionsuncovered.’

Heisalsomissingabitofnousinthecentreofthepitch.HehasToniKroos,anastonishingtalentwhomovestheballpreciselyandsharply,butPepwantshimtoincreasehiscontrolofpossession.ThisiswhyheissodesperateforThiagotoarrive,althoughhehasnotyetfullyrealisedtheimportantrolePhilippLahmwillplayinthisareaofBayern’sgame.

‘The physical side we already have down, and the pressing too. It comes asstandard with these players. I have to add a few tactical touches without lettingthemlosethislevelofpressingorthefitnesstheyhaveachieved.Theyjustlackthatlittlebitof‘pause’intheplay.Iniestaisagoodexampleofthat.AtBarçahehadit.Hetooktheballanditsuddenlyseemedasiftimestoodstillandtherewasorderall

aroundhim.Here,rightnow,wedon’thavethat…yet.’WhenThiagoarrivesthecoachreckonshe’llhave16‘starter’players–theprecise

figurehelikestomanageinhisteams.Pepdoesn’tliketohavemorethan20playersinhissquadifhecanhelpit.Ithelpshimmanagethemwithouttensionsgettingintheway.Hehatesthatmomentwhenhehastotelltwoorthreeguys,inthehoursleadinguptoamatch,thatthey’llbesittinginthestandsandwon’tevenmakethebench.Forthatreasonhelikesasmallgroup,withinwhichabout15or16ofthemcanfeelliketheyare,orshouldbe,startingplayers.Thisisareal‘Pep’characteristic,whichdoesn’tnecessarilymeanitisavirtue.

DuringhisfouryearswithBarçaheoftenhadtopatchthingsupinordertomakehis small-squad idea functionproperly.Ofcourse themajority of the time thingsworkedout,likewhenhewontwoChampionsLeaguefinalswithimprovisedbackfours.Butalotofpatchinguphadbeendoneforthosetwogamesnonetheless.

BothPepandhisbackroomstafffirmlydefendthisidea.Allofthemreckonthatagreeing to a larger squad, say 25 players of similar ability, wouldn’t necessarilyavoidsomepatchingupduringtheseason.Inanycase,virtueordefect,thisiswhatmakesGuardiolacomfortable.

Rightnow,he’sponderingthesubject.‘I’venoideawhatI’mgoingtodowhenalltheplayersfromtheConfederationsCupcomeback[JaviMartínez,Dante,LuizGustavo].Plusthere’sGötzeandSchweinitoo…’

Negotiations to sell LuizGustavo are already in place, but even so Pep is stillgoingoverandoverthepossibleplayercombinationsinhisidealBayernteam.Onpapertherejustisn’troomforalltheplayersinhissquad.However,realityis justabouttobiteandridhimoftheseparticularpreoccupations.Whentheinjurieshit,Pep’s problem won’t be how to use all his players but how to piece together acompetitiveteam.Notonceinthewholeof2013willallhisfirst-teamplayersbefitoravailableatthesametime.It’sthedownsideofmanaginga‘short’squad.

AttheendofthistrainingsessionasingleimageattractstheattentionofPepandhis staff.RibéryandRobbenareknocking theballbackand forwards,away fromeveryoneelse,asifthey’rehangingoutonthebeach.Someonementionsthatonlyafewmonthsago,inspring2012,theycametoblowsintheAllianzArenaduringtheBayern-Real Madrid Champions League semi-final. Now they are laughing andjokingontheTrentinopitch.

Guardiola and Estiarte get involved in a debate about the best moments ofBarcelona’s recentgoldenera.ForEstiarte theabsolutepeakswere: ‘The firsthalfagainst Arsenal at the Emirates [March 31, 2010. 2-2] and the first half againstChelseaintheChampionsLeaguesemi-finalof2012.Weneverplayedbetterthan

thosetwodays.’Guardioladisagrees. ‘TheperformanceagainstChelseawas fabulousbutI think

weplayedbetterinthefinaloftheWorldClubCupagainstSantos.Thatwasourall-timepeak.’

LaterthatafternoontheBayernplayersappeartohaveleadintheirbootsastheytakeonBresciafromItaly’sSerieB.Themorningsession,comingontopofallthetrainingthey’vedoneuptillnow,hasrobbedthemoftheirfluidity.

Pep picks his best XI from his current squad; Neuer; Lahm, Van Buyten,Boateng,Alaba;Højbjerg,Müller,Kroos;Shaqiri,MandžukićandRibéry.

Thepre-matchteamtalkisshortandtothepointbutitsetsthetoneforthenextfewmonths.Hewantsthemtousenouswhentheyplaytheballuptothemiddleof the pitch and tells them that theymust get there in a tight group. From themoment they’re on the pitch they must represent the traditional Bayern play:vertical and direct. Be shrewd up to the middle of the pitch – and then all-outattack.

Intheeventtheywon’tmanagetocomplywithhisinstructions.Duringthefirsthalf Pep will keep issuing orders. Boateng should hold the defensive line better;Kroosshouldimposethetempoofplaymorefirmly;Shaqirishouldwidenthepitchrightouttothetouchlineandusehisrunstoadddepth.Againstatoughbutnotexcessively dangerous opponent, Bayernwin 3-0 (with goals fromMüller, KroosandKirchhoff)butGuardiolawillbefarfromsatisfiedandwillendthegameevencleareraboutalltheworkhe’llhavetodoiftheyaretorealisehisaspirations.

That same nightMarioGötze will go back toMunich.Up till now he’s beendoing only bicycle work in the gym but the moment has come to advance hisrecuperation.Hisreturntomatchfitness,however,stillseemsfaroff.

13

‘ITOLDROSELLIWOULDBEGOING6000KM

AWAYFROMHIM.’

Munich,July25,2013

PEP STILL HAD some doubts as he left Trentino for Germany. Pierre-EmileHøjbjerg was ready to play as a midfielder in the German Super Cup final inDortmund although it would be an enormous risk. But what alternative did hehave?

After spending nine days in Italy Pep now knew that he could not count onSchweinsteiger,Götze,JaviMartínez,DanteorLuizGustavoandwouldhavetogoup against their great rivalswith theplayerswhohadbeen trainingmorning andeveningintheshadowofArcoCastle–unlessThiagogothereintime.

HehaddedicatedmoretimetoHøjbjergthantoanyoneelse, showinghimtherightwaytopositionhisbodywhenhereceivedtheballsothathecouldmoveitonimmediatelyaseffectivelyaspossible.Hehadtaughttheplayerhowtoplacehimselfinbetweenhistwocentraldefendersinordertore-startamove.Hehadencouragedhimtobeboldinhispenetrationoftheoppositionlines,eitherwiththeballathisfeetorwitha long, lowpass.Hehadgiven theplayerhoursandhoursofalmostnon-stopobsessionalattention,attimesapparentlyoblivioustotimeandplace.

PepfeltlikeCruyffwouldhavewhenhewasteachingtheyoungGuardiolahowtobeBarcelona’sNo.4andhesetouttotakeHøjbjergthroughtheentiremanualrelatingtothepositionoftheorganisingmidfielder.However,hewasn’tsurethatitwouldbereasonabletoputtheladtothetestinthesecircumstances.DroppinghimintoWestfalen Stadionwithout a parachute. Facing a strongBorussiaDortmunddesperate to have revenge for their defeat in the Champions League final wasn’texactlythebesttimetouseakidof17whoclearlyhadanexcitingfutureaheadofhim. He would be too exposed and the whole experience could end up havingterribleconsequencesforthatpromisingfuture.

In the two friendlies they had played in Trentino against the PaulanerDreamTeam(13-0)andagainstSerieB’sBrescia(3-0),thecoachhadusedHøjbjergasamidfielder, but during that trip back fromVerona toMunich he decided that it

wouldbeunwisetoputtheyoungDanethroughabaptismoffire inDortmund.Hewouldconsideradifferentoption.

ImmediatelyaftertheirreturnfromItaly,onJuly14,BayernplayedafriendlyinRostock. Itwas a benefitmatch forHansa, an ancient andhistoricGerman clubwhichwas strugglingwith serious financial problems.A year before,UliHoenesshadagreedtothefixtureasafundraisertohelpHansarenewtheirfederationlicencewhichqualifiedthemtoplayintheGermanthirddivision.Thefundraisingexercisewasasuccessand28,000fansturnedupattheDKBArena,contributingalmostamillionEurostotheRostockclub’sfunds.

Outonthepitch,PephadchosenToniKroosashisorganisingmidfielder.Itwasa declaration of intent. He was looking for alternatives to Højbjerg so that theyoungstercouldbesparedtheordealofgoingupagainstBorussia.Krooswouldbeagoodfirstchoiceaslongashehadtherightkindofsupport,andinRostockitwasPhilippLahmwhoonceagainprovidedthatback-up.ThecaptainhadplayedasamidfielderintheirsecondfriendlyagainstTSVRegenandinthethird,againstthePaulanerDreamTeam,andPeplikedthewayhemanagedthingsinthemiddleofthepitch.Bayernwon4-0andforthenextfivedayswereabletoworkcontinuouslyin Säbener Strasse for the first time since Guardiola’s arrival. As he was leavingRostockstadiumPephadreceivedatext:‘We’vesignedThiago.’

Daysbefore,justashewasabouttoleaveTrentino,Pephadinsisted:‘Thiagoodernichts’.Thiagoornobody.

RummeniggehadrespondedbymakingaformaloffertoBarcelona.AsfarastheCatalanclub’smanagementwasconcerneditwastheperfectdeal.NotonlydiditmeettheirpricebutitalsoallowedthemtosellthepearlofBarça’syouthacademy,thejewelofLaMasia,withoutattractingtoomuchflak.ThiswaytheycouldarguethatGuardiolahadstolentheplayer.TheleakednewsofthepotentialdealhadnotcomefromBayern,norfromThiagohimself,whowasstillholedupontheCostaBrava. Pep knew that it could only have come from the club selling the player,whichmeantthattheagreementwaswellontheway.

That day in Trentino the German journalists had asked him if Bayern wereinterestedintheplayer.Thecoach’semphaticresponselefttheminnodoubt.‘Ofcourse Iwanthim.’Fora fewmoments thepress roomin thehotelannex lapsedintoasurprisedsilence.Thenewsmenhadnotbeenexpectingsuchadirectreply,althoughtheneedfortransparencywasnotPep’sprimaryconcernatthatmoment.His intentionwas to give a helping hand to the negotiationswhichwere alreadyunderway.Bymakinghiswishespublicinthiswayhewould,hehoped,helpbringthings to a satisfying conclusion. If Barça had decided to leak the news then

Guardiolaplayedhisrolebymakinghispersonalinterestinthesigningcrystalclear.Healsoannouncedthattherewouldbenomoresignings.‘Thiagoodernichts.’

On July 11 Guardiola did much more than confirm his interest in Thiago,however.HealsotooktheopportunitytolaunchanattackonSandroRosell,thenpresidentofFCBarcelona.

Rosellhad insultedCruyffbywithdrawing the titleofhonorarypresident fromhim, andhe had takenhis predecessor, JoanLaporta,whohad appointedPep ascoach, tocourt.AndinMarch2011hehadalsodealtwithseriousaccusationsofdopingagainsttheclubwithasurprisinglackofenthusiasm.

If,duringLaporta’stimeincharge,Pephadbeenforcedonseveraloccasionstoactastheclub’sofficialspokesperson(theCatalanmediasometimescalledhimthe‘virtual president’), then under Rosell’s mandate he had increasingly sensed acreeping,progressivealienationwhichbecameonly tooapparentduringPep’s lastseason.

PephaddecidedtospeakoutatlastandoptedtodoitinTrentino:‘Duringmysabbatical I told president Sandro Rosell that I would be going 6000 kilometresawayfromhim.AllIaskedwasthatheleavesmeinpeace,buthehaschosennottodothat.Hehasbrokenhispromise.IdidmytimeandthenI left.Itwasn’ttheirresponsibility.Iwastheonewhodecidedtogo.AndIwent6000kilometresaway.Letthemgetonwiththeirownbusinessnow.Ihopethey’rehappywiththeplayersthey’vegotandwiththethingsthatthey’redoing.Iwishthemalltheluckintheworldbecauseinsomesmallwaytheirsuccessismysuccess.Idon’tneedtotellyouwhat that club means to me, but this year they have crossed the line too manytimes.’

Attacking someone as devious as Sandro Rosell was not a great strategy andGuardiolaknewit.Hewasjustunwillingtocontainhimselfforanylonger.

Ashisfriend,SalaiMartin,explains: ‘Pepjustneededtogetitalloutthatday.Hehadputupwithsomuchabuseandhadjusttakenitinsilence.Itwasinevitablethathewouldhaveablow-outeventually.’

Infact,hehadprobablychosenthewrongwayandthewrongplacetoexplodebecausetheGermanjournalistshadnorealunderstandingofthedetails.NotonlybecausePepwas speaking inCatalan,butbecause itwas toodifficult for themtounderstandthecontext:whathehadputupwithovertheyears;thegrievanceshehad dealt with; the manipulation of the last year and the financial and editorialinfluencesinBarcelona.ItwasalltoocomplicatedandalltheGermanpressreallyunderstoodwasthatGuardiolawasfuriouswithSandroRosellbecauseoftheway

hehadtreatedhimonceheknewthecoachwasleaving.Infact,thiswouldendupbeingaprettygoodsummaryofwhatactuallyhappened.

AfewdayslaterThiagoarrivedinMunichandonJuly17hetookpartinhisfirsttraining session.Hehad comewith very little physical preparation. Just amonthbeforehehadscoredahat-trickasSpainbeatItalyinthefinaloftheUEFAUnder-21 European Championship. Since then his personal training regime had beenrestricted tomountainbikingandhill runningwithhisyoungerbrotherRafinha,whohadbeenloanedtoCeltadeVigobyBarça.

Thiagowas delighted to havemade it toMunich. ‘It’s an amazing feeling thatsomeoneofthecalibreofPephassomuchconfidenceinme.Whenthebestcoachintheworldcallsyou,youdon’thavetothinktwice.’

GuardiolahadpropelledThiagothroughtheyouthranks,promotinghimtotheBteamat16andthentothefirstteamaged18.Hehadcompleteconfidenceintheplayerand,justashewasdoingnowwithHøjbjerg,hadspentmanyhourshoningthisroughdiamond.WithThiagohehadfocusedondefensiveconcepts.

Theplayerhimself tellsmeover coffee inMunich shortly afterhis arrival: ‘Peptold me I had to get rid of some aspects of my game. Things like the way Icelebrated.IamBrazilianafterall!Ioftengotreallyannoyedwithhimbecausehewasalwaystellingmetocalmdown.Wheneverwewerewinninghe’dtrytoimposeabitoforderandstopusgettingtoocarriedaway.HegotridofalotofthethingsIusedtodo,probablyallthesuperficialstuff,butinexchangehetaughtmemuch,muchmoreimportantconcepts.Ireckonthat’saprettygooddeal.’

Thiagoarrivedready foranything. ‘NowIneed toexpressmyself. I’mgoing touseeverythingPephasaddedtomygameandatthesametimetrytoexpresswhoIamasaplayer.’

TheBrazilianwouldsoongethisopportunitytodothat–threedayslaterhewasinthestartingline-upfortheHamburg-BayerngamewhichkickedofftheTelekomTrophy tournament. Bayern won easily and Thiago played well as the singleorganisingmidfielderwithKroostoonesideofhim.Pep’splansfortheDortmundfinal were beginning to emerge. If Thiago held up physically he would be thestartingpivoteintheSuperCup.

The next day, July 21, the coach repeated this strategic approach for thetournament final although this time he added one more piece. With Thiago aspivote, Lahm and Kroos took up the other two midfield positions. The captainbrought defensive power whilst Kroos added his creative flair. The trio playedbrilliantlyandBayerndestroyedBorussiaMönchengladbach5-1.AslongasThiagostayedfit,Pephadhisline-upfortheDortmundmatchinaweek’stime.

However, in the meantime Bayern had to face Barça in the Allianz Arena. Itwasn’tamatchGuardiolawas lookingforwardto.Hehadbeeneverythingtotheclub: La Masia graduate, ball boy, player, captain, coach, spokesperson andultimatelythesymbolofBarcelona.Hewouldneverbecomfortablehavingtoplayagainstthem.

The friendly had been fixed for Wednesday July 24, three days before theGerman Super Cup final, another reason for Pep’s reluctance. But this was UliHoeness’ cup. The president, patriarch, the father of Bayern, as he wasaffectionatelyknown…soPepjusthadtoputabravefaceonitandgetonwiththegame.

Nobody at Barcelona was particularly enthused by the prospect, either. ThosemembersofthesquadwhoplayedforthenationalteamwerestillonholidayandtheclubwasstillreelingaftertheterriblenewsofcoachTitoVilanova’srelapseinhisfightagainstcancer.Itwasfivedayssincetheyhadheardthathewas illagainandwouldhavetoresignascoachoftheclubhehadjustledtovictoryinLaLiga.

OnJuly23Gerardo‘Tata’Martinohadbeenappointedasthenewcoach,buthewouldnotbeinMunichintimeforhisnewteam’sdebutmatch.JordiRoura,whohad been interim coach whilst Vilanova recovered in New York in early 2013,wouldbeontheBarcelonabench.Theteamwasreturningtothesceneofitsmostrecentnightmare.ThreemonthshadpassedsincetheChampionsLeaguesemi-finalinwhich JuppHeynckes’Bayernhadbeaten them4-0beforewinning3-0at theCampNou.

Thiago, supported by Lahm and Kroos, was Bayern’s new midfielder. All thepiecesfortheteamthatwouldfaceDortmundhadfallenintoplace.

Intheevent,thefriendlywascompletelystraightforward.Theconsequenceswere,however,anythingbut.Bayernwon2-0bydenyingBarcelonabarelyanychancetodevelop theirgame,butonThursdaymorningGuardiola learned thecost:NeuerandRibérywereinjured.Thegoalkeeperhadsomepaininhisabductormuscleandthestrikerhadtakenapainfulkicktohisleg.NeitherwouldmaketheDortmundgame.

Now, on July 25, Guardiola is to be found scowling and cursing the Barçafriendly.Hehadn’twantedtodoit,hadalwaysbelievedthatplayingitthreedaysbeforeafinalamountedtodisastroustiming.Tomakemattersworse,thegamehaslefttwoofhismostimportantplayersinjured.HewillhavetodowithouthisNo.1goalkeeperandhismostdevastating forward.Guardiola is furious.He isgoing tohavetoplayhisfirstofficialfixturewithtoomanymenmissing.

Hespends thewholenight studyingJürgenKlopp’sBorussia,ashealwaysdoes

beforeamatch.Fortwo-and-a-halfdaysheanalyseshisopponentsdowntothelastdetailandlooksforweaknesseshecanexploit.Hisanalyticalapproachissimilartothat of Magnus Carlsen, world chess champion who likes to study the thinkingbehind every chess move without using a computer. He then reaches his ownconclusions and instructs his assistants to find alternatives using powerfulcomputers.Injustthesameway,Peppreferstoscrutinisetheinformationhimselfbefore consulting his assistants, Carles Planchart and his team of analysts. Onlyoncehehasexaminedhisrivalindepthdoesheexchangeideaswiththetechnicalteam.Thefinalconclusionsareusuallyacombinationofbothparties’work.WhenIpointedoutthesimilaritywithCarlsen,Pepseemedpleasantlysurprisedwiththecomparison:‘I’mgettingmoreandmoreinterestedinchess.’

Hehasdoubts.Pepalwayshasdoubts.Hegoesovereverythingathousandtimes.Howtoattackopponents,hisline-up,theinstructionsheneedstogiveindividualsand the whole team. He’s missing Neuer and Ribéry, Javi Martínez and Dante,GötzeandLuizGustavoandSchweinsteigerisstilllimpingabout.Hedecidestogoontheattack.

He still has doubts and swithers between Rummenigge’s words – ‘We needpatience’–andSammer’s–‘Weneedpassion.’

Patienceandpassion.Guardiola’stwomainweapons.WhichcredowillthisfirstappearanceofthenewBayernreflect?

Heoptsforpassion.Whenindoubt,gobacktobasics:attack,attack,attack.He’sgoingtomovePhilippLahmfromthemidfieldandreturnhimtoright-back.Hewillplay inDortmundwithasmany forwardsaspossible.But it isgoing tobeahugerisk.

14

‘BORUSSIADESERVEDTOWIN.’

Dortmund,July27,2013

PEPHASVALENTINAinhisarms.Thelittlegirlhugsherdadtightly.Sheseemstosensethegravityofthesituation.TheBayernplayersarealreadyontheteambus,waiting for their boss, his white shirt bathed in sweat, to come aboard.Temperatures in Dortmund are Mediterranean – 38 degrees centigrade andGuardiolahas just losthisfirstofficialmatch.Aftera4-2win,theGermanSuperCup belongs to Borussia. Ten metres away, Jürgen Klopp, the victorious coach,goesbytriumphantly,asvolcanicasever.

EverysingleticketinDortmund’sSignalIdunaParkhasbeensoldforthisone-offmatch, as theyusually are forgames inalmost every stadium in thecountry.195countriesare televisingthe finalandbothcoacheshavesprucedthemselvesupforthe occasion. They wish each other well at this, the start of a long and friendlyrivalry.

Noglorywithoutpain.ForGuardiolathisisthemostdifficultopponentagainstwhomhecouldhavebegunhisnewcareer.KloppandGuardiola,together;BorussiaandBayernhead-to-headinthefightforanothertitleandit’sonlylateJuly.Itisawonderfulwaytobeginthisjourney.Thetwomenmakebeguilingdancepartners,perhapsbecausetheyevokePepandMourinhointhedayswhentheycreatedthetacticalsolutionstohelptheirrespectiveteams,BarcelonaandRealMadrid,achieveexcellence.

WillKloppbecometheGermanMourinho?Iamtalkinghereintermsoftacticsandstrategy,ofcourse–notcollateraldamage.Guardiolaputsenoughpressureonhimself thathedoesn’tneedanexternal incentivetocomeupwithhis innovativeideas. However, Klopp has a similar character and the pair are like two skilledfencerswhowillthrustandparrytounpickfootball’senigmas.

Dortmund,acityproudofitselfandofitsyellow-and-blackBorussia,givesPepabrutalwelcome.This is the realBundesliga,whereeven in themonthof July thejet-fuelledrocketsoftheChampionsLeaguerunners-uparereadyandwaiting.Thehome teamhasmadeonlyonechange to its line-up since theWembley final,63

daysago.NuriŞahinreplacestheinjuredŁukaszPiszczekinthecentreofthefield.Dortmund’s line-up, playing their traditional 4-2-3-1, is: Roman Weidenfeller;KevinGrosskreutz,MatsHummels,NevenSubotić,MarcelSchmelzer;NuriŞahin,Sven Bender; Jakub Błaszczykowski, İlkay Gündogan, Marco Reus and RobertLewandowski.

In contrast, Neuer, Dante, Schweinsteiger, Javi Martínez and Ribéry are allmissingfromtheBayernteamthatwontheChampionsLeague.Outonthepitchthere’sThiagoas the soleholdingmidfielder,withKroosandMülleras attackingmidfielders; Robben and Mandžukić play on the wings and Shaqiri at centre-forward. The formation is 4-3-3: Starke; Lahm, Van Buyten, Boateng, Alaba;Thiago,Müller,Kroos;Robben,Shaqiri,Mandžukić.

Having swithered between patience and passion, the coach has decided to gostraight on to the attack.He restoresLahm to theback four, but the startingXIsignifies thatPep’s teamwillplay themajorityof thegame in a4-2-4 formation,specificallythankstoMüller’stendencyto jointheforwards.There isnoescapingthefactthathe’sastriker.Fromhere,Guardiolaknowsinhisbonesthathecan’tusethisguyinthemidfieldbecausehisbasicinstinctsimpedehimbeingsufficientlydisciplinedtoholdakeypositioninthemiddleofthepitch.

PephasfallenvictimtohisownambitiousplansandalthoughBayerndosucceedin penetratingBorussia’s defensive lines, they struggle to dominate such a strongcounter-attackingteam.Giventhestatetheyhavearrivedin,Pep’steamcouldhavedonewithLahm’s vital defensivediscipline in the centreof thepitch,buthehaschosen to jump in without a lifebelt and attack. He pays a high price for thedecision.

It’s all sufficient to confirm that Dortmund remain rock-hard at home.Notwithstanding the fact that they get a gift from the visitors after barely fiveminutes. Neuer’s replacement, Tom Starke, is the guilty party and the 1-0 leadsignifiesthatKlopp’steamcandigin,switchto4-4-2,allowBayerntheball,trytochannelthemwide–thenwaitfortheopportunitytocounter-attack.

In just a few years, Jürgen Klopp has created a killing machine. Borussia arerunners-up in the Champions League, Bundesliga champions in 2011 and 2012andthisstadiumappearsunassailable.

Thehumidity inDortmund is stifling,much like it is inBarcelona,perhaps toremindPepofhisroots.TheplayerssweattheirwaythroughthematchandthereisarefreshmentbreakorTrinkpauseineachhalf.Thecoachesdecidewhentheytakeplace. Klopp calls the first one in the 24th minute with the score in his team’sfavour.WhilsthisplayershaveadrinkandrehydratetheDortmundcoachgathers

hisdefenderstogethertogivethemtheirinstructions.AfewmetresawayGuardiolais talkingtohis forwardsand it is thiscontrasting imagethatprovides theperfectsymbolofthetworivals’differentstrategies.

Borussiadon’tmindnothavingtheball.Onthecontrary,theyarequitehappytobidetheirtimeandthenpounce.Theydon’tneedtheballattheirfeetbecauseofthefactthattheydominateavailablespacesointelligently.They’renotembarrassedtoappearover-run–themoretheyareforcedbackthebettertheyseemtodefend.

It’seightmenback,withGündogenandLewandowskileftinthecentrecircletopick up the scraps or spearhead the counter. Thus Bayern set up camp in theDortmundhalfandseekoutthechinksintheirarmour–butit’sahardshiftandrarelysuccessful.

Klopp goes into the dressing room looking like he thinks he’s planned thingsbetterthanGuardiola.

Afterhalf-timetheBayerncoachswitcheshisattackingplayers.HesendsRobbento the left, Mandžukić to the centre of attack and Shaqiri to the right. Thisapparentlyminor adjustment changes everything.Thiago andLahm start to turnthetideandtheequalisercomesfromanintricatepassfromThiagotohiscaptain,whocrossesforaRobbenheader.Bayernhaveequalised.Theyseemtohavereacheda turning point at last, but the illusion is short lived. In barely 180 seconds thescoreboard goes from 1-0 to 3-1, leaving themen fromMunich humiliated andemotionallybroken.

KroosisslowandVanBuytenisdistraughtafterhescoresanowngoaltomakeit2-1. Gündogan, a prodigious midfielder, puts the third goal away almostimmediatelyandsuddenly it’sallbecomevery tough forBayern.GuardiolacouldnothaveimaginedjusthowhardthegameinDortmundwouldbe.

Despiteeverything,Bayernfightonandthreethingshappen:Robbenscoresandnarrows the margin; Müller hits the crossbar, and Borussia continue to punishBayernwhenevertheylosetheirshape.

Thiago’sgamesymbolisesthistension.Hemakeswonderfulpassesinattackandthen loses the ball when he’s defending. His passes result in a goal and Bayernhittingthepost.ButtheonehegivesawaybecomesDortmund’sfourthgoal.Theparadoxisbittersweetfortheplayerwhoistrappedinthebattlebetweenthosewhodominatetheballandthosewhodominatespace.

This same battle is raging all over the football world and it is clear that theultimatewinnerswillbethoseteamswhomanagetofindabalancebetweenthetwoapproaches. In Germany, Bayern and Dortmund represent the two models.Guardiolawantshisplayerstoplaycalmlyandwithabitofnoustowardsthecentre

circle,andthenunleasharapidattack.Finding the right combination of different rhythmswill be vital for his team’s

futurebutatthemomenttheyarenotgettingitright.Thiago’sgamesumsupthechallenges that await them. In this SuperCup final he exploits the cracks in hisopponents’defencebrilliantlybutfailstoprotecthisownteam.

ThedefeatisevenmoreofablowforGuardiolathanitisfortheclub.Thiswasthefirstof thesix titlesBayernhaveset their sightsonthis season,determinedtobuildonJuppHeynckes’successfulcampaign,whichtheCatalancoachiskeentohonoureverytimehespeaksinpublic.

Thematchhasbeenplayedwithapassionandintensityhardtomatchanywhereelse inEuropeatthisstageoftheseasonandtheresulthaspeopleaskingif todaymarksthestartofanewchampion’sreign.

Oneyearago,inthesummerof2012,Heynckes’BayernhostedKlopp’sBorussiatocompeteforthesameSuperCuptitle.AtthetimeBayernhadjustmissedoutontwoChampionsLeaguetitles,twoconsecutiveBundesligatrophiesandhadlostthelast five encounters with Borussia, the last of which had been a bloody 5-2thrashing.ButthemenfromMunichwouldendupwinningthe2012SuperCupandmarchtowardstheirhistorictreble.

Rightnow JürgenKloppwould love today’swin againstGuardiola tohave thesameeffectonBorussia.Hehasclearedthefirsthurdleandthescenehasbeensetfortheintenserivalrythatshoulddominatetheseason.

Guardiola has worked hard in his first month as Bayern coach but he nowunderstands the full extentofwhathe stillhas todo ifhewishes todominate inEurope. He also discovers that in Germany coaches attend post-match pressconferences together. TheGerman is glowing, absolutely radiant. TheCatalan isstunned.Hemisunderstandsaquestionfromalocaljournalistandstrugglestogivea clear assessmentof thematch.At timeshe rambles and seems tohavehisheadelsewhere,perhapson theSignal IdunaParkbench, as ifhewoulddearly love towindbacktheclockto8.30pmandthestartofthematchsothattheycanplayitalloveragain.Hehasn’tbeenparticularlysmartduringthe90minutesandhisstartingline-upwassurprisingfortheabsenceofLahminthecentreofthepitch.Whyhadhe done away with the Lahm formula which had been so successful in previousgames?

Throughout the jointpressconferenceGuardiola seems tobebroodingonthis.Hehasbeenslow.It’sasifhissabbaticalyearinNewYorkhasreducedthespeedofhisreactions.Thisisonlythesecondfinalhehaslostasacoach.Thefirstwasthe2011CopadelReyagainstRealMadrid,buthehasbeensluggishtoday,abitlike

thestiflinglyhotweatherinDortmund.He is numb and appears distracted throughout the press conference, during

which he mistakenly answers a question not meant for him. But he accepts thedefeatgraciouslyandwarmlycongratulatesKlopp:‘Borussiadeservedtowin.’

HemustbewonderingifKlopp’steamishisnewNumancia1,despite thehugedifferences between the Spanish minnows and these German giants – the initialblunderthatmarksthestartofagloriouscampaign.

Fortheclub,itisnothingmorethananinsignificantslip-up–theSuperCupisconsidered unimportant inGermany.However, the coach feels deeply wounded.Hehateslosing.

His family have been inDortmund sincemidday andwill go back toMunichwithhimforafewdays.Histhreechildrenarewearingwhiteshirtswithredstripes.Pep wipes off his sweat and picks up his youngest daughter, Valentina, whilstexplainingafewofthegame’stacticstohismiddleson,Màrius.

By chance he sits down beside his friend Estiarte as the red bus pulls out ofWestfalenStadion.The twosit together, justas theydid fiveyearsago, returningfromBarça’sdefeatbyNumancia.

They aremoving on from thismoment of defeat.Three little kids in red-and-white shirts wave goodbye. The journey has begun again – as steep and astreacherousasever.

1NumanciaisasmallSpanishteamwhichdefeatedBarçainGuardiola’sfirstleaguematchascoachinAugust2008.

PARTTWO

THEFIRSTTROPHY

‘Chess,thatgameoflogicparexcellence,consistsofluck,luckandmoreluck.’

SAVIELLYTARTAKOWER,GRANDMASTER

15

‘MAYBEITWASAMISTAKE.’

Munich,July29,2013

NEUER AND RIBÉRY train as normal with the rest of the group – a littlesurprisingly. Just 40 hours after theGerman Super Cup they are both fit again.Inevitably, questions are being asked about such a speedy recovery. If they wereunabletoplayonSaturdaynight,howonearthcantheyhaverecoveredintimeformidday onMonday?Had Bayern erred toomuch on the side of caution in notusingthemagainstBorussia?

Neuer had had a little problem in his abductor muscle and Ribéry had a legknock.ThedoctorshadadvisedthattheirinjuriesweresufficientlyseriousforthemnoteventoconsidertravellingtoDortmund,yetheretheybothare,restedandfitand training under the Munich downpour. It’s the first thing Guardiola askshimself.AtBarcelonathecoachwasusedtoexploringalltheoptionstoensurethata playermade it into the team, right upuntil the lastmoment.WheneverBarçaplayers suffered injuries like those which kept Neuer and Ribéry out againstDortmund, they would travel with the team and undergo a last-minute medicalexamination justbefore thegame.InMunich, thingsaredonedifferentlyandthecoach isnot sureheapproves.Perhaps,he thinks, ifNeuerandRibéryhadcomewith themtoDortmundtheymighthaveexamined themmid-afternoon to see iftheywerefittoplay.Perhapstheywouldhavebeenmatchfitandthefinalwouldhaveturnedoutdifferently.Perhaps.

‘Damn thatBarçamatch, damn it.Never againwill I agree to a friendly threedaysbeforeafinal.Neveragain.’

Guardiola is still brooding on the game against his former club and itsconsequences.HistechnicalassistantshavereviewedtheSuperCupfinalandthinkmuchthesameas theydidwhentheywerewatching it live:a seriesof individualerrorshad led to the team’sdownfall.Thecoach’sdecisionnot toprotectThiagowithLahm’ssupportisseenasanotherpossiblecontributoryfactor.‘Maybeitwasamistake,’admitsoneofthetechnicalteam.Today’strainingsessionisopentothepublic and hundreds of fans, huddled under their umbrellas, crowd into Säbener

Strasse. An almost religious silence descends as they, too, listen to the coach’sinstructions.

It’sadownpour.Theplayershadhopedforabreakintheweatherafterdaysofasphyxiatingheat,butnot like this. It’s bucketingdownwhenMarioGötze trotsoutontothetrainingpitch.Themedicshavegivenhimtheall-clearbut,seeingthedeluge,theplayerhangsbackforawhile,whichgivesmetheopportunitytochattohimaboutthe immensepassionofhisoldclub,Dortmund. ‘It’sabsolutelybrutalplayingthere.TheSüdkurveisthebiggeststandintheworldandwhenyou’reonthepitchittowersoveryoulikeamountain.’

Inafewmonthshe’llcomefacetofacewiththatmountainagain.Götzehastheballathisfeetforthefirsttimeinmanymonths.Hemakesseveral

fast,intensesprintsandseemstohavecompletelyrecoveredfromthemuscletearhesuffered exactly 90 days ago. Although the original injury was not particularlyserious, he aggravated it by returning too early in an attempt to make theChampions League final. But there is light at the end of the tunnel now andGuardiolatellshimthathewantshimbackwiththegroupbynextFriday.

Thiagodoesn’ttraintoday.HetookabadkicktohisankleinDortmund,buttherealproblemgoesdeeper:heisinastateoftotalcollapse.Hisistheclassicstoryofthe sportsman who gives 200% for an important fixture and then immediatelysuffersamajorphysicalsetback.ThiagoarrivedinGermanyhighlymotivatedand,intheBarçaandDortmundgames,forcedhisbodytogivemorethanhewasreallyfitfor.Nowheneedsacoupleofdays’rest.Hehastriedtoreachforthestarsandithas lefthimexhausted,withbigblackcirclesunderhis eyes andpainalloverhisbody.Heneedsabreak.

Therewillbenomoresignings this season,even if thepresskeeptalkingaboutthePolishplayerRobertLewandowski.TheBorussiaDortmundcentre-forwardisaprodigioustalentandBayerncouldgethimimmediately,buttheyhavedecidedtowait another year. If Götze’s signing hadn’t caused such an uproar thenLewandowskiwouldprobablybe traininghere inSäbenerStrassealready,perhapsinsteadofMarioMandžukić,afirst-classfinisherfromclose-in,whoisunlikelytohavealongcareeratMunichaheadofhim.Butfromwhatthetechnicalteamhavesaid there isnodoubt that theclub is impressedbyLewandowski,by thewayhemovesandcontrolstheballandworkswithhisteam-mates.

The club’s plans are clear.Therewill be nomore signings and two players areabouttobetransferred.EmreCanwillmovetoBayerLeverkusenonAugust2andLuiz Gustavo to Wolfsburg on the 16th of the same month – both driven byfinancial imperatives.Højbjergwill trainwith the first teambut playwith theB

side.Kirchhoffstaysforthetimebeing,butthereareplanstolethimgoonloanatChristmas. By now, Pep is convinced that he shouldn’t useThomasMüller as amidfielder.

Wrapped up in his raincoat, Manel Estiarte stands in the rain with Pep’s sonMàrius, who is watching everything his dad does with avid attention. EstiarteoutlinesGuardiola’s objectives forhis first season atBayern. ‘Themain aim is towin the Bundesliga and we’ll be focusing all our energies on that. The secondobjectiveisthattheteamlearnshowtoplaythekindoffootballPepislookingforandmakesprogressinthatdirection.Hewantstoseethemgreatlyimprovedbytheendoftheseason.He’salreadytakenBarçaB(Barcelona’ssecondteam,whomPeptrainedin2007-8)throughthatprocess.Theteamwasdreadfulatthestart,buthetransformed themand theywereabsolutelyunstoppable for the lastmonthandahalfofthechampionship.That’swhatwe’dliketodohere,maketheteamsomuchmore than they are at themoment. Andwe’ll also be laying the foundations forPep’s second year when he wants to see them consistently playing his style offootball.’

Theobjectiveissetthen.It’stheBundesligatitle.

16

‘WHATDOYOUKNOWABOUTATHLETICISM?’

Munich,July29,2013

THEDAY-AND-A-HALFlongmasterclassindefencehasbegun.Thisisonlythefirstofmanythecoachwillleadduringtheseason.ItstartswithPepgivingayellowbib to JaviMartínez and sendinghim toworkwith thedefenders. If theSpanishmidfielderhasn’talreadyread it in thepapers,henowknows that thebosswantshimincentraldefence.Therainistorrential.Thefourdefenders,allwearingyellowbibs, areRafinha, JaviMartínez,Dante andAlaba.Guardiola is in themiddleofthem, explaining the moves he wants them to make. The players Pep wants toattackareLahm,Boateng,VanBuytenandKirchhoff.It issignificantthatLahm,thecaptain,isn’tinthefirst-choicebackfour.Itseemsthecoachisalreadythinkingofhimprincipallyasamidfielder.

For 40minutes Pep dedicates himself wholly to explaining how andwhere hewantsthebackfourtomarkandhowtomoveasagroup,whatthefull-backdoeswhenhe’sbeingattackedbyawinger,wherethenearestcentraldefendershouldbeinthatsituation,wheretheothercentraldefendermustbe,whattheotherfull-backislookingfor,whenthecentraldefenderneedstocomeouttopressanopponent,up to what point he offers cover to his central defensive partner and where thepivotepositionshimselfwithregardtothebackfour.Theseareallpre-determined,minutelyconfiguredmovements–perfectlychoreographedwiththeaimofclosingallthegapswhichcanbeexploitedtoopenupadefence.

Danteisinhiselement,butJaviisstruggling.Thisrainyafternoonissignificantfortworeasons.Withoutanythinghavingbeenopenlysaid,itisobviousthatthisisa first step towardshimreturning to thepositionofcentraldefender,andhealsoknows that hewill have to undo almost everything he learned atAthleticBilbaoundercoachMarceloBielsa,whoalsooccasionallyusedhimasacentraldefenderbutwhoalwaysaskedformanmarking.AtBayern,PepwantszonalmarkinganditisprovingtobeabitofapsychologicalbarrierforthemanfromNavarra,whowillbestarting fromzeroalloveragain. Inalmosteverymove, Javiendsupwhereheshouldn’t be, starts a run when he shouldn’t and distances himself from Dante

whenheshouldbeplayingclosetohim.It’sahellishafternoonforhimandheisconstantly being corrected. The group has to go over and over the samechoreography,withthecoachapparentlytrustingintheirinfinitepatience.

Kirchhoff attacks wide down the line, Lahm tries to reach the byeline, Alabadefends with aggression, Dante covers the Austrian full-back, Javi losesconcentration and Pep stops the whole action, correctsMartínez and it’s, ‘Oncemorefromthetop,lads…’.Theyhaveworkedfor45minutesinthethunderandlightningattheMunichstadiumandstilltheexercisescontinue,unabated.

ForJaviit’sanordeal–andnotjustbecauseofthenewplayingconcepts.Hehascome back from the holidays in very poor shape and yesterday left the traininggroundvomitingfromfatigue.Todayheneedstoconcentrate,hard.Pepcoversthelastthirdofthepitchwithmarkssothateverydefenderknowshowandwhereheshouldbemoving.Fromafar,thetrainingdrillremindsyouofthechoreographyofballet. Dancers require perfect timing and balance to lift each other and thesedefendersneedpreciselythesamedegreeoftiming,movementandco-ordinationtoprovidethemutualcoverwhichPepdemands,particularlywhenoneplayermovesout to challenge his opponent, afterwhich that defenderwill resume his originalposition.Theideaisthatatnotimewillanyofthefourbreaktheprecisedistancebetweeneachother that thecoachwants themtomaintain. In reality, ithasverylittletodowithballet.

Despite their exhaustion after such a prolonged period of concentration andeffort,theplayersaskPep’spermissiontogoforaquickhillrunattheendofthesession.Thecoachlaughs.‘Whatdoyouknowaboutathleticism?Whatpurposedothese long runs have other than to hurt your back?’ He chuckles again andcontinues:‘Nowthey’llcomebackthinkingthatthey’vetrainedreallyhardbecausethey’vehada15-minuterun,butit’sjusttheplaceboeffect.Theythinkthatwhenthey’re doing these positioning and conservation exercises that they’re not reallyworking.’

The coach is joking, but it is a subject he takes very seriously. The trainingsessionsherunsareconditionedbyhisplayingprinciplesandalways,alwayshaveatechnical-tacticalelement.ThetrainingPephasdevisedisnotconfinedtophysicaldevelopmentandtherewillbenosprints,staminaruns,norsessionswithweights.Such ideaswill only be introduced if needed to fine-tune the recuperation of aninjured player. Lorenzo Buenaventura, who is working alongside Pep, explains:‘Initiallytheywereabittakenabackthatweweren’taskingfor1000-metresprints,eventhoughBayernwerealreadythe least traditionalof theGermanteams.Theywere already working with the ball and had got used to the rhythm of weekly

matcheswhere there isn’tmuch time for a lot of physical training.You canonlyreallydoshort,sharpqualitywork.

‘There’snotahugedifferencebetweenwhatwedoandothertrainingmethodsintermsofintensityandvolumeofwork.I’dsaywemightbedoing10or15minuteslessouton thepitch, at themost,particularly if youcount the injurypreventionworkwedointhegym.Wevaluequalityoverquantityandprefertodomorehigh-quality exercises together than spend time doing long stints of physical training.They’venoticednotjustthat,butalsothehighpercentageofballworkwedo.Infactwedon’tdoanythingwithouttheball,justsomewarmupsandwarmdowns,orindividualworkwithaplayerifheneedssomethingspecific.’

The defenders all come back, drenched in sweat after a good 15-minute run.Theylookverypleasedwiththemselves.Guardiolaslapsafewbacksandgivestheyoungerplayers a clouton thehead.Hegoes into thedressing room, still jokingandwinksatthem.‘Placeboeffect!’

Themasterclassindefencehasonlyjustbegun.

17

‘JAVI,LOOKATDANTE,LOOKATDANTE,THELINE,THELINE!’

Munich,July30,2013

THE NEXT MORNING, now under a blazing sun, we get to watch the firstpracticalapplicationofthechoreography.Therearethreeteamsofsixplayersplusawildcard,theBayernBgoalkeeperLeoZingerle,whoisfantasticontheballandisalwayscalledintohelptheattackingteam.

Asexpected,JaviMartínezandDante teamupontheredside.Thegroupthatscoresagoalisimmediatelyreplacedbythenextgroupandthegamemustn’tstopfor a second,whichmeans that everyone has to pay attention.The game,whichlasts for45 longminutes, representsyetmore torture for Javi. Just25minutes inandhe’s alreadycrippled.Theexercise,which they refer toas ‘doublearea’, stopsonlyifnoonescores.Inthisinstance,afterfourminutes,HermannGerlandblowsthewhistleandeveryonefreezes.Itisintenseworkdoneathighspeedanddemandsgreatconcentration.Itisalsoalltooeasyforfatigueandconfusiontosetin.

Pepiscrackingthewhip.AlthoughweareusedtoGuardiolaissuinginstructionsin German, this morning in Säbener Strasse, he yells almost all his orders inSpanish:‘Javi,jump!

‘Javi,lookatDante,lookatDante!‘Javi,no,don’tgotowardstheforward!‘Javi,open,open,more,more!’ThereisnorestforJavi.EvenDantestartsshoutingtohelphimout.Meanwhile,

RibéryandRobbendotheirownthing.Bish,bash,bosh,theyputinonegoalafteranother,butnoone’sinterestedinthescore.Everyone’swatchingthemasterclassindefencethatMartínezisreceiving.

ThiagoAlcántara,who is stuckdoinggymworkandsprintinguntilhegets theall-clearfromthemedicsforhisknee,isoneofthosewatchingthegameattentively.Guardiolasaystohim:‘He’salmostgotit.Assoonashe’smastereditcompletely,we’llhaveanotherfirst-classcentre-back.’

But the lessondoesn’t stophere. Justbefore7o’clock thisTuesdayevening, the

second training session kicks offwith another defensive exercise.There are sevenplayers in attack against five defending: Rafinha, Javi, Dante and Alaba, plus amidfielder, who on this occasion is Kirchhoff. The seven attack with everythingtheyhaveandtheirfiveteam-matesdefendtothedeath.

‘Javi,gofortheforward!‘Notnow,Javi,notnow!‘Javi,lookatDante,lookatDante,theline,theline!’The player’s mental reset button has been set. His unofficial initiation into

playingasaBayerncentraldefenderhastaken24hoursandthreetrainingsessions.Hehashadtoridhismindofanylingeringmemoryofman-to-manmarking.Thisisanewrolehe’slearningtoplayandhedoessowithwholeheartedhumility.

Whenthesecondsessionofthedayfinishes,PepandJavistayonthepitch.Thecoachexplains tohim,onebyone,all thechannels thebackfourneedtoprotectandhowhewantsthosespacescloseddown.JaviMartínezaskshimabouttheoldbattles foughtbyBarcelonaandAthleticBilbao.Hewants toknow the secretsofthose twocup finals,whenPep thrashed theBasque team.Guardioladescribes indetail everything he did to gain the advantage: how Javier Mascherano droveforwardwith theball toachievenumerical superiority in themiddleof thepitch;howMessi dropped deep, far from the penalty box and left a huge space in thecentre-forward position; how he taught the rest of the Barcelona team to takeadvantageofthatspaceandthemidfieldsuperiorityinordertopullAthleticaroundandtocatchthembysurprise.TodayitisJavi’sturntoscratchhisheadwhilstherelivesthebadmemories.HenowunderstandspreciselyhowPepdidit.

Three little blonde kids run and jump on the training pitch. They are ArjenRobben’sthreesons,Luka,LynnandKai,allregularsatSäbenerStrasse.Soblondetheir hair is almostwhite, the boys poundballs at their dad,whohas stepped infrontofgoalfortheoccasion.Twentymetresaway,ToniKroos,abouttobecomeafatherforthefirsttime,hammersballafterballatStarke.Servinghimupthecrossballs fromthecornerspot isManuelNeuer,whowillcrossorshootatgoaleverysingledayof trainingas ifhewere justanotherofBayern’sattackers.Krooshasapowerfulshotthathepractisesdiligentlyeveryafternoon.Eventually,however,Pepneeds to tell him to stop. He points to his quadriceps and tells him enough isenough.Hecan’taffordanymorerisks.Müllerishobblingaboutwithacalfinjury,ThiagoisstillnursingtheankleinjuryhesustainedduringtheSuperCupfinalandGötze’srecoveryhasgothimfitenoughonlyforsprintingsofar.Asifallthatisn’tenough,atthisprecisemomentSchweinsteigerisjustfinishinghistwelfth70-metresprintunderthesupervisionofLorenzoBuenaventura,whogiveshima20-second

recuperationbreakinbetweeneachsprint.Thevice-captainhastobewhippedintoshape.Heisfarfromfightingfitafterhisankleoperation,canbarelyturnandhastodoeverythinginastraightlinetoavoidputtingtoomuchweightonhisfoot.Forthe next 20minutes, threemembers of theHolzapfel family tend and repair thepitch. Mr Holzapfel and his twin daughters run the family business DerHummelmann which has been taking care of the grass here every day for years.Meanwhile,KroosandNeuerputtheballsaway,RobbengoesonplayingwithhischildrenandGuardiolasitsdownonafoldingchairoutsidethedoortotheSäbenerdressingroomandtakesabreather.Thecoachthenbeginsadetailedexplanationofhisthreefundamentalprinciples:thedefensiveline,the15-passbuild-up,andhowtocopewiththe‘freeman’.

18

‘IT’SNOTPOSSESSIONTHATMATTERS,BUTTHEINTENTIONBEHINDIT.’

Munich,July30,2013

DURING HIS BRILLIANT 2012-2013 treble-winning season, Jupp Heynckeskepthisdefensiveline36.1metresfromManuelNeuer’sgoalline.Oratleastthisisthe average distance from goal of his four defenders,most oftenLahm,Boateng,DanteandAlaba.Inhisfirstmonthofcompetition,andwithalmostthesamefourmen, Pep’s Bayern advances no less than seven metres higher up the pitch,accordingtoanarticlewrittenbyChristophGschossmannontheGermanleague’sofficialwebsite,bundesliga.de.Infact,Pep’sdefenderswillwork,onaverage,43.5metres fromNeuer andBayernwill be, by a longway, theBundesliga team thatdefends the farthest away fromgoal:Wolfsburg are41.2metresout andBorussiaDortmund39.4metres.

Thisisnomereaccident,buttheresultofGuardiola’stirelessworktoaccomplishoneofhismaintacticalaims:tohavehisdefendersplayingclosetothecentrecirclelineand,ifpossible,movingintotheopposition’shalfforaslongastheycan.Hewantshisplayerstoclosetheoppositiondownintheirownarea.Theaimistobetightlypacked,bar thewingers, andable topress theopposition, thuscuttingoffcounterattacks.

Itwon’tbequitesoeasytoputtheseideasintopracticewhentheleagueseasonstarts–atleastnotwithouttakingrisksandmakingmistakes,buttherearestill10daysbeforetheBundesligakicksoff;nooneyetknowshowcomplexandslowtheimplementationofthisstrategywillbe.

IamsittingwithGuardiolaoutside thedoor to theMunichdressingroomandBayern’scoachisexplainingthreefundamentalconcepts:thedefensiveline;the15-passbuild-up,andcopingwiththefreeman.

THEDEFENSIVELINE

Thepositionoftheballdetermineswherethedefensivelineis.Thedefenderwhoisclosesttotheball istheonewhosetstheline,irrespectiveofwhetherit’sthefull-

back or the centre-half. If it’s the full-back, thenearest central defender needs towatchhisback, thesecondcentre-backneeds tocoverhispartnerandhe, in turnwill be covered by the furthest away full-back. In the latter case the danger isminimisedbecausetheballisfaraway.Guardiolaexplains:‘Thefourneedtomoveconstantlylikelinksinachaintopreventthechannelsbecomingtoowideorlong.Theymust prevent it being easy for an attacker or the ball to get through thosechannels.Whenonecentre-halfattackstheball,that’stheprecisemomenttheothercentre-backmustslotintothatvacatedspaceandthepivotemustdropintocoverhim.Themovementsmust be automatic, like the tightening and unfolding of afoldingscreen,orthefoldsinanaccordion–instantandalwayslinked.’

THE15-PASSBUILD-UP

Possessionisonlyameanstoanend.It’satool,notanobjectiveoranendgoal.Or,asPepputsit:‘Ifthereisn’tasequenceof15passesfirst,it’simpossibletocarryoutthe transition between attack and defence. Impossible. But it’s not possession orone-touch passing that matters, but the intention behind it. The percentage ofpossessionateamhasorthenumberofpassesthatthegrouporanindividualmakesisirrelevantinitself.What’scrucialisthereasontheyaredoingthesethings,whatthey’reaimingtoachieveandwhattheteamplanstodowhentheyhavetheball.That’swhatmatters!

‘Having the ball is important if you are going for 15 consecutive passes in themiddle of the field in order to maintain your shape, whilst at the same timeupsettingtheopposition’sorganisation.Howdoyoudisorganise them?Withfast,tight,focusedpassingaspartofthis15-movesequence.Youneedmostofyourmenworkingasaunit,althoughsomeof themwillneed tomaintainabitofdistancefromeachotherinordertostretchouttherivalteam.Andwhilstyoumakethose15movesandorganiseyourselves,youropponentsarechasingyoualloverthepark,tryingtogettheballfromyou.Intheprocess,withoutrealisingit,they’llhavelostallorganisation.

‘If you lose the ball, if they get it off you, then the player who takes it willprobablybealoneandsurroundedbyyourplayers,whowillthengetitbackeasilyor, at thevery least, ensure that rival teamcan’tmanoeuvrequickly. It’s these15passesthatpreventyourrivalfrommakinganykindofco-ordinatedtransition.’

MANAGINGTHEFREEMAN

Infootballtherearebasicallytwopropositions:onebasedonballpossessionandthe

otheronmanagingspaceonthepitch.‘Ifyouwanttowinbydominatingtheballyouhavetocovereachotherandlookoutforfreemen,what’scalledthePalomeroinbasketball.Theguywhohangsaroundbyyourhoopwaitingtotakeapassandscoreeasily,’saysPep.

Hesees fourspecificways todefendagainst suchathreat:don’t lose theball inkey midfield areas where it’s easiest for the opposition to mount a dangerouscounter; use 15 passes tomake sure that your team is well positioned and closetogether at thepointwhere amovemightbreakdown, so that it’s easier topressandwintheballbackswiftly;puthigh,effectivepressureonthefirstopponent(thefreeman)whoreceivestheballafteryourpossessionbreaksdown–anticipatewhothe freemanwill be and reactmore quickly than him. In all of this the centraldefender,andhisvigilance,isvital.

Guardiola: ‘For a team which wants to dominate the ball and be the game’sprotagonist, managing the free or open opponent is the principal defensiveobjective.’

The evening isdrawing to a close atBayern’s trainingground.Robben’s childrenhave gonehome for dinner and the rest of theplayers are getting ready to leave.Guardiolahasexplainedthethreepillarsofhisdefensivephilosophy.Wecouldgoon all night, but Estiarte arrives to saveGuardiola – from himself. In the eventEstiarte can’t resist the temptation to address the question of whether Pep is adefensivecoachornot:‘Idon’tthinkso,moreaverycompletecoach.Heworksalotonbothhisdefensiveandoffensivestrategy.Hebelievesthatthekeyistobringhis most talented players towards the centre of the pitch, so that his team candominatefromthere.’

It’sgettingdarknow,butPepcomesbackfromthedressingroom.Hehas justrememberedthathe leftone importantquestionhanging:Howandwheredidhelearnthesedefensiveconcepts?WasitinItaly,duringhistimeasaplayerthere?‘Noway,Ididn’tpickthesethingsupinItaly.Youlearnbywatchingandthinking.Ihave alwaysbeenvery interested indefence,because it takespractice anda lotofhardwork.Attack ismorebasedon innate talent,defence is about thework thatyouput into it.That’swhy I spend somuch timeondefensive organisation andmovements. You’ll see how throughout the year, every few weeks, we’ll go overthesedefensiveconceptsagain.Theteamthatstopsdoingthisislost.Butifyou’reaskingmewhereIdevelopedmycreativeapproachtodefensivestrategy,thesecret’sverysimple:IhavealwaysmadeapointofobservingandreflectingonthethingsIsee.’

19

‘IDON’THAVEANYMIDFIELDERS.’

Munich,July31,2013

PEPGUARDIOLAARRIVESat8amandManuelPellegriniatnine. It ismatchday and Bayern’s training ground quickly fills with footballers. Today the AudiCup,Munich’s traditional summer tournament, begins andManchesterCity andBayernaretraininginthemorningaspreparationforthesemi-finalsintheevening.TheEnglishteamhasdrawnACMilan;theBavariansidewillplaySaoPaulofromBrazil, so at themoment they aren’t paying each other toomuch attention.Ontraining pitch No.3, City are practising corners and free-kicks and ManuelPellegriniiscorrectinghisplayers’work.OntrainingpitchNo.1,Guardiolapaysnoattention to him because he is engrossed in a long conversation with JérômeBoateng.

He is enthused by what he has discovered: Boateng is totally self-taught. TheyoungGermandefenderhasbeenexplainingthatnoonehasevershownhimhowtodefend.Infact,Boatengconfessesthathedidnotevenknowthatthedefensiveline could be organised. He thought that every player defended instinctively.Guardiola is enchanted with Boateng’s wide-eyed innocence on this point andrealisesthathehasapearlonhishands.Thisissomeonewithanenormousamountofpotentialaswellasaclearwillingnesstolearn.HeisaplayerPepcanpolishandthe coach’s intuition tells him that, if the central defendermaintains his currentlevelofdedication,thenhecouldtakeasignificantstepforwardoverthenextfewmonths.

Pep therefore spends a few minutes every day going over the fundamentalprinciples of defensive organisation with him. Until the end of the season,GuardiolaandBoatengwillgooverthesetmovesmanytimes.Thistrainingprocesswill continue for thenext 10months, through all thedefender’s ups anddowns,becausethecoachisconvincedthatthis isaplayerofrealpotential.Wheneverhefindsafootballerlikethis,Guardiolareactswithsingle-mindeddetermination.Hebelieves this kind of daily input impacts hugely on the quality of a player’sperformanceandalwaysusesÉricAbidalasanexample.AtBarcelona, theFrench

defenderwentthroughacomprehensivetechnical-tacticaltransformationattheageof30.Nolongeraplayerdistinguishedforhisphysicalstrengthalone,hegrewintothe complete footballer, a defender with exquisite technique and an impressiveunderstandingofthegame.

LorenzoBuenaventura explainswhy this kindof progression is possible: ‘Thereare aspects of your game you can improve at any age and one of them is basictechnique.PacoSeirul.loandIhavetalkedaboutthisalot.WhenplayerscometoBarça for the first time, they often struggle to adapt to that way of working. IrememberDavidVilla’s early training sessions.He’s aquick,high-octanekindofguy,whoalreadykneweightornineplayersfromtheSpainteam,yethestillbattledtounderstandthedynamicsofthatparticulargroup.There’snodoubtthatplayersover30canstillimprovetheirtechniqueandtacticalsense.Thisisalsotrueforthephysical side of things. You may think that improvement is impossible, but thebody is like a spongeandhere atBayern it’shappeningall the time.EnglishandGermanfootball isallaboutdoing longruns,but ifyoufocusonaverydifferentworking style, like ours, with the ball, you can achieve significant physicalimprovements–mostofall in termsof thecollectivedynamic. Ifyouchangethekindofmovementsthey’remakingandaddstrengthandballworkyoucanmakeimmenseimprovements.’

GuardiolaiscommittedtohisworkwithBoateng.Hebelievesthattheplayerhasthe potential to become a great defender and he will not give up as long as theplayershowsthesamelevelofdedication.Andthat’sthething.Whenaplayersaysenough is enough, when his determination to improve falters, when he stopsbelieving inhis own ability toprogress or abandons the idea altogether, then thecoach throws in the towel too. It’sover. If theplayer isnotwilling toput allhisenergy into the task then Guardiola certainly won’t insist. He reckons that asgrown-up sportsmen, surrounded by advisors, analysts, and people who managetheircareers,itisuptothemtodecideiftheywanttomakeprogressornot.

What is happening with Thomas Müller is different. The coach feels that theBavarianforwardcouldeasilytakeonthepositionofmidfielder.AlthoughlackingthetechnicalabilityofKroosorThiago,he is fast,aggressive,mobile,elusiveandcompletelytenaciousinhispressingofopponents.Despiteallthis,wheneverhehasincludedhimasamidfielder,Müller’sperformancehasbeendisappointing.Itisnotaboutalackofwilloreffort;Müllerisaconscientiousteammemberwhoisreadyto try anything.AsGabRuiz, a technical analyst for theSpanish channelDigitalPlus, puts it: ‘Müller is the paradigm of the Bavarian player: ordered, serious,persistent,self-sacrificing.Heobeysorders.Heispreparedtoworkhisfingerstothe

bonetocomplywithwhatisbeingaskedofhim.’YetMüllerisnotcapableofachievingthelevelPepdemandsofhiminthecentre

ofthepitch.Heabandonshispositionwhenheshouldbemaintainingitorhestaysstill justwhenheshouldbemoving.It isnotaboutobeyingordisobeyingorders,butabouthisdifficultyinunderstandingwhattheteamneedsineveryinstance,anessentialcharacteristicforamidfielder.Pepwillpushforafewweeksmore,butwillfinallyacceptthatitisnotpossibletoturnthisforwardintoamidfielder.

WhenManchesterCitywithdrawtotheshowers,theBayernplayers,whosegamestarts two hours after the English team’s, start the rondos, which by now havebecomeasymboloftheirtrainingwork.TherondowasacorepartofBarcelona’sidentityunderJohanCruyffandthereisnoteamintheworldthatdoesitbetter.

TheBayernplayers first tried the rondos on June 26, during their first trainingsession with Guardiola, and in the last five weeks there has been a notableimprovement in theirperformance, asBuenaventura explains: ‘Therehasbeen anenormouschangeineveryaspectoftheirgameinthisfirstmonth,notjustintherondos.Anydrill youhave to carryout in a reduced spacewhen there are twoorthreedifferentobjectivesandalltheteamisinvolvedistoughtolearn.Buttherehasbeenahuge improvement intherondos, thepositionalworkandinworkingwiththeball.’

Nevertheless, Bayern’s best rondos are still those in which Guardiola himselfparticipates, explaining and demonstrating as he goes. As the months go by,however,thedifferencesinqualitywillgraduallydisappearandtheMunichplayerswill make unprecedented progress in this area. By the spring of 2014, Bayern’srondos will be a thing of beauty and will also have become a core part of theiridentity.

Themorningtrainingsessionisrestrictedtotherondos.OnlyThiagodoessomeextrawork.JustasSchweinsteigerdidyesterday,hedoesninesetsof70-metrerunswith 20 seconds’ recuperation time in between each set.When he’s finished, hedoes seven 40-metre sprints. He is still limping and although he insists that hewouldliketoplayintheafternoon’sgame,hisperformanceintherunningexercisesBuenaventurahassethimmakesthisimpossible.Thiagowillbeinthestandstoday.

Guardiola scratches his head: ‘I don’t have any midfielders. Only Kroos is fit.Schweinsteiger still can’t turn,Müller is no good in that position,Thiago is halflame.Justaswellwebroughthim!NowitisuptoLahmtoplayinthemiddle.’

Pep is referring to the impression people have got that this is a Bayern ofmidfielders.Helikesthisidea,onlyatthemomenthedoesn’thaveanymidfielderswithwhichtoputitintoaction.Injurieshavedecimatedhisteam,anditisgoingto

getevenworseinthecomingweekswhenmostofhisplayersfallvictimtoinjuryoraggravatetheircurrentproblems.PepwillnotbeabletocarryoutatrainingsessionwithhisfullsquadfitandwelluntilFebruary5,2014.

ThemedicalteamatBayernisveryefficient,butPepisstillnotusedtotheirwayof working. For example, there are no doctors at the Säbener Strasse trainingsessions.Ifsomethinghappens,thephysiotherapistsseetotheplayers.Ifit’sserious,theyhavetobemovedtoDoctorHans-WilhelmMüllerWohlfhart’sprivateclinicinthecentreofthecity.Thedoctorhasaworldwidereputationandhasspentmorethan30yearsatBayern.Despitethis,Guardiolaisusedtohavingamedicpresentattraining sessionsand this issuewillkeepcroppingup throughout the season.ThecoachannouncedyesterdayatapressconferencethatMarioGötzecamethroughaset of sprints with no problems and would join the team in two days’ time.However,thismorningGuardiolahasbeeninformedthatitwillbebesttowaitonemore week. Pep is disconcerted by all of this. He has not yet assimilated whathappenedintheGermanSuperCup,wherehewaspreventedfromusingNeuerorRibéry,whothenrecoveredfullfitness40hourslater.

Injurieswillcontinuetodoghimfortherestoftheseason.

20

‘WE’RETRYINGTODOTHISRIGHT,NOTJUSTWINTITLES.’

Munich,August1,2013

MANCHESTERCITYSCOREDfivegoals in the first35minutesof thegame.Theywereastounding,anattacking,goalscoringmachine.Then,withinthenextsixminutes, they conceded three goals toMilan.The defensiveweakness ofManuelPellegrini’steamwassurprising.Itwas5-3athalf-timeandthiswouldbethefinalscore of the first semi-final of the Audi Cup. City’s elimination of Milan hadrevealed their strengths and weaknesses, both of which would continue to beobvious throughout the season: powerful finishing and an inadequate defence. Ateamwithpersonality.

Inthesecondsemi-final,Bayernfieldedmoreorlesstheirbestavailableteam.Ofcourse,NeuerandRibérywereshowingnotraceoftheirinjuries.Pizarrostartedasa forward, a choicewhich hinted atGuardiola’s dissatisfactionwithMandžukić’scurrentform,andJaviMartínez,freshfromthemasterclassindefending,startedasacentraldefender.ItwasnotabrilliantmatchforBayern,althoughtheycompletelydominated Sao Paulo, whom they beat 2-0 after having generated plenty ofopportunities. Bayern’s attacking prowess meant that the veteran Braziliangoalkeeper, Rogério Ceni, had to save 12 shots on goal, making him the starperformer of the match. Already there were signs of Bayern’s poor finishing, anunfamiliarweaknessforthemandsomethingwhichwouldbecomeanissueoverthecomingmonths.

JaviMartínezandDantespentthegamewatchingeachotherastheyworkedtoprotectthedefensiveline,continuouslytalkingandexchangingadvice.Javiseemedunsure of himself, but Dante was full of praise for his team-mate: ‘Javi is amarvellousplayer and is very intelligent. Ifwegetpairedup in the future, I’ll bemorethanhappytohavehimwithmeindefence.’

The tournament final,onThursday,August1, sawGuardiolaandPellegrinigohead-to-headfortheninthtime.Intheireightpreviousmeetings,theChileancoachhad managed only one draw (3-3, in the Camp Nou when he was coaching

Villarreal).TheCatalanhadaccumulatedsevenvictories.Despitethebalancebeingsomuchinhisfavour,PeprespectsandvaluestheManchesterCitycoach:‘IknowPellegriniwellandheisagreatcoach.Hehasfantasticplayers.’

Althoughperhapssomethingofacliché,hiswordsaregenuineandGuardiolahasalreadymarkedCitydownasoneofhisgreatrivalsinthebattlefortheChampionsLeague.

Hewas asked aboutMandžukić’s reaction after scoring against SaoPaulo.TheCroatian forward, who replaced Pizarro after the break, made a defiant gesturetowards the bench: ‘Mandžukić is a great penalty-box player, a great finisher. Ididn’tnoticeanyreactionafterthegoal.’

The coach’s relationshipwithMandžukićhasbeen tense for a coupleofweeks.TheCroatianforward’sskillswerehighlyprizedbyhisteam-mates,particularlyhiswillingness to fight, press and throw himself 100% into a game. This kind ofaggressioncanhaveitsdownsides,though,andwhenevertherewastensionoranykind of a skirmish during training, Mandžukić was usually at the centre of it.GuardiolaandhiscoachingstaffhaddoubtsabouttheCroatian,althoughcertainlynotforhisplayingstyle.Theyadmiredhisfinishingandalltheworkthathedidfortheteaminthebox,buttheyworriedabouthisconstantragingagainsttheworldandhisreluctancetolearnanewstyleofplay.

Robert Lewandowski, Borussia Dortmund’s centre-forward, seems a definitetarget for Bayern for the following season, and this does nothing to alleviate thesense of impermanence that surrounds Mandžukić. The conflict has little incommon with Thomas Müller’s situation. Müller, whose attitude is perfect, justneedstoadapttobeingaforwardratherthanamidfielder.InMandžukić’scase,hisperformanceonthepitchissuperbanditishisattitudethatistheproblem.

InMunich,wordhasgotoutthatBayernaregoingtoplaylikeBarça.Therearethreereasonsforthis:Thiago’ssigning,the4-3-3formationandtheuseofthefalseNo.9position.Infact,GuardiolahasnointentionofturningBayernintoanotherBarça, given that theplayers in the respective teams are sodifferent.Andhe justlaughsatthetalkofformations:‘Thoseschematicsarenothingmorethantelephonenumbers.Itcertainlyisn’tthemostimportantthing,itisn’tmeaningful.Ilikethetypeofplayerwho’scomfortableontheballandwho’lldominatethecentreofthepitch.I’mverysurprisedbythehighleveloftacticalabilitytheseplayerspossessaswell as the amount they have learned during the short timewe’ve beenworkingtogether.’

InthemorningtrainingsessiononAugust1,ArjenRobbengivesusapreviewofwhatwillhappenthateveningduringthefinal:‘Mylegsarereallyheavy…’

Bayernplaysuperblyforhalfanhourandthencollapse.WhileManchesterCityhavemadenine changes to the previous day’s line-up,Bayernmake two:Thiagocomes in for Rafinha and Müller for Pizarro. Javi Martínez plays as a centraldefenderagain;ThiagoandKroosasattackingmidfieldersandMandžukićstaysonthebench.It’sprobablytruethatifGuardiolahadbeenabletouseMarioGötze,hewouldhavefieldedhisidealline-up.

For35minutes, theyare theBayern thatPephasbeendreamingof.Theyplaycalmlyoutfromtheback,drawtheoppositionin,over-runthemalloverthepitchand plant themselves on the edge of the City penalty area – all stemming fromsuperiority of numbers inmidfield. From there Robben andRibéry cause panic,both runningwide and cutting inside tohelp the attackingmidfielders.The firsthalfanhourisjustafestivaloffootball–andofchances.Bayernhavenineshotsin30minutesbutonceagainlackthekillertouch.Rightnowit’sasmalldetailbutthefollowingweekswillseeitbecomeachronicproblem.GuardiolaissopleasedthathebarelymakesacoupleofshoutedadjustmentstoJaviMartínez–tellinghimtobemoreaggressive inhowhebrings theballoutandtopushhigher, towardsthecentre circle.Pepwantshim tobebold inbreaking through theopponents’ lineswhenhehastheball.

Ingeneral,PeptakesaninterventionistapproachfromhispositiononthebenchandtheGermanfansandpresswillcontinuetoberathershockedbythesight,untilthey get used to the Catalan’s mannerisms. He waves his arms about so muchbecausehe ispassionate about football.He’sobsessed.Wheneverhe starts talkingaboutthegameheisperfectlycapableoflosingallsenseoftimeandhourscanpasswithout him noticing. He could be discussing something as prosaic as themovementofafull-backwhenheisattackinganoppositionwingerand,aslongasnothing interrupts him, could spend an age analysing thesemovements. And hedoesn’tdoitataleisurelypace.Hejumpstohisfeetandstartstomovehisarmstodemonstrate the positions of the players, fingers held up to indicate every newposition theyhave to cover,wavingarmsaboutbehindhim to indicate space leftvacantonthepitch.Intheend,he’llhaveexplainedthe40movementsrequiredtoproducethisoneactionandhe’llhavetakenonlyaminutetodoit.

Ithappenseveryday in training.Hemoves,gesticulates,waveshisarms,pointsouthypothetical linesanduseshishandsandarmstodemonstratepossiblemoveshisplayersortheiropponentsmightmake.Bayern’sfootballersareusedtothiscodeof signals and gestures. They already know that if he wants a player to dosomething,Guardiola calls him over and enthusiastically runs through his wholerepertoire of vigorous gestures. He puts his arms round him, grabs him by his

shoulders to modify his position or dances round him, giving him instructionsaboutaspecificaction.Tocongratulatesomeoneonagoodplay,hewillprobablygive him a slap on the back or a kick up his behind, something which Robbendiscoveredearlyon.

Havingbeenaplayerhimself,heknowsthattheplayerscan’thearhimwhentheyareoutonthepitch,whichiswhyhelikestousesignlanguage.He’llusehisarms,putting them behind his back to indicate the areas which need covering or thedefensivelinewhichhewantsheld.Ingeneralhe’llspendabout70%ofthegamegesticulatingasheissueshisinstructions.

Inthefirst30minutesofthematchagainstCity,Pepissilentandstill.Helikeswhathe sees, except the lackof cuttingedge in frontofgoal, andhasnothing toadd.

After35minutes,Bayern’s legs start togiveway, justasRobbenhadhintedat.City turnup theheat and everything changes.Pellegrini’smen start topressuriseJaviandDanteandcreatea stringofopportunitiesuntilAlvaroNegredogets theequaliserfortheEnglishteamonthehour.GuardiolahasalreadychangedhisthreemidfieldersandnowheisusingKirchhoff,LahmandShaqiriinthemiddle.It’sanunusual,surprisingtrio,whodemonstratethatthe‘Bayernofmidfielders’isyettobeborn.

The Munich team rally and in the end win the final 2-1 playing completelydifferently from the first half. Their football bears no resemblance to whatGuardiolawants.Theygoforlotsoflong,diagonalballstothewings,crossesintothebox andheaded chancesongoal.For the first timePepdoesn’t seem terriblybotheredbyhisplayersemployingadifferentstylefromhisown.Heundoubtedlyprefers the way they have played in the first half, but he is also starting to feelcomfortablewiththisotherstyle.Heseemspleasedattheendofthematch:‘Iamhappy with my players. They have all worked very hard, and people likeSchweinsteiger,DanteandJaviMartínez,whoonlyhadaweek’spreparationtime,havedonewell.The seasonwillbevery longandwecancertainly improve. I amsurprisedbytheteam.Ididn’texpectthemtobesogoodatsomanythings.TheGermangameisverydifferentfromthefootballatBarcelonaandwehavetorefinethingsandbuildunderstandingbetweenplayers.’

He is asked again aboutMandžukić,who cameon anhour into the game andscoredthewinninggoal.Because it’sa friendly,Pephasmadesevenchanges: ‘It’svery important to have a forward who is strong and tall at the front. He has afantasticattitudeandtheteamneedshim.Hewashugelyimportanttothevictory.’

Manymonthslater,whenitisalreadyevidentthattheforwardwillnotbestaying

forthefollowingseason,IaskPepabouthim:‘Look,I’dgotowarwithMandžukićbecausehesupportstheteamlikenooneelsewhenheplays.Hepressesconstantlyandworkstillhedrops.Butwhenheisn’tplaying,well…’

They also ask him about JaviMartínez’s performance.Today the Spaniard hasbeen chosen by Pep for the starting pairing at the back with Dante, ahead ofBoateng.‘I’mverypleasedwithhim.YesterdayheplayedverywellandtodayithasbeenharderbecauseCityareagreat team.Javihasonlyhadfivetrainingsessionsandisn’tingreatshape,butwithabitmorepracticehe’llfindmoreco-ordinationwithDante.’

Gaurdiola’s commentsashe leaves theAllianzArena showthathe is concernedwithmuchmorethanwinning:‘Whatmakesacoachgreatiswhattheplayerssayabouthimattheend.IfIcanconvincetheseplayerstoplaythiswayandmanagetohelpthemgrowandgetevenbetter,Iwillbeveryhappy.Thatwillbemygreatestsourceofsatisfaction.Wearegoingtotrytodothisthingright,notjustwintitles.’

InthevastMunichstadium,ManuelPellegriniiswaitingforusinthechangingrooms:‘IhavenodoubtthatPepisgoingtoimposehisstyleonBayern.It’sastylethey’regoingtolikebecauseitinvolvesalotofpossessionandit’sgoodfootball.Inthe first half an hour, this Bayern reminded me of Barcelona in the way theytouched theball anddominated thecentrepitch.Theyhada lotofpossession inthat period, although they didn’tmanage to convertmany chances. There is noquestion that theballbelonged toBayern tonight andweneed to accept thatwedidn’tdotoowell.Welosttheballveryquickly.Theygotitbacktooeasily.And,asweallknow,gettingtheballbackquicklyandeasilyisoneofthemainfeaturesofGuardiola’steams.’

Neitherofthetwomenanticipatedthattheywouldbefacingeachotheragaininlessthantwomonths’time,innolessacompetitionthantheChampionsLeague.

21

‘BRINGTHEBALLOUTWELLANDYOUWILLPLAYWELL.’

Munich,August9,2013

‘WINNING THE BUNDESLIGA. That’s the main objective. Winning theBundesliga,’Estiarteremindsmeastheleagueseasonstarts.

Pep has a new office inside the Allianz Arena. The players’ dressing room is aspaciousrectanglewithagreyfloorandscarletlockersforkitandboots.There’sabasicwoodenbench and eachplayerhashis photoonhis locker.Ribéry changesbeside Robben, Shaqiri next to Schweinsteiger, Neuer beside Starke and JaviMartínez alongsideDante.The shower cubicles, decoratedwith plainwhite tiles,are at one end and the physios’massage tables at the other. Beyond them is theplace Jupp Heynckes used to work, up to a few months ago, seated behind atranslucentscreen.

InsteadPephasaskedforasmallofficeseparatefromthedressingroomandtheclubhasprovidedhimwithone,adozenmetresaway.It’saspartanboxwitharedcarpet, a little grey couch and a black desk. A small television and awhiteboardadornthewalls,whichareotherwisetotallybare.Beforeeverymatch,waterwillbeleftinanicebucketforhimandtherewillbeabottleofwhitewinewaitingafterthematch.There’snopaperworkonthedesk,noristhereacomputer.Pepkeepseverythingonhislaptop.Theroomissmallandaustere,verymuchlikehisofficeattheCampNou.He has always preferred hiswork space to be separate from theplayersbecauseheconsidersthedressingroomtheirterritory.Infactheonlyevergoes into the dressing room during the half-time break, when he makes a briefanalysisofwhathashappenedandexplainswhathewantsintherestofthematch.Youwillneverseehiminthereatanyothertime.Notbeforeorafterthegame.Asaplayerhewasneverhappywhen theboss invadedhis space in thedressing roomandsincebecomingacoachhasheldtruetothatprinciple.

Guardiolaalso likes somepeaceandcalmbeforeamatchandappreciatesbeingcutofffromtheboisterousatmosphereinthedressingroom.Hepreferstomaintainabitofdistancewhilst thephysiosbandageupanklesandLorenzoBuenaventura

leads the warm-up, always short and intense. Never longer than 20 minutes, itfollowsastrictsequenceofexercises.Minutesbeforekick-off,Pepcomesoutofhisoffice, goes down a short white corridor lined with enormous photographs ofcurrentplayers(AlabaandThiagoarefirstinline),goesdownthe22stairsinthelongtunnelandfinallyclimbsthelast15stepstothebench.

HisfirstBundesligahasstarted.The first game of the German league always takes place in the reigning

champion’s ground. Today, Bayern’s opponents are Borussia Mönchengladbach.ThishasbeenchosenbytheGermanFootballLeagueasthemostattractivefixturefor the firstmatch of the new season. JuppHeynckeswas a legendary player forBorussia Mönchengladbach, and they were also Bayern’s opponents for his lastmatchascoach.NowthatPephastakenover,theBundesligahasdecidedtomakeasymbolicgesturebyhavingthetwosidesmeetforhisleaguedebut.

Guardiolaisimmaculatelydressedinagreysuit.Thecheckedshirthehaswornforhis lastfewmatcheshasbeenleftathometoday–anindicationthathiswife,Cristina,mustalreadybeinstalledinMunich.Overthemonths,we’llshareafewjokes on this very subject. Pep’s famous sartorial elegance ismainly down to hiswife,heiresstothefamily-ownedclothingboutiqueSerraClaret.

Inplanningtheline-upthatwillkickoffBayern’sleaguecampaign,Guardiolahashad tobear inmind a coupleof factors.Firstly, that JaviMartínezhas started toexperience discomfort on the left of his groin and probably should not start thegametoday.HissecondconsiderationisthefactthatThiagohashadtomanagehisownpre-seasontrainingregime.TheplayerarrivedatBayernwiththeminimumofphysicalpreparationandthenpushedhimselftoohardfortheGermanSuperCup.Lorenzo Buenaventura has suggested that the midfielder spend three weeks inAugustgettingfitandasaresultheisnotevenpartofthesquadtoday.Leftwithtoo few midfielders once again, Guardiola has reluctantly turned to Müller.Bayern’s line-up as the Bundesliga kicks off is: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Dante,Alaba; Schweinsteiger, Müller, Kroos; Robben, Mandžukić and Ribéry. BayernmakeupfortheabsenceofMüller’sattackingpowerbyplacingthecaptain,Lahm,high up the pitch. The team is using a 3-3-3-1 formation, with Lahm,SchweinsteigerandKroosinthecentreofthepitch.

ThemenfromMunichmakeaconfidentstartandwithin15minutesareleading2-0.Robbengetsthefirstgoal,adefttouchonaRibéry‘allezoop’.Thesecondgoalis Mandžukić’s. Robben takes a free-kick from the touchline, eightMönchengladbachplayersdefendthreeBayernplayersinthebox.

ThissymbolizesanotherofPep’sidea.Arriveinthepenaltybox,don’tcrowdit.

WithhisteaminflyingformPepgetsasurprise.Thereisn’taBundesligarivalwhois not excellent on the counter-attack. With half an hour gone, Neuer saves apowerfulMaxKruseshotandthenDanteknocksinanown-goaloffaJuanArangocross.ThefirstgoalagainstBayerngoespastNeuerfromateam-mate.Theresultisn’t really in jeopardy, but Guardiola’s defence still leaves the coach less thancontent–particularlyAlaba.Everytimeheisattackedhedropsbackandallowstheopposition to get into the Bayern half without the least resistance, instead ofpressingtorobpossession.HeisdoingexactlytheoppositeofwhatGuardiolahasaskedforduringthelastsevenweeks:cutoffcounter-attacksatthesourcesothattheoppositiondon’tmakeitintoNeuer’sarea.Oneofhisbestdefendersseemstohaveforgotteneverythinghe’slearnedanditwilltakeweeksforhimtocorrecthismistakes.Alaba then converts apenalty for another goal.By then it’s playgroundfootballwithbothteamsstreamingupanddownthepitch.

Pepkeepsscratchinghishead.Heaskedforcontrolandintelligence,nousuntilreachingthemiddleofthepitchandthendirect,speedyattacking.

Bayernarenot controlling thegameor theball and insteadare runninghelter-skelterupanddownthepark.ItisenoughtobeatMönchengladbachcomfortably,butitleavesthecoachwithabittertasteinhismouth.Thisisnotwhatheexpectedfromhismen.

Bayern win two penalties. The nominated taker, Müller, takes the first. TerSteganguesseswhichwayheisgoingtoshootandsaves.ButtheSpanishdefenderÁlvaroDomínguez,who gave away the first penalty by using his right arm, nowuses his other arm to divert the ball and this time Alaba scores from the spot,inauguratinganeraduringwhichpenaltieswillbeamuch-talkedaboutsubjectatBayern.

Guardiola,thoughnotterriblyhappy,haswonhisdebutBundesligamatch,justashewonhisfirstcupgameafewdaysago,5-0atBSVRehdeninOsnabrück.HewillalsotakeavictoryfromthefriendlyagainstHungarianchampions,GyöriETOnextSunday,whenMarioGötzewillmakehisfirstbriefappearanceoftheseason.After that the internationals inhis squadwill be calledup toplay the traditionalmid-Augustfriendlies.Pepwillspendthosedaysworkingwiththeyoungstersinthesecondteamandreflectingonhowtoimprovethedynamicsofthefirstteam.

His second Bundesliga match is not much of an improvement. Bayern beatEintrachtinFrankfurtwithamajesticvolleyfromMandžukić,the39thconsecutivegameinwhichtheyhavescored.Althoughtheyhavebeatentheclubrecordof27gameswithout losing (whichdates back to the1985-86 season) they continue toallow the opposition to easilymove the ball into attacking positionswithout the

high,aggressivepressingwhichGuardiolaislookingfor.ThistimethecoachtriesShaqiriinmidfieldwithSchweinsteigerandKroos,but

it’s no better in terms of controlling the possession or thematch.While Bayernbatter their opponent’s goal, brilliantlydefendedbyKevinTrapp, they give awaycheapcounter-attacksandlookfragiledefensively.

Thecoachisnotatallhappy,despitethescores.Bayernhavenotyetmanagedtoachieveaconsistent,steadyrhythmofplay.Guardiolaseeksthiscontrolasitleaveslesstochance.Helikeshismentoberunningexactlywherehehasplannedsothatthewholeteamarecompletelysecureaboutwhatishappeningandriskisreducedtoaminimum.Thisisthereasonheinsistsonconceptslikeplayingoutfromtheback,andpressingacounter-attackinstantly.

Playingoutfromthebackisnotaboutpassingtheballforitsownsake, it istoadvancethelinesoftheteam.RightnowBayernarealmostalwayspassingtheballwithout advancing, the ball’s movement drawing out a U shape: from Lahm toBoateng toDante to Alaba, sometimes with Schweinsteiger back amongst them,fiveofthempassingtheballtoeachotherwithoutadvancingtheteamorpushingtheoppositionback.ForGuardiola,playingoutfromthebackimpliesaggression–crossing theopponents’ lineswithout fearof thebig spaceBayern’sback fourareleaving behind them. For Guardiola this is essential. He learned it from JohanCruyff. ‘If you bring the ball out well initially,’ theDutchmanwould say, ‘thenyou’llplaywell.Ifyoudon’tdothatthenthere’snochanceofplayingwell.’

Cruyffalwaysbelievedthatequilibriuminteamplayresidedincontroloftheball.Losetheballlessandtherewillbeequilibriuminyourplay.ForPepit’saprecept.Histeammustdriveforwardfromtheback–asone,withoutfear–totrytobreachtheopponents’linesofattackandmidfieldwithoutlosingpossession.

Guardiolaisaskingalot.Infact,hewantsitall.HeleavesFrankfurtfrustratedandfeelingthathestillhasalongwaytogo.The

playersgivetheimpressionthattheyunderstandwhattheircoachwantsbutarenotmanaging to implementhis instructions consistently. If theyplay it out from theback,perhapstheywon’tbecapableofpressinghighupandavoidingthecounter.

Theystartconcentratingonholdingontotheball,butthenlosetheiraggression.Guardiolakeepsscratchinghishead,whichiswhathedoeswhenheisworried.Asthey’retravellingbacktoSäbenerStrasse,amemberofthetechnicalteamremindshimofwhattheyweretalkingabout10daysago.

‘WinningtheBundesliga.That’stheseason’sobjective.WinningtheBundesliga.’

22

‘ILOATHEALLTHATPASSING–THATTIQUITACA.’

Munich,August24,2013

PEPTUCKSINTOaastarterofpureedpotatoes,withobviouspleasure.Helookslikehehasn’teatenanythingsincelastnightand,whenIask,henods.Hecan’teatathingonmatchdays.

It’sSaturdaynightandit’spouring.Wearehavingdinnerwithhisfirstgroupofvisitors:somefriendsfromNewYorkandothersfromBarcelona.They’veallbeento theAllianzArena towatchBayern beatNürnberg in a bad-temperedMunichderby. Itwas a strangematch, generating ambivalent feelings. Amatch inwhichGötzemadehisdebutandThiagowasbadlyinjured.Hejustphonedtoaskustowaitforhimbeforeweeat,butthen12minuteslatercallsbacktotellushewon’tmakeit.Hisfootistoopainfulforhimtocomeoutandhe’sgoingtostayinthehotel.He’llundergoanankleoperationwithinamatterofhours.

Bayernweredreadfulinthefirsthalf.It’sasiftheplayerswanttopleasePepbymakingsure theypass theball,oneof thegroupremarks,which immediately setsthecoachoffononeofhislongexplanations.‘Iloatheallthatpassingforthesakeofit,allthattiquitaca.It’ssomuchrubbishandhasnopurpose.Youhavetopasstheballwithaclearintention,withtheaimofmakingitintotheopposition’sgoal.It’snotaboutpassingforthesakeofit.’

Pep’sthreekidsandthechildrenfromNewYorkareallhungry,buttheyhavetomakedowiththepureedpotatoes.TheirfatherhastoldthemthattheymustwaitfortheirBarcelonafriendstoarrive.Thisisthefirstvisithe’sreceived,apartfromfamilymembers, sincehe arrived inMunich twomonths ago.This strikesme asprettysurprisingandemphasisestheapparentindifferencetowardsGuardiolanowfelt by a Barcelona that once idiolised him. This situation won’t change muchthroughout the season, either in terms of Pep’s friends and acquaintances or theSpanishandCatalanpresswhoarenotsufficientlyinterestedtosendjournaliststoMunichtofindoutfirst-handwhatthecoachisdoing.

Pepspendsmuchofthedinnersharinghisthoughtsandfeelings.Hetalksabout

thesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenBarçaandBayern,enjoyingtheopportunitytoexpresstheworrieshewasstrugglingwithtwomonthsago.TheNürnbergmatchhasbeentheperfectculturemediumforhim:dreadfulatthestartandexplosiveattheend.Everyoneatthetablewantstoknowwhathesaidtohisplayersathalf-timetomake themcompletely change thequalityof theirgame. ‘Notverymuch. Justfourwords:WhatareyouDOING!?’

He told them to loosenup and let themselves go and reminded them that notonceinhistwomonthsinchargehadheaskedthemtoplaylikeBarça.Heinsistedthathehadneveraskedthemtoplaylikethatjusttopleasehim,andpointedoutthatthepeopletheyneededtopleasewerethe71,000fanswhofilltheAllianzweekin,weekout.AllPepaskedhisplayerstodowasloseanyself-consciousnessandbethemselves.

‘Ijustwantthemtostartoffmovingforwardtogetherforafewmetressothat,ifwe lose the ball, the opposition can’t take advantage of our lack of unity. Everyteam inGermany is capable ofmounting a counter-attack before you’ve had thechance to even breathe and if we lose our unity it gives them a chance to breakthroughandmakechances.

‘TheonlythingIwant isthat ifDantehitsa long,diagonalball toRobben,hedoesn’t attempt it from in or around our own penalty box, but from a positionaroundthecentreofthefield,oncewe’veplayedupthere.IfRobbenthenlosestheballweareallupthererelativelyclosetohimandwecanwinitrightbackwithoutaproblem.ButifDantelaunchestheballtoosoonandRobbenlosesitthenweareall straggled out and – pam! pam! – the oppositionwill certainly hit us with aneffectivecounter-attack.’

Ashetalks,Pepthrowshisarmsaboutjustashedoeswhenhe’sonthebench.Itfeelslikehemightatanyminutedemandthatweallgetupandtakeourpositionson the imaginary football pitch, here in the restaurant. He grabs his Americanfriendby the armand says, ‘Bastian’s [Schweinsteiger]DNA ispureBayern.Youcan seehisbodydemanding thathekeep runningupanddown thepitch. I lovethat.’

‘Butinthatcase,’interruptsoneofhisBarcelonapals‘howdoyougetthenousandpatienceintheplayyouwant,withthatverysameGermanDNA?’

Guardiolareplies:‘Oncethey’vemovedasaunittothemiddleofthefield,that’swhenIwantthemtobemoreBayernthanever.IwantthemtodigintothatDNA,let themselves go, run, liberate themselves. That’s where they excel. They likerunning,theyloveit.AndIlovetoseethemdoingit.Letthemrun.Letthemopenupthewingplayandcrossintothebox.Notnecessarilytohitthegoaleverytime

on the volley – that’s hard to achieve – but so that we can take advantage ofreboundsoffthekeeper,ofthesecondball–thatiswherewecreatemostdanger.Ifweplay likethat jointlythenthereboundswill fall tousandtheextradangerwecreateisthatthedefendersarewrongfootedandontheturnwhilewearerunningontothechance.That’swhatI’vetoldthemtodo.That’swhatIwant.’

The coach believes that it would be absurd and unworkable to try to recreateBarça’splayingmodelhere.HeplacesahighvalueonJohanCruyff’shistoricroleinthe formation of Barcelona, as well as recognising those visionary coachesthroughouttheCatalanclub’shistorywhohelpedbringyoungstersupthroughtheranks and into the first team.The valiant individualswho took time and troublewiththekidsintheyouthteams.There’simmensepridehere.‘I’maBarçamanandalwayswillbe.’

Thisdoesn’tmean,however,thathe’lleverbebacktrainingBarcelona.Infact,ifIwereabettingman,I’dsaythathisfutureisgoingtobeBayernandthenEngland.Whoknows?Hemayendupineight-to-tenyearstakingacurtaincallbycoachinga national team. He isn’t planning a very long career and the family agreementseemstobejustthat:alimitedbutintensecareerspan.Barçadoesn’tseemlikelytofigureinthishypothetical10-yearplan,butonecanneversaynever.

It’s also difficult to envisage Pep doing anything other than coaching. This iswhatheloves.Whenanyonesuggestsotherrolesinfootball,likesportsdirectororpresident, he shows no interest, as if his coach’s brain can’t even imagine doingthosejobs.Heisalsounimpressedbytalkoftheentorno,thepeople,thepressandthepowerbrokersaroundFCBarcelona.‘Forgetthem.Thewayit’sbeensetupatBarçayouhavetwooptions:eitheryou’reapowerbrokeroryou’renot.Iwasforcedtochoose,againstmywill.’

Before turning his thoughts to Bayern once again, Pepwants to share one lastmemory from his Barça days. He’s thinking of the dramatic 2012 ChampionsLeague semi-final against Chelsea, duringwhich Barcelona had 46 shots on PetrCech’sgoal(23intheawaylegandanother23athome)butwerestillknockedout.ChelseawentontothefinalintheAllianzArenaagainstBayern,whomtheybeatinapenaltyshoot-out.

‘Imadeamistakethatday.I’vegoneoveritathousandtimesinmymind.ItoldtheplayerstocrosstheballintotheareabutIdidn’tgetacrosstothemthatIwasn’tlookingforthemtoscoreonthevolley,buttowinthesecondballorthereboundand–pam!–scorethatway.Ididn’tmanagetogetthemtounderstandtheexactinstructions. I reckonthat if I’dgot thatacrossproperlywe’dhavewonandwe’dhavebeeninthefinal.’

ThisbringshimbacktoBayernandthesecondball. ‘Ineedtohelptheplayersfreethemselvessothattheycanrunandshoweveryonewhattheyarecapableof.Ineedtoadapttothem,notthereverse.Idon’twantthemdoingsomethingjustforthe sake, as some people claim, of pleasingme.What I want is players who arehappyandconfidentintheirgame.’

ThesecondhalfoftheNürnbergmatchwasagoodexampleofwhatGuardiolawantsforBayern.Theywerelikeawhirlwind.ItwasatempestduringwhichitwaspossibletoseethefirsttracesofwhatPep’stryingtoteachthem.Hisdefenderstakeuppositionaroundthecentrecircleand,fromthen,thebrakesareoff:Bayernplayflat out.Theyhit theNürnbergpenaltybox32 times in45minutes.ABavarianavalanche.NowthatisthelanguageofBayern.

It is no accident that the proud, triumphant Bavarians have turned to Pep.They’re looking for a football identity, a brand, a direction, a powerful languagewhichwillmarkthemout.Hoeness,RummeniggeandSammerknewexactlywhatthey wanted from this third phase. They weren’t just looking to add an extradiamondtothecrown:theywantedtore-drawfromacleansheet.Theywerenotlooking for the Barça Pep, but the Bayern Pep, a man still in the process ofevolving.Make nomistake,we arewitnessing twoparallel processes here.WhilstGuardiolaworkstoreformBayerninthisso-calledthirdphase,heisalsocreatinghisownidentity,freefromtheBarçastraitjacket.‘AllIwanttodoissharemygamephilosophywiththeplayerssothattheycanreducerisktoaminimumandachievetheirpotential.’

Guardiolahaslinguiniwithtruffles.Hedoesn’teatanythingduringthedaysohetendstohavealavishmealintheevening.Eventheprospectofplayingafriendlyleaves him tense and robs him of his appetite.Hemanages only to drinkwater,bottleafterbottle.Sohereallymakesupforitintheevening.He’salreadyputawaya whole bowl of pureed potatoes, a tomato and mozzarella salad, half a dozenrostbratwurstwithsauerkraut–thelegendaryNürnbergsausage–andthelinguiniwithtruffles.Nowhe’sreadytoattackajuicysirloinsteak.Noneofthisstopshimtalkingnineteentothedozen,however.

When Guardiola was appointed at Barça in 2008, he took on a disillusioned,foundering team which was still capable of producing excellent football. Barçateams have spent 25 years following the guiding light of Cruyff, from theyoungsters right throughevery category.They all follow the same ideas. Identicalmethodsareusedfortrainingsessions.Inotherwords,theyplaythesameway.Onaverage,acanteraplayerwhomakesitintothefirstteamwillhavespentbetween12and15yearsplayingthesamekindofgame,whichamountstoaminimumof6000

hours.Andhe’llgoontoaddanother4000hours.NotonlywilltheyhavetaughthimthelanguageofBarçabuttheywillhaveturnedhisnaturaltalentintoaspecificfootballpersonality.HewillbefluentintheBarçalanguage.Theplayerwillplayabrand of football that has been developed and designed, planned and controlled.After so many years of systematic repetition it becomes an automatic responsewhich causes difficulties if the player leaves Barça for another team.What Barçadoesisspecialandpersonaltothem,whetherornottheywinorlose.Soitwasinthe dark years and in the glory days of Team Pep, when they won everything.Football language exists independently of victories, although it is those victorieswhichgiveitinfluence.

Bayern has had tremendous success, but the teamhas never developed its ownlanguage. The success is inherited from a long tradition, from the likes ofBeckenbauer andGerdMüller.GaryLineker’s famous quote nails it: ‘In footballyouplay11against11andthentheGermanswin.’

Thesewereamazingvictories:threeconsecutiveEuropeanCupsinthe1970s;22leaguetitlesbeforeGuardiola’sarrival;Heynckes’sublimetreble.Theclubhasmadehistoryandisoneofthefoundationstonesofworldfootball.Butwhatisitsfootballidentity?Aninsatiabledesiretowinisanadvantage,butitisacharactertraitratherthanahallmarkofidentityandthetwothingsareverydifferent.

Two of themost important players inBayern’s history,UliHoeness andKalleRummenigge, decided that the time had come to create the language of Bayern.That’swhytheyapproachedGuardiola.Theydidn’tsay:teachustoplaylikeBarça.Theysaid:wewanttogoonwinning,butwewanttodoitwithadistinctivestyle,sothatpeoplewillsay,that’showBayernplay.

Pepisclearabouteverything.Notthelittledetailsbutcertainlythebroadideas.HegetsupfromthetablewithlittleMariahalfasleepinhisarmsandkeepstalking,nowalittleagitated.Heisobviouslythinkingabouthowmuchhehastodo.

‘IneedtotalktoMüllertomorrowmorning,firstthing.Iwanttoaskhimwhythe hell he doesn’t always play like he did today. I need to talk to Ribéry.He’salways telling me that he prefers giving an assist to actually scoring himself buttodayhereallyrevelledinhisgoalagainstNürnberg.Ineedtomakehimseethatscoringshouldbeapriority.’

Hegoesoutintothestreet,stilltalking.‘IhavetofitGötzeandThiagointoourgame.It’sgoingtobetoughandIdon’tknowhowtogoaboutityet.Butit’sgottobedone.GötzeandThiagoarekey.’

It’sstoppedrainingnowandoutonthepavementinMaximilienStrassehewalkswithhissleepingdaughterinhisarmswhilsthetalksaboutdiagonalpasses,crosses

andfootballersbeinggivenfreedomtorunandrun.

23

‘LAHM…THEGUYISFUCKINGEXCEPTIONAL!’

Munich,August25,2013

HAVING RISEN EARLY after a late night, Pep is up and reading nutritionistMonaNemmer’slatestreportby8am.Andheisnotpleased.Onlyfourofthe14menwhoplayedyesterdayagainstNürnbergchosetostayfordinnerattheAllianzArena’s players’ restaurant. For Guardiola, this is a priority issue. His players’nutritional intakeafter the intensephysical exertionof agame is a crucialpartoftheirphysiologicalrecovery.Scientificstudiesshowthattherequisitenutrientsmustbe consumed within an hour of the match finishing in what is known as the‘metabolicwindow’.Otherstudiesallowfortwohoursandsomeresearchsuggeststhat you can wait even longer. In any case, it is certainly true that plenty ofcarbohydratesandacertainamountofproteinareessential forgoodrecoveryandinjuryprevention,particularlywhentheplayersarefacingamatcheverythreedays.

Guardiola, Lorenzo Buenaventura and, of course, Nemmer, have explained allthistothesquadseveraltimesalreadyandPepisannoyed.Hecannotunderstandwhy professional footballers would choose to ignore something that could makesuchamassivedifferencetotheircontinuedwellbeinginthecourseofsuchalongseason.

The players’ lounge is on the second floor of the Allianz Arena. It is a largerestaurantwhichseats200andentranceisbyinvitationonly.Toreachityouhavetogothroughthesponsors’restaurant,agiganticareawhichrunsthewholelengthofthestadium’smainstand.Thesponsors’guestscongregatethereandareofferedasnack before the match, followed by dinner afterwards. Each sponsor has tablesreservedfortheirowninvitedguests,whoaretreatedtoBayern’sfirst-classcateringserviceamidallthenoiseandfunofwhatisusuallyahighly-entertainingevening.

Thedoor to the players’ lounge is tucked away, half hidden in a corner of therestaurant, discretely guarded by doormen who make sure that no one gets inwithoutan invitation.Eachplayerandmemberof thecoachingstaff isgiven twotickets to the game, plus two invitations to the players’ lounge, given that theAllianzArena is sold out for thewhole season. In stark contrast to the sponsors’

area, theplayers’ restaurant is a havenof peace and exudes a sense of deep calm,broken only by the sound of small children clamouring for autographs orphotographs with their favourite footballers, a practice which is, theoretically,againsttherules.

Onceshowered,theplayersleavethedressingroom,gothroughthemixedzonewherethepressaskthemaboutthegame,thenwalkdownacorridorandtaketheliftuptotherestaurant.There,familyandfriendswillbewaitingforthem.There’sa simple buffet laid out: two kinds of soup, two Italian pasta dishes, parmesancheese, rice, salad, tomato; some meat, fish, fruit and, usually, small portions ofApfelstrudel.

Someplayersaren’tparticularlyhungryafteragame,becauseoffatigueornervoustension.OthersprefertoeatalittlecheeseandwaitafewhoursbeforegoingouttoaMunichrestaurantwiththeirpartners.Whateverthereason,yesterdayonlyfourofthemateatthestadium,whilsttherestwaiteduntillater.ThisangersPep,whobelieves that it isvital foranyoneplayingat theelite level topayattention to themostminuteofdetails.

Guardiolausuallydines in theplayers’ lounge,exceptonrareoccasions like lastnight,whenhehadadatewithfriends,ortheeveningoftheClásicobetweenBarçaandRealMadrid,whenhesaidaquickgoodbyetohisteamandhurriedhometowatchthegameontelevision.Ingeneral,thecoachandhisfamilyareintheprivaterestaurant twohours after thematch, eatingwith the rest of the squad and theirfriends.

Thisiswhenyou’llseeGuardiolaathismostspontaneousandchatty.Nolongertheserious,focusedcoachwhosupervisesthelasttrainingsessionbeforeagameorthe introverted, tense guywaiting for the game to start. First, there’s a televisioninterviewtogetoutoftheway,andthenhespendssometimewiththeoppositioncoachastheywaitforthejointpressconference.InBarcelonaheusedtoinvitethevisitingcoachforaglassofwine inhisoffice,but inMunichhecontentshimselfwithachatinthecorridoroutsidethepressroom.Awarethatdifferenttimetablingarrangements inGermanymean that the visitors can get home the same day, hedoesn’twanttorisktheothercoachmissinghisplane.

After the joint press conference, Pep has a chat in his office with Hoeness,RummeniggeandJan-ChristianDreesen,theclub’sfinancialdirector.Allofthemlove deconstructing the tactical details of the game. These are usually longconversationsandtherewillbedayswhen,anhourafterthefinalwhistle,PepandUliwillstillbechattingaboutthewaytheyhaveplayed.Toroundofftheevening,Guardiola goes up to the players’ restaurant to eat with Cristina and their three

children,althoughhewillstoptochatatthetablesoftheplayersandtheirfriends,takingabiteofsomethingeachtime.Here,alittlecheese;there,afewchips.Thisiswhenheisathisanalyticalbest,whenheishappytosumupinafewprecisewordsthe thingshis teamhavedonewell or badly: ‘Bah, thatLahm is a scandal!He issuper-intelligent,understands thegamebrilliantly,knowswhentocome insideortostaywide.Theguyisfuckingexceptional,’hesays.

They have just finished their first ‘normal’ week. There has been nomidweekgameandthedoubletrainingsessionshavefinished.Infact,thiswillhavebeenoneofthefewweeks,betweenJulyandChristmas,whentheplayershaven’thadagameinmidweek,beitwithBayernoroninternationalduty.Outofthe22weeksthatmake up the first part of the season, only two will have a clear midweek. InGermanythetermEnglischeWoche(EnglishWeek)isusedtodefinethepracticeofhavingtwogamesperweek.So20ofthe22weekswillhavebeenEnglishWeeks.

Thedecrease in trainingsessionshasalsomadeabigdifference.Untilnow, thecoachingstaffhavebeenarrivingatSäbenerStrasseat8amandstayinguntil9pm.This timetablehasbeennecessary tocover thedouble training sessionseveryday,butthisweektheyhavelefttheirhotelandmovedhomewiththeirfamilies.Pep’schildrenhavestartedschool.Nowthestaffstartat9amandworkuntil4pm.Pep’slifehasregainedabitofnormalityandhegivestheimpressionofbeingatcruisingspeed.

GuardiolaspentlastMondayvisitingDachau,theNaziconcentrationcampnearMunich.HeandCristinahaddoubtsaboutwhetherthechildrenshouldcomewiththemonsuchanemotionalvisittowhatis,afterall,amemorialtohumancruelty.IntheendthewholefamilyplusManelEstiartemadethetrip.Astheyhadfeared,thatnightthechildrensleptpoorlyandhadnightmares.Despitethis,theirparentsconsidereditanimportantlearningexperienceforthem.

Pep used theweek profitably given that itwas his last chance of extended freetime before Christmas. He went to an art gallery, played golf and starred in anadvertforthebeercompanywhichsponsorsBayern,dressedinlederhosen(Bavarianbreeches and braces). He also took the chance to stroll around Munich,commenting, ‘It’s a bit surprising to be able to walk about the city and go intorestaurants without people coming up to talk to me. The people here areextraordinary.Theytreatyouwithrealrespectandleaveyouinpeace’.

WhenaskedaboutappearingintheadvertdressedasaBavarian,PeplaughsandsaysthatCristinalikedhowhelookedinlederhosen.Hegoesontooutlinehispolicyon promotional events: ‘I don’t have any problem with all that because what isimportantfortheclubisalsoimportantforme.AtBarçaIdidn’tdomuchofthis

kindofthingbutIamnotheretocompareclubs.Eachhasitscultureanditswayofdoingthings.Itdoesn’tmatterwhathashappenedinthepast.Whatisimportantisthepresent.IhavetoadapttoBayern,andBayernhastoacceptmyworkonthepitchandbehind the scenes.Wewillbe focusingonwhat thecluband the teamneeds.’

PepisgettingusedtothewaytheydothingsatBayern.It’sallquitedifferenttowhathappenedatBarcelona.Bayern’sofficial clubnewspaperheadlines an articlewith: ‘Optimaler Start, aber…’ (OptimumStart, but…), and the coach begins tounderstandthatself-criticismformspartoftheclub’scultureandhastobeacceptedasanintrinsicpartoftheBavariancharacter.

The derby against Nürnberg left him with mixed feelings – that sense ofdisappointment in the firsthalf, and thepleasureathis team’sdomination in thesecondhalf. ‘Wehaveworkedwell thisweek.Whenwe attack it is important todefendaswell,andwhenwedefenditisimportanttoknowhowtoattack.Footballis attacking and defending. It is about attacking a lot and conceding very fewopportunities. Against Eintracht in Frankfurt we were even better, although weconcededafewchancesattheend.Wehavespokenaboutitalotwiththeplayersduringtheweekanditshows.’

TheBavarian derby produced some interesting statistics. The 2-0 victory,withgoals fromRibéryandRobben,whoseemtobecompeting for theprizeof fittestplayer, was their 28th consecutive game in the league without a loss and theyachieved81%possession,arecordfortheBundesliga.Pepdidn’tseemtoobotheredabout statistics at yesterday’s dinner, however. The developing narrative aroundpenalties turned another page, too, with the opposition keeper, Raphael Schäfer,savingDavidAlaba’sspot-kickafterhalfanhour.

WhilsttherainfallsthisSundaymorninginMunich,Guardiolatakesnotesaboutnutritionashepreparesforwhatheisgoingtosaytohisplayersinashortwhile.He struggled to sleep lastnight, as is almost always the case after games, andhasbeen ruminating on his players’ weaknesses. They have improved, certainly, buttheystillaren’tcapableofcuttingoffcounter-attacksatthebeginningofthatmove.It’sbugginghim.Theyarealsosterileatthestartofthegame,whenevertheystartthat inconsequential tiquitaca, passingwithout getting free of their rival, withoutbreakingthelinesastheyknowtheyshould…andarequitecapableofdoing.Hehastogothroughallofthiswiththemthismorning.

And one last thing.He’s going to have to think about how he fitsGötze andThiagointothismodelofplay.AlthoughThiagoisgoingtobeoutforalongtimetocome.

24

‘PAM!PAM!THAT’SOURSTYLEOFPLAY!’

Munich,August25,2014

HEDIDN’TEXPECTtoreceivetwopiecesofbadnewsonSundaymorning.It’srainingandwhilsthundredsoffansgatherinsilencearoundthepitchesinSäbenerStrasse,huddledtogetherunderumbrellas,Guardiolaismeetingwithhissquadinaroomonthefloorabovethedressingroom.It’sahugespace,laidoutlikeacinemaandtheyusuallyhavetheirpre-matchtalkshere.Todayit’smoreofapost-matchtalk,withtwothemes:foodandfootball.Pepmakesastart:‘I’vealreadyexplainedon two occasions the importance of having dinnerwithin an hour of finishing agame.Monahasalsomadethispointbutyesterdaywenoticedthatalmostnoneofyou followed those instructions.Only fourofyouhaddinnerat the right time. Iunderstand that youwould all prefer to leave the stadium and go outwith yourpartners to your favourite restaurants,but ifwe areplaying every threedays thenthis is theonlyway to recuperatephysiologically.Whenwe’replaying away fromtheAllianz there’s no problem– it’s shower, bus and a plate of pasta.Butwhenwe’rehereintheAllianzIneedyoutodowhatI’masking.It’sabsolutelyessentialandIwon’taskagain.YoumusteatwithinanhourofthematchandsinceyouareallprofessionalsplayingatthehighestlevelItrustthatyou’lldoitfromnowon.’

Hetakeslessthanfourminutestocoverthisfirsttopicandusesthenextfivetotalkabouttheirgame.‘Secondly.Letyourselvesgo,letyourselvesgo.Beyourselvesa bit more. I’m only asking that you all drive forward in a unified way at thebeginning,playingtheballoutfromtheback,butonceyouarehighupthepitch,pastthehalfwaylineinfact,hitthediagonalballtothewingersothathecancrosstothestrikerandthen,lads,everyonehuntingthereboundandthesecondball.

‘Beyourselves.That’swhatyou’rebestat,sodoit.YouneedtodigintoyourownDNAandrunwhenyouthinkyouneedto,justaslongasyou’vecrossedthecentreofthepitch.Andanotherthing…

‘Ihatetiquitaca.Ihateit.Tiquitacameanspassingtheballforthesakeofit,withnoclear intention.And it’spointless.Don’tbelievewhatpeople say.Barçadidn’tdotiquitaca!It’scompletelymadeup!Don’tbelieveawordofit!Inallteamsports,

thesecretistooverloadonesideofthepitchsothattheopponentmusttiltitsowndefencetocope.Youoverloadononesideanddrawtheminsothattheyleavetheothersideweak.Andwhenwe’vedoneallthat,weattackandscorefromtheotherside.That’swhyyouhavetopasstheball,butonlyifyou’redoingitwithaclearintention.It’sonlytooverloadtheopponent,todrawtheminandthentohitthemwith the sucker punch. That’s what our game needs to be.Nothing to do withtiquitaca.’

Justincasetheyhadn’talreadygotit,hehasreassuredthemthattheydon’thavetobetheFCBarcelonaofMunichand,justtodrivethisideahome,thesubstitutes’training session, which is particularly intense and demanding, is based aroundopeningupthewings,crossestotheboxandarrivingforthecrossintwodistinctwaves.The first to attack the cross and try to score, the second to snaffleup thereboundandscorefromthat.Peproars:‘Pam!Pam!That’sourstyleofplay.’

It’s raining hard and someone points out that summer must be over. ThecommentcausesToniTapalovic,thegoalkeepingcoach,tostartteasingPep: ‘Justyouwaitforthewinter–we’llbetrainingoutsideinminus-10degreesandhalfametreof snow.Thenwe’llgodirectly fromthepitchto thesaunawithout takingourbootsoff.’

JaviMartínez’sparents are visiting andhave their ownmeteorogicalwisdom toimpart: ‘InMunichit’s liketheBilbaodrizzle,buthereit’ssnowratherthanrain.You’re not really noticing it but it keeps falling until eventually you have half ametreofsnow.’

GuardiolaandThomasMüllerarearguingoutonthepitch.Thecoachhasaskedhim straight outwhy he doesn’t always play theway he did yesterday,with thatlevel of intense pressing. As we stand listening in the quiet of the morning, theplayer replies that it’s because he wants freedom of movement and feels that heplays better when he doesn’t have any particular responsibilities. The coach tellshim,gesticulatingallthewhile,thatifeveryplayerintheteamdemandedasimilarleveloffreedom,itwouldbeadisaster.Theargumentwillbesettledsoonerratherthanlater.

PerhapsbecauseofhisexperienceworkingwithplayerswithstrongcharacterslikeSamuelEto’o andZlatan Ibrahimovic atBarcelona, Pep is always directwith hisplayers, but also happy to engage in dialogue.He has always believed that everyplayerisdifferentandneedstobetreatedassuchandisalreadyapplyingthiscredoin Munich. Having discovered that Schweinsteiger is obsessed with football andloves to talk endlessly about tactics, Pep jumps in with both feet. One day wewatchedthemchattingaboutaparticularmove for30minutesafter training.On

thewaytothedressingroomtheywerestilltalkingandthen20minuteslater,whentheyemergedfromtheirshowertogetthebustogototheteamhotelforthegame,theywerestillgoingstrong,bothofthemwavingtheirhandsaboutasiftheywereinthemiddleofaChampionsLeaguefinal.

HecangivePhilippLahmasmanyinstructionsashelikesandthecaptaintakesitall inwithoutaproblem.On theotherhand,when it comes toFranckRibéry, adrip-feedapproach is required.This isa streetplayer,a self-taught footballerwhoworksonhis instincts.Trying to teachhimeven just two tactical concepts at thesametimecancompletelyblockhimwhenhegoesouttoplay.RibérystillplaysthesamewayhedidasakidonthestreetsofBoulogne-sur-Mer.Hegetstheballandimmediatelygoesontheattack.

HehastobevigilantwhereMandžukićisconcerned.Inlessthantwomonthshehaschangedfromareceptiveteammembertobeingdefiantandnegativeandthen,recently,backtoagreatteamplayeragain.Atthemomentheisgiving100%andistheonewhopushesthewholegroupandacceptseverythingpositively.Hisattitudeisexcellent.However,wehaveyettoseewhatwillhappenifGötzetakeshisplace.

IfMandžukićcanaccept the fact thathewillbea substitute fromtimeto timeandthatinthedifficultdaysofrainandcold,hewillbeanalmostcertainstarter,everythingwillgoswimminglyforhimandhewillbeakeymemberoftheteam.Itwillallbedifferentnextseasonwhenthe‘otherguy’comes(inAugust2013nobodyinSäbenerStrasse is allowed to talk about signingRobertLewandowski,BorussiaDortmund’scentre-forward).

Thetrickisworkingouthowtointeractwitheachindividual.Whilsthisplayersareconstantlylearningandincorporatingnewconceptsintotheirgame,theirbossisalso learning and improving the way he communicates with each of them. He’stoughononeguyandsoftonthenext.Hemightgivelong,tacticalexplanationstoakidintheyouthset-upandthenrespondbrusquelytoakeymemberofthefirstteam.He’salwayslookingfortherightcodetounlockthetalentsofeachplayerandtakethemtothenextlevel.

There’ssomebadnews.ThiagoAlcántara’srightankleisseriouslyinjuredandhehas to be operated on tomorrow in Stuttgart, with two-and-a-half months ofrecoverytimerequired.He’sgoingtohavetowavegoodbyetohalftheseason.It’sadevastatingblow.Thiagoodernichts.

And there’s other, equally bad news. Javi Martínez can hardly walk. He hasintensepaindeep insidehisgroinmuscles,notunlikeahernia,andhecan’tevenkicktheballwithhisleftleg.Whatworrieshimmost,though,overandabovethepain,isthefactthatthedoctorscanoffernoimmediatesolutiontotheproblem.

BynowPepisconstantlyscratchinghishead,whichtellsusheisdeeplyworried.He’slostThiago,Javi’slameandSchweinsteigerhastakenhisfootoffthepedal.It’sabadstatetobein,particularlybecausethey’llbefacingJoséMourinho’sChelseathis week in the European Super Cup final, a match in which Bayern will belookingforrevenge,inabigway.

But first they have another appointment. In two days’ time, onTuesday, theyhavetoplayaleaguegameinFreiburg,thesouthernmostcityinGermany,ontheborderwithFrance.There are a fewchangesplannedand fiveor sixof theusualstartingline-upwillbeonthebench.PepwantstosavethemfortheSuperCup.

AftertrainingPepmeetsupinoneofthetrainingground’sdiningroomswiththefriends he ate with last night. He talks to them about the family atmosphere atBayern.‘PeopletoldmebeforeIarrivedbutyouhavetoexperienceittobelieveit.It’sabsolutelytrue.We’relikeonebigfamilyhere.’

He goes on to talk about his bosses.He feels very close toHoeness,whomheadores,andtalksaboutRummenigge’sprofessionalism,somethingwhichPepfindsunusualinfootball.HeisalsoprofoundlygratefultoSammerforallthesupporthegiveshim.GuardiolafeelsverymuchathomehereinMunich.

When someone mentions the upcoming Super Cup and his reunion withMourinho,hedismissesthetopicquickly:‘IknowJosefartoowellalready.’

But his head is already elsewhere, in Freiburg. He’s still considering all hisoptions.IsitwisetofieldsomanyplayerswhoarenormallysubstitutesonTuesdayandleavefiveorsixofhisusualstartersout?Inthenext48hourshe’llgooverandoverhisplans,athousandtimes.Asalways.

25

‘BAYERNWERELIKESOMETHINGOUTOFAMOVIETODAY.’

FreiburgimBreisgau,August26,2013

PIERRE-EMILEHØJBJERG leavesGuardiola’s office in tears.The youngDanehadaskedforanappointmentwithhisbosstwohoursago,butthisisthefirsttimePepcouldseehim,becauseofapressconference.Højbjerggetsstraighttothepointand with a tremor in his voice tells Pep what has happened: his dad has beendiagnosedwithpancreaticcancerandthefamily isdevastated.Hsolderbrother isstuckonaboatsomewhere,andwilltaketwoweekstogethome.YoungHøjbjergisgoingtohavetostepupandsupporthisfamilyrightnow.Neitherthecoachnorthe player can hold back the tears and they embrace as the emotion overcomesthem.Theysobuncontrollablyforafewminutes.Theplayerisjust17,he’sbeenatMunichonlyforayearandsuddenlyhiswholeworldhascollapsed.AsforPep,hisdeep sadness forHøjbjerg has brought back the painfulmemories of ÉricAbidalandTitoVilanova,whoboth suffered similar illnesses.Trainingwill starthalf anhourlatetoday.

At midday, before hearing the dreadful news, Pep was in a crucial pressconference.Ithadturnedintooneofthelongestoftheseasonandfocusedalmostentirely on tactics. Speaking about Thiago’s operation, Pep said: ‘We’ve lost ahugely important player, someone who could make a huge difference to us.’Anxious to temper people’s enthusiasm about the team’s Bundesliga record-breaking81%possession,heinsisted:‘Wearelookingtomaintainunityandavoidbeinghurtonthecounter-attack.’

ThecoachalsohadpraisefortheGermanleague.‘It’sbeensuchagreatsurprise.Thestadiaarephenomenal,wehaveeasyaccesstotherefereesandtheatmosphereissensational,despitetherivalriesthatexist.’

GuardiolatakestheopportunitytoenthuseaboutbothMarioMandžukić–‘He’sa hugely important player to us, a fighterwhohas a strong character and is veryhonest’–andDavidAlaba,whomhesays‘isasgoodasayoungAbidal.He’sgoingtobegreat.Infact,he’salreadygreat’.

Healsoensures thathepointsout theprogresshismenhavemade in termsofpreventingoppositioncounter-attacks.‘Myplayershaveunderstooditperfectlyandweonlyconcededonecounter-attackonSaturday.’

Pep then spends five minutes detailing how he wants his team to play. HepresentsthejournalistswithaconcisesummaryoftheconceptshetalkedaboutonSaturdaynightoverhisdinnerwithfriendsandonSundaymorningwiththesquad.Theconference is takingplace inSäbenerStrasse’s smallpresscentre,which isanannex attached to theBayern staff canteen.Thishasbeen apublicdeclarationofintent.

By4pmtheplayersareonthetrainingpitchkickingballsaboutwhilsttheywaitfor the session to start.Neither Pep notHøjbjerg is there but they come out 20minuteslaterjustafterLorenzoBuenaventurahasstartedthewarm-up.Pepwillbeveryseriousthroughoutthissession.Hecan’thelpbutthinkabouthis friendandassistantatBarcelona,VilanovaandAbidal,whowasclosetosigningforBayernatthe end of June. Pep had wanted him when Barcelona let the player go, butHoeness and Rummenigge were concerned about why the Catalan club hadn’twantedtorenewhiscontract.PepwasconvincedthatAbidalwouldhavereinforcedthe team as a full-back and central defender, mentored Alaba in his quest forperfectionand servedas an exampleof forbearance andexcellence in thedressingroom.Hedidn’thesitatewhentheMonacomanagerClaudioRanierigotintouchforsomeadvice.‘Signhimup.Youwon’tregretit!’ByOctoberRanierihadmadeafollow-upcalltothankhim.AbidalwasalreadyaregularstarteratMonaco.

IntrainingthisMondayPeptrainsobsessivelyonhowtobringtheballoutfromtheback. ‘Freiburgwillpresshighandcloseusdownand it’s awarningwe’ve tofreshenupourmovements,ourideas,’heexplains.

He’lldothiseveryfourorfivegames.Heputsthekeeper,thebackfourandthemidfield on the pitch andwalks them through the kind ofmovements hewantsthemtomakeautomatic.Herepeatsthisoverandagainsothattheytakeitinfully.AtBarcelonanottwoweekswentbywithouthimdoingexactlythis.HereatBayernitwillbealmostthesame.Every15days,indetail,asiftheywerepreparingforanexam.

Elsewhere on the pitch seven players have taken it upon themselves to practisetakingpenalties.Alaba,thefirst-choicetaker,isn’twiththem.He’sdoingdefensiveworkwith Pep. Last SaturdayAlabamissed a penalty againstNürnbergwith thescoreat0-0.WhenaskedaboutitinthepressconferencePepgavehisbackingtotheAustrian full-back. ‘He’s good at it, as areMüller,Kroos andSchweinsteiger.Alabawill continue to takepenalties.’ In fact,Guardiolahadn’t evenbothered to

appoint an official penalty taker. It’s the kind of thing he usually leaves to theplayerstosortout.That’swhythey’vedecidedtoorganisethispracticesession,incasetheEuropeanSuperCupendsupwithpenalties.

Bayern have not forgotten what happened in May 2012, when Roberto diMatteo’s Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy in the Allianz Arena afterwinning the penalty shoot-out 4-3. That night the Munich team took the firstpenalty and Lahm, Mario Gómez and Neuer all scored. Ivica Olic and BastianSchweinsteigerthenmissedandthememorystillhauntstheBavarianteam.Today,sevenofthemareworkinghardtoperfecttheirtechnique.

Tom Starke is in goal since Neuer has joined Alaba to work on defensiveorganisation with Pep. One after the other they shoot at goal: Müller, Kroos,Robben, Shaqiri, Pizarro, Schweinsteiger and Götze. Ribéry, who never practisespenaltiesordirectfree-kicks,isn’tpartofthegroup.NeitherisMandžukić.Theballkeepshittingitstarget.Eachplayertakessixpenaltiesandall42shotsendupinthenet. Schweinsteiger jokes: ‘Okay, okay, well done lads. A perfect score. But justremember,we’renotunderpressurenow.Let’sjustseehowwealldowhenthere’ssomerealpressure!’

Javi Martínez hasn’t even come with them to Freiburg. His groin pain hasbecome so bad that the doctors have agreed with the player and his coach thatimmediatesurgeryisnecessary.WhatwithThiago’soperationandnowthis,thingsaregettingcomplicated.Pepisleftwithnomidfielders.

FreiburginBreisgauisacharmingtownwithcobbledalleywaysandpavedstreetswhichcanbelethalfortheunsuspectingtravellerdraggingluggageonwheels.Thelittlealleysaresonarrowthatyoualmosthavetoturnsidewaystogetdownthemandtheyboastanopensystemofgutterscalledthebächle,whichwasonceusedasan irrigationsystem.FreiburgCathedral’sbell tower is116metres tallandhouses19bells,allofwhicharerungthroughoutthedayataquarterpastthehour,halfpast,onthehourandsoon.It isafittingtributetothemusicaltraditionsofthisformer French town, once part of the Habsburg Empire, and the resulting dinreachesitsgloriousapotheosisinacrescendoofnoisebetween6and7am.Itcatchesmeunawaresand,ratherdismayed,Irealisetoolatewhyasetofearplugshadbeenleftonmybedsidetablelastnight.

ClosetotheDreisarnRiver,halfhiddenbythelushvegetationofthetownwhichsits at the edge ofGermany’s Black Forest, theMage Solar stadium is small butpassionate, a seething cauldron stuffed to the brim with 24,000 fans. They arewaitingforBayern.

Guardiola,truetohisword,hasleftsixofhismainstartersonthebench:Lahm,

Alaba, Boateng, Ribéry, Robben and Mandžukić are all sitting beside Starke.Freiburg press very high, just as Pep anticipated, and try to provokeBayern intomessingupastheybringtheballoutfromtheback.

Bayerndominatethegame,withShaqiriscoringfirst.TheyarevastlysuperiortoFreiburgandhave17chancesontheopposition’sgoal,whichiswelldefendedbythe formidable Oliver Baumann. Guardiola’s strategy seems to be working welluntilthe80thminute,wheneverythinggoeswrong.FirstlySchweinsteigersprainshisankleandthenFreiburgequaliseonthecounter-attack.Twobadknocks.Onceagain,withonlythreedaystogobeforeafinal,akeymemberoftheteamhasbeeninjured. They lose two vital points which, at this stage of the season and givenBorussiaDortmund’srelentlessstart,feelslikeablow.

Guardiola seemsabitdownwhenhe talks to thepress.Thetwopoints they’velosthavehurthimbutheishappywiththegamehisteamhasplayed.‘Weweren’tpassive out there and controlled and defended effectively. We played well and Idon’thaveanycommentorcriticismofmymen.Thesethingshappeninfootball.Youjusthavetodealwithit.’

The local team’scoach,ChristianStreich,offershisownopinionat thedoorofthe dressing room: ‘I’ll tell you something. Bayernwere like something out of amovietoday.Amovie.AndI’lltellyousomethingelse.Theyarefarandawaythefavourite towintheBundesliga thisyear.Nodoubtabout it.Theymayhave losttwo points, but they played fabulous football. They playedwith us theway theywantedto,playingoutterrificallyfromtheback.Ifwehadtoplay10gamesagainstthisBayernside,andlookatthenumberofplayerswhoweren’tplayingtoday,we’ddrawoneandlosetheothernine.Theyareawinningmachineandmyplayersareabsolutely destroyed, exhausted. This is going to be an amazing campaign forBayern.WhatGuardioladoesisexceptional.Allthathehasachievedatonly42.It’stremendous.’

However, Streich’s words of praise do nothing to calm Guardiola. He’s justencounteredhisGermanNumancia–theteamthatbeathimashebeganhisfirstleague campaign with Barça. He gets on the bus and sees Schweinsteiger. Itdefinitely looks like the player won’t be fit for the Super Cup. Pep has nomidfielders.

‘We’llbegoingtoPraguetocompetetothemaximum.Wehavethreedaystorestandthatwilldous.IhaveonlyoneplanfortheChelseagame:playwell,controlthe counter-attacks andattack, attack, attack,’ explains the coach, standing at thefrontofthebus.

Then,hehasadiscussionwithSammer.It’s9pmandthepairhavejustdecided

tomakeanurgentcalltoMunich.‘Doctor, you’ll have to delay Javi Martínez’s operation. We’ll need him in

Prague.’

26

‘LADS,IDON’TKNOWHOWTOTAKEPENALTIES.I’VENEVERTAKENONEINMYLIFE.BUTHERE’STHEBESTPENALTYTAKERINTHE

WORLD.’

Prague,August30,2013IT’S A FEVERISH, tense, agonising final. Bayern equalise 51 seconds after theofficial 120minutes have been played. Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson has addedoneminuteforstoppages,andthereareninesecondstogobeforeGuardiola’steamlosesitssecondfinalinamonthwhenaplayerwhoonlythreedaysagowasbookedin for surgery, scores for Bayern. Once again, they’re going head-to-head withChelseainapenaltyshoot-out,andeveryone’sthoughtsturntotheAllianzArena,one year ago. That day the English team beat Bayern in theChampions Leaguefinal, in a penalty shoot-out. This could be payback time but, given the option,Guardiolawouldn’thavewishedforpenalties.InthelastfourweeksthemenfromMunichhavescoredonlythreeofthefivepenaltiestheyhavetaken.

OnthewaybackfromFreiburg,GuardiolarealisesthatSchweinsteigerwillmisstheEuropeanSuperCup.Hisankleisterriblyswollenandthey’regoingtohavetopostpone Javi Martínez’s groin surgery. Thiago had surgery yesterday and thecombinationof injuriesandthe fact thatMarioGötzehashadvery little trainingmeansthatPepwillbeforcedtoputThomasMüllerinthecentreofthefieldasanattacking midfielder again. Given the results of this experiment so far, he hadpromisedhimselfnevertorepeatthisstrategy,butthereisnobodyelsehecanuse.Hedecides thatToniKrooswillbe theorganisingmidfielder,withcaptainLahmon hand to protect him as a No.8. Pep draws up his final line-up with greatreluctance.HavingKroosaspivoteisarealproblem,particularlyagainstMourinho,theexpertinmakinghisteamsgetinbehindapivoteviaspeedycounter-attacks.

Bayern’s line-uptonightreads likethis:Neuer;Rafinha,Boateng,Dante,Alaba;Kroos,Lahm,Müller;Robben,MandžukićandRibéry.

This final will be the 16th time Guardiola and Mourinho have met and thebalanceofvictoriesuptillnowisinPep’sfavour.HehaswonsevenofthegamesagainstMourinho’sthree,withfivedraws.Theyknoweachotherinsideout.When

Guardiola was captain at Barça, Mourinho was assistant coach. They shared adressingroom,trainingsessions,confidencesandknowledge.Yearslatertheywouldfightitoutinunforgettabletacticalbattles.Therearenosecretsbetweenthesetwomen. Mourinho knows that Pep wants his team to get the ball and come outattacking. Guardiola knows that Mourinho will start with his team in banks ofdefence,justwaitingtopounceonalostorlooseballandinflictdeadlydamage.

Inthis latest tusslebetweena teamthat likes todominate theballandonethatwantstocontrolthespace,Chelseacomeoutontop.AllittakesisathreatintheshapeofFernandoTorres forKroos to losehis position.ThenEdenHazard getsaway fromRafinha and Bayern’s defensive organisation crumbles. Chelsea attackaggressivelyandscorethefirstgoalwhilsttheMunichdefenderslookonpassively.

ThirtyminutesintothematchsomethinghappensthatwillaffectBayern’sentireseason. Kroos continues to suffer every time Chelsea play the ball behind him,because turning quickly and then defending isn’t his greatest attribute. AssistantcoachDomènecTorrentturnstoPepandsays:‘Whydon’twetryLahmaspivote?’

Guardiolahesitatesforthetimeittakeshimtotakeasipofwater,thenheleapstohisfeetand,almostrunningontothepitch,shoutsatKroos:‘Toni!You,No.8.You,No.8andPhilipp,No.6!’

This moment, switching the two, marks the start of Philipp Lahm’smetamorphosisintoamidfielder.

Lahm started playing for Bayern aged 11, having come from FT Gern and,duringhistimeintheyouthcategories,trainedunderHermannGerland,whowasassistantcoachunderJuppHeynckesandstayedontoworkforGuardiola.Hehadused Lahm in a variety of positions: from right-back to winger and evenoccasionally inmidfield, when he was coached by RomanGrill, who is now hisagent.WhenOttmarHitzfeldpromotedLahminto the first teamat19, the full-back positions were filled by the likes of Willy Sagnol and Bixente Lizarazu, soGerlandtookituponhimselftopersuadeFelixMagath,thenStuttgart’scoach,totakeLahmon loan.Once there,he shoneat left-back.Tenyears later,Guardiolastartedtousehimasamidfielderandnow, in themiddleof theEuropeanSuperCupfinal,whilstlosing,putshimintotheintricatepositionofpivote–thelinchpinoftheteam.

Monthslater,towardstheendofNovember,Guardiolawillrecallthismoment:‘It was Domè’s (Torrent) suggestion that made all the difference. If we winsomething this season, thatwill be the reason. I’m completely serious. IfwewinanythingthisseasonitwillbethankstothatdecisiontomoveLahm.Alltheotherpiecesfellintoplacetheminuteweputhimincentralmidfield.’

VeryslowlyBayernbegintodominate.PepnotonlyputsLahminmidfield,butmovesRafinhahigherup thepitch, and the teamstarts to attackusinga3-3-1-3formation.Rafinhahelps tighten thingsup inmidfield, aidingLahm,which freesKroostoplaycreativelyandMüllertoplayoff thestrikers.Afterhalf-timeRibéryscoreswithafierceshot–achancecreatedbyKroos’sexcellentbuild-upwork.

AeuphoricRibéryrunsstraighttohiscoachtocelebrate.Guardiolagrabshimbythe neck and the two bump heads. Ribéry raises his left fist as if dedicating hissecondgoalinsixdaystohisboss.HavingbeenvotedthebestEuropeanplayerof2013,hewasinMonacolastnightandunabletotrainwiththeteam.Pepinsistedthathebetheretoreceivehismuch-meritedaward.HehassethimselfthetaskoftryingtoconvinceRibérythathehashugepotentialasagoal-scorerandtheplayerisrespondingmagnificently.

AftertheequaliserBayerncontroltherhythmofthegame.Guardioladecidesthatafewmoreadjustmentsmightjustwinthemthegame.Thedaybefore,heandJaviMartínezhaddecidedthattheplayershouldgetananti-inflammatoryinjectionsothathewouldbefittoplay.Now,10minutesafterthebreak,PeptakesRafinhaoffandbringsonMartínezinanattempttostretchthegame–moreattackingdepth.He hopes Javi can change things by getting up and down the middle. At firstBayern suffer because, with Lahm giving over the pivote position to Javi, theGermanmustdoadouble-shiftatright-backandontherightofmidfield.Andthemanager makes another change – Götze for Müller. But Chelsea go up a gear,making three good chances.Neuerneeds to excel andChelseahit thebar.Kroosand Ribéry both have scoring chances but what scars the closing moments isRamires’violentfoulonGötze,whichseeshimsentoffwithfiveminutesofnormaltimeleft.

Götzeisleftwithaseriousankleinjuryandwillendupinplasternextweek.In the break before extra time Guardiola tells his players he wants aggression,

particularlywhentheyaredefending.Hedoesn’twantChelseagettinganothergoalandwantstoseehismenmaintainingthepressure.

Thetotaloppositehappens.NinetysecondsintoextratimeDavidLuizfreesthefabulousHazard,whoiswideontheleft.Herunsatthepenaltyarea,easilypassingLahmandthenBoateng,whobarelytriestotackle,meeklyallowinghimpast.HeshootsandNeuerfumblesbadly.With10men,Mourinho’steamisbackinfrontandnowtheclockisintheirfavour.

TheBayern supporters reactwithgreater speed than theplayers themselvesandtheirimpassionedchantingechoesaroundthestadium.TheyarelosingwithjustafewminutestogobutthefansoftheEuropeanchampionsareholdingoutforthe

equaliser.TheMunichsupportunfurltheirflags,roartheirlungsoutandspurtheirplayers on to an epic comeback. Inspired by the fervour and excitement in thestands,Guardiola’smenproduceanavalancheofshotsonPetrČech’sgoal.BynowKroos is back at pivote, Lahm is running the whole of the right touchline. JaviMartínezisalternatingbetweensecondstrikerandcentre-forward.TimeandagainBayernmakescoringchances,timeandagaintheyarethwartedbytheformidableCzechgoalkeeper.Shaqiri,Mandžukić,andJaviallfailtoscore.Shaqirimissesforasecondtime,asdoGötzeandRibéryandthen,attheendof120minutesofplay,Mandžukić too fails to hit the mark. Bayern have had 38 shots, have taken 19cornersandhitthreetimesasmanyaccuratepassesasChelseabut,with60secondsleft,theyarelosingthefinal.

Germanteamshaveareputationforfightinguntilthelastsecond.Theywillonlyacceptdefeatoncethey’reintheshower.AndinthisfinalPep’smenmorethanliveuptothisreputation.Withnineseconds leftAlabacrosses,Mandžukić lays itoff,theballbouncesoffDanteanddropstotheleftlegoftheinjuredJaviMartínez–who scores. The combined efforts of an Austrian, a Croat, a Brazilian and aSpaniardhave theGerman supporters leaping to their feet in an explosionof joythatthundersacrossthePraguenight.

MourinhoturnstoGuardiola’sbenchandclaspshishandsinagesturethatsays,‘pure,dumbluck!’Andhe’sright.Therearefourprincipalprotagonistsinfootball:theball,space,timeandluck.Ofthese,Chelseahavecertainlybeenthemasterofspace today, butPep’s teamhavehad theball, the right timing andnow, at last,LadyLuckhasintervenedontheirbehalf.Ofcourse,there’sstillthepenaltyshoot-out…

In themiddleof all theeuphoriaPep stepsup to theplate, emotionalbut icilycalm.He calls his people together in one big huddle. Everyone is there: doctors,physios, assistant coaches, players, substitutes and even the injured men, likeSchweinsteiger. This is Pep at his brilliant best. The guy who rises to the bigoccasions and dazzles hismen. Just as everyone is expecting him tomobilise hisplayers with a call to arms of epic proportions, Pep tells them a simple story.Relaxed and smiling, he pays no heed to the thousands of frenzied supportersaroundthem.Apparentlyunaffectedbythetension,heissuesnobattlecry,optinginsteadforananecdote.Aboutwaterpolo.

‘Lads,Idon’tknowhowtotakepenaltiesmyself.I’venevertakenoneinmylife.Buthere’sthebestpenaltytakerinthewholeworld.’Andhepointstoafigurehalfhidden,rightatthebackofthehuddle.

‘I’m talking about Manel [Estiarte]. He was the best water polo player in the

world.Hetookpenaltiesbetterthananyone.Hundredsofthem.Waterpoloislikefootball.Only four out of every five penalty kicks hit the target, butManel putthemallaway!Heistheworldexpertonpenalties.’

Pephasn’tjustmanagedtogettheplayer’sattention.Hehascompletelychangedtheexpressionsontheirfaces.Theyhadbeenwaitingforwarcriesandmotivationaloratory, an adrenalinboost.What they receive, standinghere in themidst of theclamouring,heavingmassofhumanitythatrocksthestadium,isasimpletale.VanBuyten and Starke stand just behind Pep in their tracksuits, hugging each other;DoctorMüller-Wohlfhartisbesidethem.Kroos,LahmandRibéryarerightatthefront.Alabais leaninghiselbowonMüller,alsowearingatracksuit, likeRobben.Then there’s a second circle: Javi Martínez, Shaqiri, Dante, Boateng andMandžukić; the assistant coaches, Domènec Torrent and Hermann Gerland;Kirchhoff, the substitute; physio Gianni Bianchi; fitness coaches LorenzoBuenaventura and Andreas Kornmayer; Götze; Claudio Pizarro; Rafinha andContento.MatthiasSammerandBastianSchweinsteigerareslightlyseparatedfromthemain group andManuelNeuer isn’t here.He’s off getting Toni Tapalovic’sadvice about the Chelsea penalty takers. Estiarte, too, has stepped back a fewmetres.

Theplayersaresmiling.Silentbutrelaxed.They’reenjoyingthetoneofthisteamtalk.‘I’velearnedtwothingsfromManelandhispenalties,solistenup.Thesearetheonlytwothingsyouneedtodonow.Firstly,makeupyourmindimmediatelyastowhereyou’regoingtoputtheballandstickwiththatdecision.I’llsayitagain.Decidenow,anddon’tchangeyourmindnomatterwhathappens.Secondly,keeptellingyourselvesthatyou’regoingtoscore.Repeatitathousandtimesanddon’tstop until after you’ve taken the penalty. Don’t worry and don’t change yourminds.’

‘Whatateamtalk.Incredible!’MatthiasSammersayslater.ButPephasn’tfinished.Hegivesthemhisadviceandthensays:‘Lads,there’sno

list.You can choosewhetherornot to takeone.You choose.You’re all going toscoreanyway,soyoudecidewho’stakingthem.Who’supforit?’

Alabaisthefirsttostepforward,Kroosliftshislefthandnext,followedquicklybyLahm.Pepgiveshiscaptainoneofhislittletapsonthecheek.Next,Ribéryaddshis name to the list and the coach slaps him encouragingly on the chest. It’sShaqiri’s turnafter thatandhe’s rewardedwitha ‘Bravo,Shaq!’Theplayershavecomeupwiththelistthemselves,butwhatabouttheorderthey’lltakethemin?

‘You sort that out. Take them in any order you want. Whatever you’recomfortablewith.Itdoesn’tmatteranyway,becausethey’reallgoingin.’

They decide to take them in the same order they volunteered. The refereeindicatesthatit’stimeandtheyallturnaway.PepgrabsRibéryandLahm,stoppingthewholegroupintheirtracks.

‘Justone last thing.Don’t forget.You’vedecidedwhereyou’reputtingtheball.Goanddoit.Andfromnowuntilyoushootkeeptellingyourself, ‘It’sgoingin’.Witheverystepyoutake,sayit,‘goal,goal,goal…”

Of the sevenplayerswhohadpractisedonMonday scoring42outof42,onlyKroos and Shaqiri are penalty takers today.Müller and Robben have both beensubstituted.Pizarrostartedonthesubstitutes’benchandofcourseSchweinsteigerisinjured.Oftheplayerswhohadnottakenpartinthepracticesession,Alaba,LahmandRibéryhavebeenhappytovolunteer.Allfivescore.NeuersavesChelsea’sfifthpenalty, takenbyRomeluLukaku, andBayernhavewon the title thathas so fareluded them.Pep has his first trophywithBayern andhis thirdEuropean SuperCup.

Votedmanofthematch,FranckRibérydedicatesthehonourtohisboss.‘Iknowhowmuchthismeanstohim,hisfirsttitle.IalsoknowabouthisoldrivalrywithMourinho.’

The Portuguese coach has left the pitch without congratulating Guardiola, instarkcontrasttotheobviouswarmthbetweenthetwoteams.

Anhourlater,inacornerofthepressroominPrague’sEdenStadion,GuardiolaandEstiartechattoacoupleofCatalanjournalists,IsaacLluch,ofAraandRamonBesaofElPaís.Pepisabsolutelyradiant.Hiseyesareshiningwithhappiness,butaboveallthereisasenseofenormousrelief.

‘Theteamneededthiswin.Ifwehadn’twon,Idon’tknowhowwewouldhavemovedforward.’

PARTTHREE

2013:APRODIGIOUSYEAR

‘Themostdangerousmanisthemanwhoisafraid.’LUDWIGBÖRNE

27

‘RIGHTNOWI’MNOTTHEBESTINTHEWORLD.’

Munich,September5,2013

GUARDIOLA’SACHILLES’HEELishisanxiety.Hecarrieswithhimadeepfearofcomingunderattack,whichwasprobablybornduringhisplayingcareer.Hewasphysicallyfragileandlackedathleticism–ratheronthepunyside.Workingalonetocoveranenormoussectionofthepitch,hewasaneasyandexposedtargetfortheopposition. If they tackled Pep and succeeded in neutralising him, the wholestructureofBarça’sgamewouldcollapse.Hecarriedthisfearthroughouthiswholeplayingcareer,butwasalsosmartenoughtodeveloptheidealantidote.Pepfoundthathecouldcopewithhisfearbyplayingwithatouchofaudacity.

Pep has developed enormous courage precisely because of this fear.During histime as Barcelona coach he explained a hundred times that he preferred to faceteamswhoplaytightaroundtheirgoalarea,whocreateakindofbunker.‘Inthosegamestheballtendstostayfarfrommygoalandthatfeelsmuchlessthreatening.’Inotherwords,thoseteamsscarehimless.

He compensates for his anxiety with a level of audacity that can sometimesbecomeexcessive.Hehasdevelopedtheantibodiestodealwithhisfearandnow,asacoach,hasacapacityforextraordinarycourageandsingle-mindeddetermination.He doesn’t like being attacked, so he goes on the attack first. It’s his way ofcorrectingthisweakness.Aswe’vealreadyseenintheGermanandEuropeanSuperCups,suchboldnesscanattimestipoverintorecklessness.PuttingThomasMüllerinmidfieldisacaseinpoint.

On the other hand, one of Guardiola’s main virtues is his prescience, acounterbalance for all the fearhe experiences.Let’s look, for example, atwhathesaidonMay28,2011,at theendof theChampionsLeague finalatWembley inwhichBarcelonabeatManchesterUnited3-1.Thatdayhisplayershadgivenoneoftheir greatest exhibitions ofTeam Pep football. In the midst of all the euphoriafollowing this extraordinary victory his mind turned to the rumours circulatingabouthimhavingonlyoneyearleftatBarcelona(infactthisturnedouttobetrue).

AlexFergusonhadjustadvisedhimpubliclynottoleavetheCatalanclubbecause,heargued,hewouldneverhaveitsogoodanywhereelse.ItwasthenthatGuardiolashowedhisstrong,intuitiveside.‘Idon’tknowwhatwillhappenifIgotoanotherclub.I’llhavetolookatthekindofplayerstheyhaveandperhapswillstruggletofindtheplayersofthesamecalibreasBarça’s.ItwilldefinitelybeabigtestbutIbelieve that you have to keep looking for personal challenges.Therewill come atimewhenitwillbegoodformetogotoanotherclubandtrytoplayaswellaspossiblewithadifferent setofplayers.Anycoachdependsonhisplayersand thewaytheyplay.Itwillbeabigchallenge.’

Twoyearslaterhispredictionscametrue.WhyhadhereallyleftBarça?Becausethe number of problems had finally outstripped the level of his enthusiasm.PresidentRosell’scoldindifference,combinedwiththefactthatbothPepandhisplayerswerewornout,weighedmoreheavilythanhisdesiretokeeponwinning.

Why did he sign for Bayern? Hoeness and Rummenigge inspired in him aconfidencethathefoundirresistible.Buttheoverwhelmingreasonwashisdesiretoplaygoodfootballwithadifferenttypeofplayer.

After the final of theEuropeanSuperCup inPragueonAugust30,Guardiolawasasked ifhe felt like thebestcoach in theworld. ‘Perhaps Idid forawhileatBarça, but that’s no longer the case. Right now I’m not the best in the world.Maybe that’s what I need to do – get back to showing people what I’m reallycapableof.Particularlymyplayers.’

Forthetimebeingthoseplayersarehappywithhisleadershipandseemtotrusthim.Ribéry’sreactionafterhisgoalinPragueandthecollectiveboostofconfidencedelivered by his talk before the penalties provide more than enough evidence ofthat.CaptainLahmusestheverblernen(tolearn)alot.Heemploysitalmosteverytimehespeaks,givingtheverydefiniteimpressionthathe,too,feelsthattheteamiscurrentlyonalearningcurveastheytrytomasterthenewlanguage.Ribéryexplainsit likethis: ‘PepiscompletelydifferenttoHeynckes,butwearereallyhappywithhim.’

‘The players are my principal concern,’ Guardiola says time and time again.Naturallydemonstrative,he likes togivehisplayers little slapson the cheeks andsmacksorkicksupthebehind.It’sjustthewayheisand,althoughitcancomeasabit of a surprise initially, his players tend to getused to it eventually.Whenhe’sworriedhescratcheshisheadandifhehasanideatoconvey,throwshisarmsaboutlikealunatic.Bodylanguageisonemorepartofthisnewwayofcommunicating.Andbothplayersandcoacharegoingtohavetogetusedtoeachother.

By the start of September Pep is already comfortably installed in the centre of

Munichandisenjoyingthecity.‘I’mreallyhappy.Munichisabeautifulcityandtheclubishugelysupportive.’

Sowhatdoeshedoinhis12-hourworkingday?About50%ofhistimeisspentanalysing his opponents in depth, a task which usually takes him two-and-a-halfdays.HealsospendsalotoftimesupervisingtrainingandplanningthenextsessionwithBuenaventura,TorrentandGerland.Finally,hespendsoneortwohoursadayhaving one-to-one chats with players. Sometimes he’ll show them some kind ofinstructive video, at others they’ll have a coffeeor lunch together and chat aboutpersonalthings.Theplayersaretheimportantones,thekeytosuccessandPephaslearnedthathemustdevotetimetothem.WhatelsedoeshegetuptoinSäbenerStrasse?Hestudies,heanalyses,hethinksanddeconstructsotherteams’moves,andsome of themoves that were popular in the distant past.He reinvents, watches,reflects,communicatesandconvinces.

JustafewhoursafterwinningtheEuropeanSuperCupinthedramaticpenaltyshoot-out in Prague, most of his players abandoned Säbener Strasse forinternationalduty.Theyhadalmostnotimetocelebrateand,withJaviMartínezinhospitalforhisoperation,Pepfoundhimselfalmostcompletelyaloneinthesportsground.MarioGötze’sanklehadbeenputinplasterandhewouldspendthenextfewweekson the injury listwithMartínez,Thiago andSchweinsteiger.Togethertheywouldmake apowerful and creativemidfield, butPepwill have toput thisparticulardreamonholduntilwellintotheautumn.

Whathewouldreallylovetodoismanagetheyouthprogramme–trainyoungplayers,overseetheirdevelopment,teachthemthefundamentalsandgeteverythinghecanoutofthem.Perhapshe’lldoitoneday,althoughitcertainlywon’thappenanytimesoon.HehasthreeyearsinMunichand,ifhedoesn’textendhiscontract,possiblyastintinEngland.Perhapsafterthathe’lldecidetoabandontheworldoftheeliteandstartworkingwithyoungsters.

OnedayintheCampNou,towardstheendof2010,Pepinstructedtwoofhisyouthplayers–GerardDeulofeuandRafaAlcántara,Thiago’sbrother–tojointheseniorplayers’ training session for the first time.He toldmeall about it: ‘I lovedworking with them. It’s much easier to train youngsters than it is older players.Much easier. You feel like you’re really coaching. With older guys you have towatchandreviewwhatyousay,howyousayit,youhavetotakeintoaccounttheresultofyour lastmatch.You stand therewatching theexpressionson their facesandmakingsureyou’reusingexactlytherightwords.Withthekids,youjusttakethemby the scruffof theneckandbringall the talentout, just like squeezinganorange.Igetsomuchmoreoutofit–andit’salotmorefun.’

ThesefirstfewdaysinSeptemberarethebesthe’shadheresofar.He’sonlygotfourplayerstotrain(Starke,Rafinha,ContentoandKirchhoff),andheputsthemto work with the B team, which itself has a new coach. Matthias Sammer hasappointed Dutchman Eric ten Hag and for two weeks the two coaches worktogethertoensurethatBayernIIbegintoapplythesamecriteriatotheirgameasthefirstteam.Theworktheydonowisabouttoyieldgreatresults.BayernIIwillhaveawonderfulseasonandwintheleague.Theywillfinishastheteamwhichhasscoredmostgoals,whilstconcedingthefewest.Nevertheless,theymisspromotionto theThirdDivisionbecauseofanawaygoalconceded in the last secondof thedecisiveplay-offmatch.

GuardiolaiskeepinganeyeontheBayernyouthacademy.SomeofhisbigstarshavecomethroughtheyouthsectionsatSäbenerStrasse,guyslikeMüller,Lahm,Schweinsteiger and Alaba. However, so far this generation of youth players isshowingnosignofbeingexceptional.HermannGerland,TigerGerland,whotookovertheclub’syouthteamsin1990andhasasixthsenseforspottingyoungtalent,is not optimistic about the short-termpotential, although there are somenotableexceptions,suchasHøjbjergandJulianGreen.PephasgrownenormouslyfondofGerland.‘He’sgivingmesomuchhelp.Somuch!HetakesmethrougheveryclubandeveryplayerintheBundesliga.He’sveryloyaltoBayernandI’mdelightedthattheclubsuggestedheworkwithme.Itrusthimandhisadvicecompletely.AndIreallyadmirethemutualrespectthatexistsbetweenhimandtheplayers.’

Aswell as workingwith the youngsters and running the training sessionswithGerland,Pepgetstospendsometimewithsomeofthelegendsofworldfootball.People likeGerdMüller,whoworkswithTenHagwithBayern II, andMehmetScholl, whose son, Lucas, plays for the under-19 team. But these pleasantencounters are few and far between and he can’t allow himself to get distracted.He’sworried aboutmedical care at the club.There are specific concerns such asGötze and Schweinsteiger’s slow recoveries, although he understands that this isbecause their injuries are so serious. Then there are other issues, such as whathappened inDortmundwhenNeuer andRibérywere training as if nothing hadhappenedwithin 40hours of thematch theymissed.At the time,Pep suggestedamendingtheprotocol.Iftheoriginalinjuryisn’tserioushewouldliketheplayerstotravelwiththeteamsothatthedecisioncanbemadeatthelastminute.Thereisalso thematter of the club’s arrangementwithDoctorMüller-Wohlfahrt,widelyrecognisedastheexpertinhisfield.Manyoftheworld’stopsportsmenandwomenhave been treated in the ‘MW’ clinic, attracted by the doctor’s extraordinarydiagnostic powers. He is capable of diagnosing most injuries just by placing his

handsontheaffectedareaandalsospecialisesintheuseofhomeopathicremedies,whichheuses ininjections.SprinterUsainBolt,marathonrunnerPaulaRadcliffeand golfer José María Olazábal, amongst others, swear that the medic’s ‘healinghands’ have cured painful muscular and joint-related injuries. Michael Jordan,Cristiano Ronaldo, Andy Murray, Boris Becker and even Luciano Pavarotti andBonohaveallpassedthroughMüller-Wohlfahrt’shands.

Guardiola,however,wouldlikeadoctorpresentattraining.Atthemomentthephysios deal with anything that happens. Müller-Wohlfahrt insists that hangingaboutthetraininggroundalldaywouldbeahugewasteoftimeforhimoroneofhis assistants andpoints out that it is unlikely to cause injuredplayers toomuchdistressiftheyhavetocometohiscliniconDienerStrasse.Heworksinthecentreof Munich in a building in the old quarter that was home to Emperor Luis ofBavariainthe13thcentury.Thedoctorseesahugenumberofpatientseveryday,although if a Bayern player needs a diagnosis he will always get immediateattention.Intheclinic,though–notatthetrainingground.Thisisoneissuethatwillrunandrunandtheseasonwillendwithoutanykindofsatisfactoryresolution.

28

‘HOENESSISTHEHEARTANDSOULOFTHISCLUB–HE’SVITALTOME.’

Munich,September13,2013

‘IT’SABITlikearecipe,’Pepsays.‘Leaguetitlesarewoninthelasteightgames,buttheyarelostinthefirsteight.’Experiencehastaughthimtheimportanceofnotlosingtheleagueinthefirsttwomonthsofthechampionship.Sure,youcandropafewpoints,butnottoomany.Twoorthreepointsbehind,fouratthemostisallany team can afford at the end of the first eight games.Thatway you still haveroomformanoeuvre.Then,whenitcomesdowntohand-to-handcombat,youwillstillbeinapositiontowin,toshowwhatyourteamismadeof.Youcan’tfallatthisfinalhurdleeither,ofcourse.Thisisthemomentyourmenhavetostraineverynerveandsinewforvictory.Atleastthat’sthetheory.

Wearestillverymuchatthestartofthecampaign.WithfourBundesligagamesunder their belts,Bayern are in secondplace, twopointsbehind their great rival,BorussiaDortmund. It’s as far behind asGuardiola’s team can afford to be but,quiteapartfromthetwo-pointdifference,thereareproblemsonthehorizon.Onemoreslip-uplikeFreiburgand…

Vollgas is thewordUliHoeness used to expresswhathe expected fromBayernfromSeptemberonwards.Fullsteamahead.AndGuardiolawashappytopickupthegauntlet.‘Thepresidenthastoldusit’sfullsteamaheadfromnowonandhe’sabsolutely right.We are now entering one of themost excitingmoments of theyear,withthestartoftheleague,theChampionsLeagueandtheDFB-Pokal.Andwearereadyforthechallenge.’

Although inprivatePep is tenseandworriedabout the two-pointdisadvantage,heisalwayscalmwhenhedealswiththemedia.‘I’mnotstressedbythedifferenceinpoints.IknewfromthemomentIsignedforBayernthatIwouldbeunderalotofpressure.Wehaveonlyplayedfourgamesandnowisn’tthecrucialtime.Thatwill come inMay.Let’s seehowwe’redoing then. I’mcompletelyconfident thatwe’llbeinastrongpositionafterthewinterbreak.Ihaveagoodfeelingaboutit.We’regoingtohaveagreatseasonandwe’llbeinastrongpositiontofightfortitles

byAprilorMay.’PepreallyenjoysworkingwithHoeness.He’sobsessedwithfootballandassuch

couldnothave chosen abetter club thanBayern,wherehe regularly spends timewith someof the great legends of football.He luncheswithHoeness, the twoofthemcompeting to seewhocanconsume themost rostbratwurst sausages.HehascoffeewithRummeniggeeveryday,chatstoPaulBreitneratleastonceaweekonthe training ground, reads Kaiser Beckenbauer’s latest views, walks on the samepatchofgrassasTorpedoMüller,derBomberderNation,andsharestheteam’supsanddownswithMatthiasSammer.Thisisadreamcometrueforfootball-madPep.

HoenessandRummeniggeareintrouble.Theformerbecauseofanaccusationoftaxevasionwhich,withinmonths,willlandhiminprisonandthelatterbecausehehasfailedtodeclaresomeluxurywatcheswhichweregiftedtohiminQatar.Heisfacing a heavy fine. Despite all the evidence (Hoeness turned himself in to theGerman revenue),Guardiola is not about to start criticising them.These are thetwomenresponsibleforhisappointment.Hethereforetakesgreatcareaboutwhathe says. ‘Hoeness is theheart and soulof this cluband isvital tome.WhenyoulistentohimspeakaboutBayernyourealisehowgravelyimportantthesubjectistohim–it’severything.’

IwanttopausehereandlookforamomentattheBayernmanagementmodel,which has been analysed by experts all over Europe precisely because it is sosuccessful.Thisisadebt-freeclubwhichhasdevelopedmultiplesourcesofincome.Theyhaveattractedcommittedand loyal sponsors, aswell asmore than230,000memberswho fill the stadiumtocapacity everyweek.Withanannual incomeofmorethan€430million, theyhavealsoreportedaprofiteveryyear for the last20years. In 2013 the club soldmore than amillion shirts and their coffers remainextremelyhealthy.Asenseofdeepprideunderpinseverythingthemanagementdo,deservedlysogiventhelonglistofEuropeanclubswhoaretechnicallyonthevergeofbankruptcy.Ingeneral,peopleattributetheirsuccesstothefactthattheclubismanaged by two ex-players but, in my opinion, this is nonsense. Bayern aresuccessful because Hoeness and Rummenigge have been great managers, notbecausetheyareformerplayers.

Whenhewasforcedtoretirewithkneeproblemsin1979Hoeness,whowasonly27,wasappointedBayern’scommercialdirector.Hehasnowbeeninvolvedinthemanagementoftheclubfor35years,isfamiliarwitheverydepartmentandknowseveryaspectoftheclub’slife,insideout.Forthree-and-a-halfdecadeshehassteeredthe club in the right direction, strengthening the business and building it into ahugebutsustainableconcernwhichhaspursuedsportingexcellencewhilstretaining

thesenseofbeingonebig family.Rummeniggebringsamodern,globalvisionofsportaswellasamanagementstylewhichcombinesindividualaccountabilitywithcollectiveresponsibility.

Vollgas, Hoeness said. The coach has commissioned a statistical analysis ofBayern’sattackingperformanceduringthefirstfiveweeksofcompetition.Heisnothappy with his forwards’ results. The evidence is conclusive. In the seven gamesthey played before the international break, Pep’smen took 162 shots at goal, anaverageof23pergame,andtheyscored16goals,resultinginaconversionratioof10%. Unfortunately, it’s getting worse. Bayern are improving the way they dealwithcounter-attacks,buttheirefficacyupfrontisdeterioratingwitheverygame.Inthelastcoupleofmatchestheyhavemanagedonlyaconversionrateof5%.

It’sFriday,September13,30minutesbefore trainingstartsandPep is showingthese stats tohismen, recently returned from their respectivenational teams.Hedoesn’tbotheraskingthemtobemoreaccurateinfrontofgoalbecausethatwouldbepointless.They’renotmissingdeliberately.Buthewantsthemtoknowthefactsandinsistsagainontheimportanceofcuttingoffcounter-attacksatthesource.

BayernplayHannover96thefollowingdayintheAllianzArenaandalreadythestormcloudsaregathering.

29

‘WEAREALLHIDINGBEHINDTHECOACH.’

Munich,September15,2013

PEP WAS PLEASANTLY surprised by the reaction of Uli Hoeness and KalleRummeniggethedayaftertheEuropeanSuperCupmatchinPrague.Bayern’stopexecutives had immediately sprung to his defence. ‘Mourinho’s comments arecompletely out of order … but then perhaps it was a different match he waswatching.’

TheChelsea coach had said: ‘Every time I play Pep I end upwith 10men. ItmustbesomesortofUEFArule.’WhatMourinhoforgottosaythatdayinPraguewas thatRamires’ tackle onMarioGötze had torn the ligaments of theGermanplayer’sankle.ItwasRamires’secondyellowcardandhewassentoff,butintruth,theseverityofthetackleshouldhaveresultedinastraightred.

Pepwas taken aback because hewas so unused to getting this level of supportfrom his bosses. During his time at Barça he had had to deal with numerousunwarrantedandseriousattacksontheteamandthewholeinstitution,andhiswasoften the sole voice raised in their defence. In April 2011 Barcelona and RealMadrid had a run of four derbies in 18 days. These Clásicos were marred byexcessive levels of hostility and a few Madrid players played with an aggressionborderingonviolence,whilstmore thanoneBarçaplayer indulged indiving andotherunsportsmanlikeconduct.

AftertheCopadelReyfinal,whichMadridwonwithaCristianoRonaldogoal,theBarcelona coach congratulated the opposition, adding that his own teamhadbeenveryclosetovictorythemselves.Therefereehad,rightly,disallowedagoalbyPedroforoffside.Guardiolasaidlater:‘Atwo-centimetredecisionfromalinesmanwhomusthavehadaverygoodviewruledoutPedro’sgoal.’

On April 26, 2011, Pep and his players were having lunch in the privaterestaurant of the Eurostars Madrid Tower Hotel. The television was showingMourinho’spressconferenceaheadoftheChampionsLeaguesemi-finaltheywouldbeplayingthenextday.Pephadhisbacktothescreenandwasn’tpayingattentionwhenoneofhisassistantssuggestedheturnaroundandlisten.

‘We have started a new cycle. Up until now there was a very small group ofcoaches who didn’t talk about referees and a very large group, in which I amincluded,whocriticisereferees.Now,withPep’scomments,wehavestartedanewerawithathirdgroup,featuringonlyoneperson,amanwhocriticisestherefereewhenhemakesgooddecisions.Thisiscompletelynewtome.’

Pep’s players were also listening by this stage and were furious at Mourinho’swords and hismocking tone. It was the last straw forGuardiola. ‘The time hascome!’

A fewmonthsearlier,Pephadsaid tohisclosestcolleagues: ‘IknowMourinhoonlytoowellandhe’stryingtoprovokemeintoareaction,butitwon’twork.I’mnotgoing to react. I’mnotgoing toanswerback.Onlywhen I think the time isright.’

Mourinhowas relentless andhadoftenmanaged towindPepup.TheCatalanhad,however,maintainedadignifiedsilencesofar.Nowhismomenthadcome.

At8pmonthedaybefore thematch, theplayers left the trainingsessionat theBernabéu stadium, sensing that Pepwas about to respond in kind toMourinho.WordhadgotoutandevenseniormanagementhadheardthatPepwaspreparingastrongly-wordedstatement.Leavingthedressingroom,oneoftheplayersclosesttoGuardiolawishedhimluckwiththepressconference,asdidsportsdirectorAndoniZubizarreta, who surprised him by saying, ‘We don’t answer back, eh, Pep?Wedon’tanswerback.Welikealowprofile.Alowprofile’.

Once againPepwas left feeling that the clubhadhunghimout todry andhedecided to ignore management’s advice and go ahead anyway. This time heresponded with unprecedented fury. ‘Señor Mourinho has permitted himself theluxuryofcallingmePep,soIwillcallhimJose.Tomorrowat8.45pmwefaceeachotheronthepitch.Hehaswonthebattleoffthepitch.He’sbestedmeinthatarenatheentireseasonandnodoubtwillcontinuetodoso.IfhewantshisownpersonalChampionsLeaguetrophyawayfromthepitch,lethimtakeithomeandenjoyit.Inthisroom[theBernabéupressroom]Mourinhoisthefuckingchief,thefuckingboss.Heknowsallabout thisandIdon’twant tocompetewithhim inhere. I’djust like to remindhimthat Iworkedwithhimfor fouryears [atBarcelona].HeknowsmeandIknowhim.Ifhepreferstovaluetheviewsofthejournalistfriendswho take their information in a drip feed from Florentino Pérez more than therelationship we had for four years then that’s his choice. I congratulated RealMadrid for winning the Cup. The offside call was a matter of centimetres. Therefereewasextremely smartandontheball. I try to learn fromJoseon thepitchwhenweplayhimorwhenIwatchhisteamontelevision,butIprefertolearnas

littleaspossiblefromhimoffthepitch.’Pep’s response that evening had inflamed an already tense situation.When he

arrived at the team hotel, hismenwere waiting to give him a standing ovation.Theyweredelightedwithhisresponse,whichtheyconsideredlongoverdue.Thesewereplayerswho,althoughusedtoreceivingtheirfairshareofpraiseandadulation,had also been accused of a range of transgressions including doping, dirty tricks,playactingandexertingundue influenceover referees–andallof thiswhilst theclub’smanagementpursuedtheirapatheticpolicyofmaintainingalowprofile.Thesenior executiveswere not interested in defending them, but nowGuardiola hadsteppedin.Andhe’ddoneitintherightplaceatexactlytherighttime.

In Munich, people are used to plain speaking. Men like Beckenbauer andHoeness have never held back from criticising the coach or one of their players.What in Spain would be considered outright war in Bavaria is seen as a frankexchange of views.Nobodywas surprised, for example,when theAllianzArena’sMasterofCeremonies,StephanLehmann,askedPaulBreitneraboutapenaltytheyhadbeengiven.Theex-player toldhim: ‘Thatwasn’t apenalty.Theygifted it tous.’Theconversationtookplaceonthepitchathalf-timeintheBayern-Nürnbergderby on August 24 and nobody felt that Breitner’s blunt honesty had beeninappropriate.

GuardiolahashadtogetusedtothisnewcultureandmidwaythroughSeptember2013findshimselfcaughtupin‘HurricaneSammer’.

Bayern are up against Hannover 96 and the match goes in much the samedirection as the one against Nuremberg three weeks before: a slow, dull,monotonous first half followed by an impassioned wake-up call byGuardiola athalf-timeandthenafast,furioussecondhalfwhichagainendswitha2-0win.

Thecoachisn’thappywithhismen’sperformancebuthe’salsonotparticularlysurprised.

Hehas always had concerns about the first game after an international call-up.Foralmost twoweekstheplayers traindifferentlyandhavetoadapttheirplayingstyle to thenational team.Their return to theclub isusuallyabit chaotic. ‘Aftereight or nine days with their national teams the players’ rhythm has completelychanged.ButwearereadytoplaytheChampionsLeague,’saysPepafterthematch.Hehaschosenhiswordscarefully,notwantingtobetrayhistruefeelings.

Perhaps for the first timesincecoming toBayern,he isdepressedandangry. Itisn’t about the disconcerting sight of Thomas Müller being forced to play inmidfield again because of all the injuries. In fact, playing a striker inmidfield isactuallybeginningtoshowtheplayerup.

Itseemstheplayersstilldonotfullyunderstandhimandheisnotmanagingtomake the team function well enough. Matthias Sammer is quick to intervene.Quietlybutforcefullyhemakeshisopinionclear:‘Wemustforgetthetitleswe’vewon – we are lethargic out there, unemotional. We’re just going through themotions and should bemoving out of our comfort zone.Why am I saying this?Because the coach shouldn’t have to intervene towake the players up every timetheyplay.Weareallhidingbehindthecoach.’

Despiteallpredictionstothecontrary,GuardiolaandSammerhavedevelopedastrong, mutually-supportive relationship. They have immediately sensed howimportanttheycouldbeforeachotherandaredeterminedtoworktogethertotakethe club forward. Sammer also has the intuition of a former playerwhose talentmadehimateamleader.Hehasbeenquicktospottheteam’slaid-backapproachtogamesandthatiswhyhehasdecidedtodropthisbombwithoutwarningPep.Thecoachistakenabackbythesportsdirector’sdirectnessbutisnonethelessquitepleasedandisquicktodefendSammerinthestormthatblowsupintheaftermathofhisdeclaration.

AsusuallyhappensinMunich,Sammer’swordselicitaresponse.Thistimeitispresident Hoeness who speaks up in German newspaper Bild: ‘Apparently weshouldbeapologisingforonlywinning2-0.Maybewe’veactuallylostfourorfivegames.TheymustbelaughingthemselvessillyatDortmund.’

Kicker magazine adds: ‘We understand that Matthias wanted to make thingsbetter,butifitain’tbroke,don’tfixit.’

NextRummeniggeentersthefray: ‘This isgreatforthepressbut it isnotwhateithertheteamorthecoachneeded.’

BeckenbauerandLottharMatthäusalsohavetheirownopinionsonthematter.As do the players. ToniKroos andManuelNeuer accept the criticisms publicly,agreeingthattheydidindeedplaybadlyagainstHannoveranddescribingSammer’scomments as amuch needed wake-up call. Captain Philipp Lahm, on the otherhand, appeals for criticisms like these to be aired privately in the dressing roomratherthaninpublic.

Two days later, the day before their firstChampions Leaguematch,Guardiolaspeaksaboutthecontroversy.‘ThisisaboutculturaldifferencesandIhavecometorealisethat inGermanythistypeofreactionisnormalandIhavetoadapt.IfthesamethinghappenedinSpain–bam!–we’dhaveahugeproblemonourhands,but it’s completely normal here and I wasn’t at all surprised by Sammer’scomments.He’slikeme,veryemotional.’

Thisdoesn’tpreventHoenessandRummeniggecallingSammertoatenseface-

to-facemeeting.ButthesportsdirectorhasalwaysgoneoutofhiswaytosupportGuardiola,andthecoachreturnsthefavour,sayingfirmly:‘Matthiasisoneofus.’

It’s Sunday, September15, 18hours after theHannover game, andPep is stilldownbutdoinghisbesttohideitfromtheplayersatthemorningtrainingsession.Hehasanintense,seriouschatwiththem,wavinghishandsaggressively,surprisingmanyofthembydeclaring:‘Iwanttoholdoneofyouupasanexampletotherest.MarioMandžukić.HeandIdidn’thave thebestof starts andknew immediatelythatwewerenevergoingtobemates.ButIcantellyouthatthereisnoonebetterthanhim.Nobodythattriesharder,whocomestothegroundmorefired-up.Thisisaplayerwhogiveseverythingout there.That’swhyhe’s thebest.He’s theonewhosacrificesmostfortheteamandinallmyyearsasacoachIhaveneverhadaforwardlikehim.NobodyhasbeenbetterforthereasonsI’vejustgivenyou.Inthisteamthere’sMarioand10others.’

Helittleimaginesthathislowmoodwillresultinoneofthebestideashehaseverhad.

30

‘GENTLEMEN,THISISTIQUITACAANDITISSHIT.’

Munich,September15,2013

‘MARIA!MÀRIUS!COMEquickly!’Pep’stwooldestchildrenstopplayingandruntothecornerofthehousewhere

theirfatherworks.ThisisGuardiola’ssecondhideaway.TheotheroneishismainofficeatSäbenerStrasse.Thisoneisatinyroomattheendofthehallinhisflatinthe centreofMunich. Just a fewmetres square, it contains a table, a chair and alaptop.

TodayPepisverydown.Yesterday’smatchhasreallydiscouragedhim.Hisresultsaregoodenough.BayernhavewontheEuropeanSuperCupandaresecondintheleague,lyingonlytwopointsbehindBorussiaDortmund.Pep’smenhavelostjustonegameinamonthandahalf,theGermanSuperCup,butheisstilldissatisfied.LikeanycoachheneedstogettherightresultsbutforPepit isthewayhisteamplaysthatmatters.

He felt like thisduringyesterday’smatchagainstHannover96,despite the factthathe’dmanaged togivehis troops a rousing speech athalf-time and introduceseveral tactical changes thathelped themwin thematch.Healsopretended tobeperfectlyhappywiththeresultandtheteam’sperformanceinthepressconferencelater,but in realityhewasdeeplydisappointed.Distractedduring thepost-matchdinnerintheplayers’lounge,Pepwasconcernedthathewasfailingtogethisideasthroughtotheplayers.Hewasfailingtohelpthemgiveoftheirbest.

He leaves immediately aftermorning training instead of staying to chat to hisassistantsasusual.Afteraquicklunchheshutshimselfupinhishideaway,tellinghiswife:‘SorryCristina,I’vegotworktodo.’

Cristinahasbeenwithhim long enoughnot toneed explanations.Whenhe islike this – depressed, silent and brooding – it’s because he blames himself forsomething.Heisn’tabouttoblametheBayernplayersfortheirweakperformances.Heholdshimselfresponsiblefornotmanagingtobringouttheirpotential,fornotfindingtherightwordsorexercises,fornotputtingtheminthecorrectpositionsor

providing the launch pad they need to express themselves. Pep is the son andgrandsonofapaleta,asit’scalledinCatalan.Hisfather,Valentín,isabricklayerinSantpedor,nearManresa, incentralCatalonia.He taughthis son to standonhisowntwofeetandtakeresponsibilityforhisactionswithoutblamingothers.

Pepmightbeoneofthemostrespectedcoachesintheworld,inchargeofoneoftheworld’sbiggestclubs,butheisstillabricklayer’ssonandhetakesresponsibilityforhisownactions.

He spends six hourswatching videos of Saturday’s game and taking notes.Hedrawsdiagramsinhisnotebook,erasesthemandthenstartstorethinkhisideas.Abricklayer is a humble kind of builder. Pep goes over and over his problem allevening and then, at last, he sees the answer. He shouts: ‘Maria! Màrius! Comequickly!I’vegotit!’

This is not the exultant ‘Eureka!’ of an inventor but the relieved shout of astudent who feels he’s ready for his exam, the satisfied cry of someone who hasfound the solution to the problem but knows that he still has to run it past histeachers.

Maria and Màrius are his teachers. Pep always tells them every detail of hismatches and his kids love it. They are both fanatically interested in tactics and,what’smore, never hold back if they think he iswrong. But tonight he gets thethumbsup.Fullmarks.

By8amthe followingday thecoach isalreadyensconced inhisSäbenerStrasseoffice with Manel Estiarte. The table is covered with paperwork and they’rewatching the Hannover match on the computer. There are loads of tacticalformationsdrawnuponthewhiteboards.Estiarterecallsthatmorningwithasmile.‘ThatwasoneofPep’s10bestmoments.Andthisguyhashad lotsofwonderfulmoments.Itwasamazing.’

Guardiolaisashighasakite.Saturday’spessimism(‘I’mnotgettingitrightwiththe team’) has turned intoMonday’s euphoria (‘We’ve got it, we’ve got it!’).Heexplainshisideas,startingslowlyatfirstandthenspeedinguptosuchanextentthatheloseshisguestinaconfusionofgesturesanddetails.

Thisiswhatheissuggesting,moreorless:‘WekeepLahminthemidfield.That’snotupfordiscussion.Oneithersideofhim,backinghimup,BoatengandDante,so that Lahm can make aggressive runs to break up the opposition. Bastian[Schweinsteiger]andKroosinfrontasattackingmidfieldersandthenwedelineatethemovements.RafinhaandAlabaarenolongerfull-backsatthatpoint–theyjointhemidfield.Inprincipletheyoccupyspaceslightlyinfield,althoughtheycanmovetohelpRobbenandRibéryonthetouchlinesifit’stherightthingtodo.Whenwe

areinpossessionweplayvertically,buildingfromthesuperiorityinmidfieldwhichtheadditionofRafinhaandAlbahasgivenus.Ifwelosetheballthenwe’vealltherightplayers locatedclosetoeachotherhighupinthecentreofthepitch: it’llbeeasy towin theball back.’The formation looks like3-4-2-1. In the lineof threethereareDante,BoatengandLahm.Thisiswheretheplaybeginsagain.RightnowLahm,thecaptain,isBayern’sbestorganisingmidfielder–thebestatbringingtheballout.Heknowshowtoopenuptheopponents’attackinglineandfindgaps;heknowspreciselywhat todo in each instant.Heplayswithdaring andopponentsdon’tgettheballoffhim.Thetwofull-backsaretojoinupwiththetwocreativemidfielders to make a cluster of four attacking players, but also the first line ofdefence toput thebrakesonanoppositioncounter-attack shouldBayern lose theball.Becauseofhis training,Alabawon’t find itdifficult to takeup this role andthusRafinha is thekeycomponent: if theBraziliancanfunctionwell inthisplanthenthe ideawillwork.The lineoftwoareRobbenandRibéry–with libertytomake runs inside or outside. If either of themmoves inside, their full-backmusttake up the wide space to complement themovement. Then, up top, the singlestriker.Mandžukić–butinduecourseMüller,especiallyonceanyideathathecanplayinmidfieldisputtobed.

TheteamtalkonMonday16th,thedaybeforetheirChampionsLeaguedebut,focuses solely on this 3-4-2-1. The players are called to Säbener Strasse’s videoroom,which is laidout likea cinema,butGuardiolagets themon their feet andtells them to go outside to the terrace.He points to training pitchNo.1, wherethereare four linesnewlypainted todelineate thecentral areaof thepitch, likeagiant extensionof theBayernpenalty area.Later in thebookwe’ll talk ingreaterdetailabouttheselines.

‘Theonlyimportantthingaboutourgameiswhathappensinthosefourlines,’Peptellshismen.‘Nothingelsematters.’

They go back inside and Pep shows his players the video analysis of their Umovementonthepitch.Theimagesshowthatagainandagaintheyre-starttheplayfromthebackinamannerwhichispredictableandsterile,aninnocuousmovementof theball from side to side.FromRibéry toAlaba, toDante,on toBoateng, toRafinhaandthen,finally,toRobben.ThewholeshapeoftheballmovementdrawsoutacapitalU.SometimesNeuerisinvolvedinthatpassingmovementtoo,evenLahm at pivote. It is a horizontal trajectory which takes the team nowhere. TheopponentcandefendalmosteffortlesslybecauseBayernplayerssimplydon’ttrytobreaktheirlines.

‘Gentlemen, this is tiquitaca and it is shit.We’re not interested in this type of

possession.It’stotallymeaningless.It’saboutpassingforthesakeofit.Weneedourcentralmidfielderandourdefenders tomoveoutwithanoffensivementalityandbreaktheoppositionlinesinordertopushthewholeteamhighup.TheUneedstogo.’

The3-4-2-1isnowinstalled,flexibleandintelligent,withthepositioningofthetwo full-backs in line with the two attacking midfielders. These false attackingmidfielders(thefull-backs)arewithoutdoubtthebiggesttacticaladvanceofhisfirstseason at Bayern. The all-out war against tiquitaca – shuffling the ball about inmeaninglesspossession–isalsoestablished.

CSKAMoscowwillbethefirstvictimofthenewstrategythenextnight.Ithasbeen511dayssincePeplastheardtheChampionsLeaguemusicandhisfirstmatchbackisajoy.NotonlydoBayernbeattheMoscowteam3-0buttheyareplayingfluid,aggressivefootball.Theygoontheoffensive;theUandtheirsterilepassingarethingsofthepast.Lahmisinmidfieldagain;RafinhaandAlabadowellintheirnew roles; Müller enjoys playing as second striker behind Mandžukić andSchweinsteiger has a fewminutes game time to test out Kroos’ position.What’smore,theirsecondgoalcomesfromamovetheyhadpractisedthepreviousdayattraining:fromawidefree-kickRibéryandRobbenpretendtofalloutoverwhowilltake it, almost bumping into eachother as theyboth approach the ball but thensuddenly theDutchmanwhips it in toMandžukić, who heads home unmarked.Eventhoughhelooksoffside,theRussiandefencehasbeenbamboozledintodozingoff.

Domènec Torrent and Hermann Gerland embrace Pep enthusiastically. Hisstrategicideashaveworked.ItisgratifyingforthetechnicalteamtoseetheirtacticsconvertedintoagoalandforGuardiolaitisthefirsttimeinamatchthisyearthathehasfeltthattheteamismovingintherightdirection.Nobodyhasneededahalf-timelecturetochangethedynamicandhiswingershaveunderstoodexactlywhathe wants. For the first time in six years the Champions League starts with thereigning championswinning their firstmatch (the last timewaswhenACMilanbeatBenfica2-1in2007;allsuccessivechampionshavedrawntheirfirstmatch.)

MonthslaterwriterRonaldReng,authorofALifeTooShortaboutthetragicallyprematuredeathofgoalkeeperRobertEnke,wouldtellme:‘Theyplayedbrilliantlyandwere passingwith such speed and fluidity that theymadeCSKA look like aThird Division team. They reminded me of Barça in 2009, but with Bayern’stypicalspeedonthecounter-attackandtheirabilitytoclosedownspaceswhentheylosttheball.ThatgamewasourfirstsightingofateamthelikesofwhichwehadneverseenbeforeinGermany.’

ThewholeplayingphilosophyisreinforcedafterthevisittoGelsenkirchen,andacauldronofastadium,tofaceSchalke04.Withtheball,Bayernareclearlyplaying3-4-2-1andwhenthey lose it theydefendina4-3-3.Theteamplayswithmuchmorefluidity.TheforwardthreeplayersaregivenfreedomandtheyslashthroughSchalkebothdown themiddle andoutwide.RobbenplayspredominantlydowntherightwingandthatallowsRafinhatomoveinsideanddodamagethere.DowntheleftRibéryandAlabaincessantlyswitchpositions,oneinside,oneout.

When he looks back at this timeGuardiola has good reason to smile. Aweekearlierhehadbeendepressed,unabletofindtherightingredientstomakehisteamexcel;now,sevendayslater,hehasthreewinsunderhisbelt,withthescoresgettingincreasingly better (2-0 against Hannover; 3-0 against CSKA and 4-0 againstSchalke).More importantly, they are well on the way to developing the balancetheir game requires. The idea of using full-backs as midfielders is bearing fruit.Everythinghasfallenintoplace.

Twohoursearlierandaconsiderabledistanceaway,BorussiaDortmunddrewinNuremberg.So,after the sixth leaguegameof the season, the twogreat rivals areneck-and-neckwith16points.Theleagueiswonorlostinthosefirsteightgames.

31

THETREASUREMAP

Munich,September18,2013

GUARDIOLA HAS THE treasure map stored in his head. It’s a secret mapcontainingriddlesandmysteries,adeviouspuzzle–dotswhichwillbejoinedupasandwhenthemysterieswhicharisealongtherouteareresolved.Containedinthismapareallthequestionsandmostoftheanswers.SomePepwillsolveinpublic,others on the pitch. There are a fewwhich are just in stasis for the time being,waitingfortherightmoment.

This might all seem trivial, but it assumes great importance in the life of theCatalancoach.Itmeansthatheknowsthatduringthelengthofaparticularcareercycle(bethatfourmonths,aseasonortheentiretyofacontractataclub)hewillhave to confront a seriesofdecisions and tactical alterations– they are inevitableandrelatedinherentlytohispersonalfootballphilosophy.Forexample,hisfirstyearatBarcelonahadvery little incommonwithhis third.Hereweare talkingabouttacticalorganisation, individualplayermovementswithin the team framework,orhowtheteaminteractedcollectively.

Pep traces out a tactical business plan for each such cycle. It is kept inside hishead, there isnowrittenevidence.Take the formidableBayernwhichhe inheritsfromHeynckes.Guardiola knows that there’s only somuchnew softwarehe canintroduceintotheexistinghardwareofthisultra-dominantteam.Ifheoverdosesonnewideasthenhewillprobablyoverload,orcollapsethewholesystemandsurelysomeindividualcomponents.Thushepreparesbyestablishingaplanofhowtorollouthisideas–agoal-relatedstrategywhichsetsobjectivestobeachievedwithinagiventimeperiod.Theyarenotmilestoneswhichareeasytoexplaininwords,norwilltheynecessarilybepertinentifextrapolatedforotherteams,playersorcoaches.Theyarerelevanttohispersonalwayofunderstandingfootball.It’snoteventhatheaimsforhisplayerstounderstandeverysinglething.Heiswellawaretherearesomeplayerswhohaveahighcapacityforcomplexexplanations,andotherswhoseunderstandingwillbemorelimited.Hewillhavecleardefininglinesbetweenthosewhowillbegiven short, contained,partial informationbytesand thosewhohave

theabilitytoseethebigpicture.Pep will use quite different language from one category of players to another.

That’snotnewtohim.Infact,oneofthegreatconflictswithinsportiswhattypeof language and communication coaches should use when they are trying to gettechnical messages across to their players. Sometimes the communication issophisticated,sometimesverybasic.

What’s utterly vital is getting the means of communication, the content, theamountandtheprecisetimingofeverysuchconversationjustright.Withoutthat,acoachcan’tdevelophistacticalideasadequatelywithhisplayers.Guardiolafacesachallenge in this respect. He is very agile and talented at drawing this personaltreasuremap,hisbusinessplan.Hehasterrificforesightintermsofknowinghowmuch he can expect from a four-month cycle or a season and thus whichinnovationshe’llneedtostoreupforthenextcycle,wheneverthatmaybe.

GoingoverhisfouryearswithBarçahewillrecalleverysingleevolutionhetriedto rolloutandalso thosewhichhewouldhaveapplied ifhehad stayedwith theCatalanclub.AskhimaboutBayernandheismorereserved;he’llexplainonlytheshort-term upgrades he intends to enforce. He’ll clam up if you ask about thefollowingseason–eventhoughheknowsfullwellwhathewantstotrytoachievethen,too.

Despiteallthisclarityofideologyitisveryhardtotransmititsuccessfullytohisplayers.It’snotsomuchaproblemofthelanguage,noroffindingtherightfootballterminology.Itisaproblemofexcesssoftware.Sometimeshehassomanythingstosay,hewantstoreachsuchinfinitedetailthatsomeplayersjustcan’tfollowitall.Insuchcaseshecantaketimetorealisethattheplayerinquestionsimplyneedsmuchlessinformation,andinsimplerform,too.

Let’s take Franck Ribéry as an example. You could compare him to a 100mrunnerintermsofhischaracteristiccomprehensionandbehavior.Ifyoumakethemessage sophisticated for Ribéry you are only complicating the progress of thedesired evolution.Guardiola tookmonths to find just the rightway to pick andchoose his words when explaining things to the player. From the first trainingsessionheaskedthewingertomoveinsideandplayfalse9.PepisconvincedthatRibéry can be doubly dangerous if he’ll do the things he does on the wing, butaroundtheedgeoftheboxinstead.There’snochalklinetolimityouononesideand, logically, you have more space in which to search for openings and run atplayers.PepisafirmbelieverthattheFrenchmancouldmakeabigdifferencetotheteamdownthemiddle,butRibéryisn’tparticularlyquickatpickinguponthetypeofmovementsthecoachisexplaining.Theyaretoosophisticated,toocomplexto

assimilatequickly andPepdecides toput thewhole thingoffuntil anopportunemomentarises,possiblymonthsinthefuture.

The opposite example is Lahm, for whom you can make the message just ascomplexasyouwish.Pepandhehavededicatedmanyhourstosuchconversations.Notatrainingsessiongoesbywhentheydon’tspendatleast15minutesattheendtalking about specific player movements or individual actions. That’s when Pepsteps back and gets into one of his favourite rituals – indicating where everyindividualplayershouldbeatanygivenmomentwithasymphonyofgestures,hisarmswavingaround.Whohasgottocoverwhom;whereshouldthepivotebe;howshouldthecentraldefendermakeachoicetoattacktheball;howdoesthefull-backon the side which is overloaded with opposition react. It demands greatconcentrationjusttorecallwhattheoriginalobjectiveoftheconversationwas.

Every time I was present for one of these chats and Pep hypothesised thesecomplex collectivemovements, I endedup lost. It’snot easy followinghis vision.ButLahmalwaysgotit.

32

‘LAHM?HE’SASFOOTBALL-INTELLIGENTASINIESTA.’

Munich,September25,2013

THECONCEPTOFusingfull-backsasmidfielders,formingalineoffourinthemiddle with the two attacking midfielders, had already been used frequently atBarcelona,albeitwithvariations.Pephadevenstartedtotalkabouttheideaattheendof someof the early training sessionswithBayern inTrentino,whenhehadonly just arrived.Heevenhintedat it in apress conference: ‘Noquestion,Alabacouldalsoplayasamidfielder.’Inrealityhewasn’treallythinkingofAlabainthemiddleofthepitch–ratherasafull-backwhowouldbepusheduptojointhelineoftheexistingmidfielders.Howdidtheideaarise?Well,ithadbeenthereinPep’splayingmanual,justwaitingfortherightmomenttohavethedustshakenoff.

Let’s look at how Pep rolled the idea out to his squad. First he analysed theproblem.Bayernwerecirculating theballbackand forwards inapassiveUshapebetweenthetwowings,RibéryandRobben,usingthetwocentre-halvesandbothfull-backs.Thusherescuedan ideawhichhehadnotbeenable touseduringhisfourseasonsattheCampNou.‘EveryyearatBarça,’hetoldme,‘we’dachievenewwaystoevolvefromwhatwe’dalreadyestablished,andtheteamwasimproving,butfromtheWorldClubCupfinalonwards[theybeatNeymar’sSantos4-0]itreallywasn’teasytofindawayforwardwiththesameplayers.Wehadmanagedtoplaybetterthaneverbeforeandtofindawaytomoveforwardwasn’tsimple.’

Oneof the ideashewasdeveloping in thiseraconcerned the left-back (not theright,asDaniAlvesisnotexactlythemodeloftacticalrigour).

‘The tactical evolutionwhich I’denvisagedat that timewithBarçaconsistedofusing the left-back to step forward andplay as a secondpivote.Wealreadyknewthat the full-backscouldmoveupashighas thepivotewhilehewasbringing theballoutfromtheback,butwithoutoverlappinghimuntilhe’dalreadyplayedtheballforward.Theideawastothenleavetheleft-backpairedwiththepivotesothat,ifnecessary,wecoulddefendwithadoblepivotesysteminmidfield–eventhoughtheteamdidn’tlineupthatway.’

He explained all this to us in pre-season. ‘It’s an idea I’m going to save up,perhapsuseitinthefuture.’

Sunday,September15,beatenanddowninthedumps,but insolution-seekingmode,Guardiolareachedfortheideaandadaptedit.Erasingsomeoftheexistingdelineations,hereachedtheideaofaformationwhichseemedideal:itwouldn’tbethe left-back who teamed up with the central midfielder but, instead, both full-backs,whowouldadvancesufficientlytobeinalineoffourwiththetwoattackingmidfielders – a linewhichwould be higher up the pitch than the pivote. Thingssuddenlyclicked.

TendayslatertheyfacedHannover96onceagain,butthistimeinaone-offcupgame.‘IpreferusingthissysteminGermany,notSpain[wheretheCopadelReyisplayed largely over two-legged ties], because every cup game is a final here. It’smuchhigherriskbutmuchmoreattractivelikethis.Andit’spositivefortheplayersbecause 11 straight months of competition is a barbarity and we need to placeemphasisonthequalityofthematchesweaskthemtoplay,ratherthanaugmentthequantityofthem.’

MirkoSlomkowasHannovercoachatthattime(byChristmashewouldbeout,replacedbyTayfunKorkut)andhadpreviouslycommentedthatanyGermanteamcould inflict the perfect counter-attack in less than 11 seconds. Pep disagreed. ‘Ithink it’s even quicker than Mirko says. This league is remarkable in terms ofcounter-attacks.InSpaintherearegreatsideswhichhityouwithgoodcountersbutI’veneverseenanywheretoequaltheBundesligaforthenumberofteamswhocanhityouwithsomanyeffective,massivelyquickcounter-attacks.’

Bayern beat Hannover 4-1, notwithstanding a continuing irregularity in theirplay.Theywentaheadquicklyandplayedwithrealaggressiontoensuretherewasnochanceofacounter-attack.Butoncetheyreached2-0theyrelaxedandconcededanumberofdangerouschancesfromwhichthevisitorsmighthavescored.

Bayernhaddozedoff again andPepwas angry.The secondhalf saw theusualreactionandtheyconfirmedtheirpassagetothequarter-finalswithtwomoregoals.‘In the first half we committed a novice error,’ he explained. ‘All the attackingpasseswemadewereinside,insteadofplayingthemwide.IfyouplaytheballinsideandHannovernick theball fromyou then–pam!– they’vegotawell-organisedcounter-attackonaplate.Inthesecondhalfwecorrectedthat.’

Itwasalmost100dayssincePeparrivedatBayernandthecoachwaswillingtoweigh things up. ‘I’mhappy.MyGerman isn’t great yet butmyplayers givemeloads of help with it. I still haven’t learned to express myself that well, and getthroughtothemeasily,buttheyhaveabrilliantattitudetowardstraining.Iseeall

thedetails inmyplayerswhichconvinceme thatweare capableofplaying reallywell.Thosearethemomentswhichmakemereallyhappy.’

Inthecorridoroutside theAllianzArenadressingroomwetalk toRafinha, theBrazilian full-back who, with Lahm’smove to centralmidfield, has become firstchoiceattheback.He’sconstantlygotajokeonthegoandhereferstohimselfasacanterano (academyproduct)knowingthatPepjust lovestoplaycanteranos inhisteams.Rafinhasays:‘PepexplainshimselfprettywellinGermanandwhenhehitsdifficulties both Pizarro and I are there for him to translate from Spanish intoGerman.’

Oneofthetechnicalteamcomments:‘Rafinhaisjustaboutthemostimportantmemberoftheteamrightnow.Ifhegotinjuredwe’dhavetoreallyconjureupasolution.’

That’showitis.RafinhaallowsLahmtoplayasorganisingmidfielder,somethingwhichhasbeenvital to the team’sperformance.Rafinha’s fullofbeans. ‘HowdoyouthinkI’mgoingtobewithPep?Enjoyinglife,that’show!Lastyeartherewere11playerswhogot50-plus games each,with the rest playing15ormaybe20 atbest. Now things are much more shared around and it’s logical that if you areplayingmoreyou’rehappier.Itwastimeforchange.Juppwasterrificandhegotusplayingwell,butouropponentsreallygottoknowusandhowweliketodothings.Nowweplayabitdifferentlyandthat’sagoodthing.Forthefull-backsit’sabigdealbecausewehavepermissiontoinsertourselvesintoanattackingmovewhereverit seems best to do.We canmove inside, go outside, andwe are allowed almostconstantlicencetoattack.’

GuardiolaisdelightedwithhowLahmisdoingasBayern’sorganisingmidfielder.‘He’splayedincrediblywellinthatposition.IknowthatwhenallourplayersarefitPhilipp could return to full-back but perhaps he’ll remain as our pivote. He’s afabulousplayer.’

A fewdays later, during a training sessionbehind closeddoors, he’ll add a fewmore details about his captain. ‘Lahm is incredibly intelligent. He takes all theinformationinimmediately.He’sveryquick,mentally,andhereadsthegamewellinadvanceofthingsactuallyhappening.He’sasfootball-intelligentasIniesta.’

AnotherplayerwhoconstantlytalkstoPepisBastianSchweinsteiger.‘Pep’sreallyclever, which makes training with him very interesting and enriching,’ saidSchweinsteiger. ‘The language? Well, German is a very tough language forforeignerstolearn,sowhenPepbeganhistimeherebyspeakinginourlanguageitwas to his greatmerit. In a face-to-face conversation he communicates perfectly.Maybe when he’s instructing a group it’s a little tougher for him to manage it

perfectly–it’snotquiteasclearasface-to-face.’Pephaschangedagreatdeal in the threemonthshe’sbeen inMunich.Hehas

alreadygivenaninterviewtotheclubmagazine.InthefuturehewilldothesameforBayern’stelevisionstation.Hewillattend,andenjoy,thefamousOktoberfest,hewill be the star of an advert topromote thebeerwhich sponsorsBayern (andhe’lldoitinlederhosen).Ingeneralhe’llseemmuchmorerelaxedthanatBarcelona,partlybecausethepeoplearoundthisclubhelpthatatmosphereabitmorethanattheCampNou,butpartly,also,becauseofhisownpersonalevolution.

The objective over the next couple of weeks is that the team copes withOktoberfestwithoutdifficulties.It’satimeinthecalendarwhich,traditionally,canhinder Bayern and their new coachwants tomake sure that they get through itwithoutmessingup.Hewants toremaincompetitive inthe league,notgivinganinchtoDortmundandtobeultra-firmintheChampionsLeague.Rightnowtheyare progressing in the cup despite themidfield absences of JaviMartínez,MarioGötzeandThiago.DomènecTorrent,theassistantcoach,makesitclear:‘Götzeisfantastic. Pep’s full of enthusiasm for him because he’s technically excellent, he’sagile and, above all, he’s got the calm intelligence thatwe require.Whenhe andThiagoplaytogetherthey’llbeabsolutelyformidable.’

33

‘FOR80MINUTESWEPLAYEDPERFECTFOOTBALL–THEBESTFOOTBALLI’VESEENIN

MYLIFE.’

Manchester,October2,2013

AGRANDTOTALof94consecutivepassesacrossthreeminutesand27secondswasemblematicofthe‘takingofManchester’–anightwhenBayernconqueredtheEtihad Stadium and Pep Guardiola was finally able to smile in satisfaction.Inevitably,Bayern’splay in this3-1winat thehomeofManchesterCitydrewtomind that of Barça on that remarkable night in 2010 when they hammeredMourinho’sRealMadrid5-0attheCampNou.

Those 94 passesmarked a specialmoment in European football. The reigningchampions were in an intimidating and formidable football stadium, City hadbought notable reinforcements during the close season and their coach was theexcellentManuelPellegrini–unbeatenathomeuntilthatpoint.

EverythingwentrightforBayernfor80sweetminutes.Theywerealmostperfect–itwasthegameinwhichPepprovedtohimselfthathecouldgetateamtoplaywith the agility andqualityofBarcelonawithout actuallyhaving thoseAzulgranaplayers.Allalong,everyone,includingGuardiola,hadstrenuouslyattemptedtobeclearthatthiswasn’tsupposedtobeBarça2.0.

ArjenRobbensummedupthefeelingsofthedressingroom:‘Wehaveproduced80fantasticminutesbutwearen’tBarcelonaMkII.Iunderstandthecomparisonsbutwedon’thaveplayerslikeXaviorMessiandweare,basically,different.Wejustwanttodominategamesbydominatingpossession.’

Beforespeakingtothemedia,Guardiolaisinthedressingroomandtakestimetophonea friend: ‘Calm,and feeton thegroundkiddo,but…what anexhibition!Whatanexhibition!’

It is one of his all-time great moments as a coach. Bayern applied all the keythingswhichGuardiolahasbeendemanding:constantlylookingtobreakintothepenalty box, using possession aggressively, playing with constant fluidity and

mobility.ThegamewilllivewithGuardiolaforeverbecauseitisthefirsttime‘his’Bayern

hasplayedinthemannerhehadimagined.Naturally,infrontofthemediaheplaysthingsdown.‘Wehavelotstoimprove.’

Thelast10minutesweretotallydominatedbyCitywho,withtheintroductionofÁlvaroNegredo,turnedaroundtheirtimidgame.TheybeatNeueronce,hitthebar and left the Bayern defence, fromwhichBoatengwas removed by a late redcard,floundering.

Bayern had arrived in Manchester suffering from a certain anxiety. Theirpenultimate match, in the Bundesliga against Wolfsburg in Munich, had beencomplicated.Bayernwon1-0butitwasprobablythetrickiestdayofthefirstthreemonthsoftheseason.Apartfromafewminutesinthesecondhalf,whentheteamfound its tempo and flooded forward in attack, Bayern were flat. WolfsburgdefendedextraordinarilywellandPepcouldn’tfindawaytobreakthemdown.Hisplayers shot at goal only 11 times. With such a test on the horizon, it did notinspireconfidence.

ForthegameinManchester,MüllerischosenaheadofMandžukićasthecentralstriker.Lahmisalready thechosencentralmidfielder, themanaroundwhomtheteam’s play revolves. Schweinsteiger has materialised into the role of attackingmidfielderandplayswithmuchmorefluiditythanhedidasthepivote.Partlythatis because he’s still not fully recovered from his ankle problems. There’s a slightlimp. That type of constant pain undermines a player, decreases his absoluteconfidence on the ball. If he’s the attackingmidfielder he can afford to bemoreexpansive inhisplay, tobemorecreativeand to takemore risks.He’sgot less tofearshouldhelosetheball.ThepiecesarefallingintoplaceforGuardiola.

TheBayerngoalscomefromtheirthreeforwardplayers.Ribéryrepeatshis jinkinto space and fierce shot which squared the score against Chelsea in the SuperCup.Müller is terrific in losingGaelClichy,who isover-run, inorder tohit thesecond, afterwhichBayern string together a successionofpasses over40 secondswhichleavestheirrivalintatters.AfterKroosrobstheballbackinthecentrecircle,Robbenzig-zagsaroundsomuchthatheleavesMatijaNastasicsea-sickandscoreswitharight-footshot.

Pellegrini’ssidehasjustwhippedManchesterUnited4-1,butforawhileit’slikeBayernaremakingthemdance.Theshieldingplayers,theformidableYayaTouréandFernandinho,aretiedupbyRibéry,Müller,RobbenandSchweinsteigeroverandoveragain.AlongwithKroos,theygivearecitalinhowtocontrolpossession,sodisorientatingthehomeplayersthattheSpanishTVcommentator,GabyRuiz,a

specialist inGerman football, says: ‘For theCity players,whatwe are seeing is alittleembarrassing.Infact,Cityarehaulingupthewhiteflagofsurrender.’

Then,inthe65thminute,Bayernlayonagiganticrondo–asuccessionofpasseswhichastonishestheworldoffootballforitsprecision,speedandduration.Duringnearly three-and-a-half minutes, Bayern put together 94 passes involving all 10outfieldplayers.The teampass theball formore than200 secondsduringwhichtime theEtihad Stadium goes silent and theCity players prettymuch surrender.DuringthissuccessionofpassestheballbouncesofftheEnglishdefenderstwice,itisdeflectedbyClichyonceandJesúsNavaswinsitbackonce,butmanagestokeepit in City’s possession for only seven seconds before Lahm robs it back with abrilliant tackle.All in all it’s so spectacular that that very night variousYouTubeusersputall3minutes27secondsupontheinternet–sometimeswithacceleratedmotionandaccompaniedbythethemetunefromTheBennyHillShow.ThegiantrondosumsupwhatPephasbeenaskinghisplayerstolearnhowtodo.Thestatstellthestory:ToniKroospassestheball18timesinthisoneaction,thenRobben(14),Schweinsteiger(13),Ribéry(12),Rafinha(11)andLahm(10).Thedefendersandcentre-forwardhavebeeninvolvedslightlyless–Boateng(7passes),Alaba(6),Müller(2),Dante(1).Iftheperformancesofthemidfieldershavebeenmemorable(KroosandSchweinsteigerbothboast95%passaccuracy),theexhibitionlaidonbyMüllerleavesPepspeechless.Evenmorethanfulfillingtheessenceofthefalse9,hehasgivena fluid forwarddisplay, flitting inandoutof all theattackingpositionsandpoppingupwhereheisleastexpected.

Müller’sperformanceisthemicrocosmofatriumphwheretheteamhasshownallofitsvariety:mixingthelongandshortgames,movingpossessionathighspeed,pressingveryaggressivelyhighupthepitch,winningtheballhighup,winningthemajorityoftacklestheyattemptandcompletingalmostalltheirpasses.Theyprettymuchkidnaptheball–andalways inorder tododamage toCity. In fact it’sanexhibitionwhichblendsthemidfieldplayPephasbeendemandingwithanattackinthestyleofHeynckes’Bayern.

And the display unleashes a stream of praise. Michael Owen talks about hisamazement at ‘this great exhibition’. Franco Baresi, the former Milan and Italycaptain, talks about ‘a great level of super-positive football with everyoneparticipating,andwhichisgreatfuntowatch’.RioFerdinandsays:‘ItwashardtoimaginetheBayernwhichwonthetrebleimprovingbutPepisachievingjustthat.’

The then Bayern president, Uli Hoeness, glows: ‘For 80 minutes we playedperfectfootball–thebestfootballI’veseeninmylife.’

Duringthepost-matchdinnerwhichBayernalwayslaysonforplayers,coaches,

sponsorsandmedia,whethertheywinorlose,KalleRummeniggesumsitallupinjustafewwords:‘Afiestafortheeyes.’

The applause of the City fans, who months later will see their team crownedPremier League champions, is the greatest compliment for aBayern teamwhich,despitethatpraise,hasshownsomedeficiencies.Theyshootongoal20timesbutcontinuetoshowthisstrangelackofclinicaledge.Theyrelaxagain,andoncemoreshow a lack of defensive organisation when they do so. During those last 10minutesCityarealloverthemanddeservemorethanjustthegoalwhichNegredoscores.

Despite theseevidentdefects,Guardiola is exultant.Hehas101daysunderhisbelt atBayern and theyhavebeen celebratedwith a formidable exhibition.He isremindedthatonthe last twooccasionsBayernhavewontheChampionsLeague(2001and2013)theyhavegonetoEnglandandbeatenPremierLeagueopponents.Perhaps this is a positive omen. Pep doesn’t takemuch notice of the suggestion.‘TheBundesliga – the objective remains the Bundesliga,’ he reiterates. The samephrasehasbeenonhis lips for the lastmonthnow: ‘Wehave toget through theOktoberfestwithouttrippingup.’

It might appear a modest goal but he still thinks it’s tough to get throughSeptemberwithoutJaviMartínez,GötzeandThiago,andwithSchweinsteiger farfromhisbest.

‘We can win games via the defenders and the strikers but if you don’t havemidfieldersthenyoujustcan’tplaywell.Iwantustosurvivetheseweeksandlet’sseewhetherwecangettheinjuredguysback,’heargues.Thenhereturnstooneofhisbasicpreceptsoffootball.‘Ilovemidfielders,I’dlovetohavethousandsoftheminmy team.Thankfully IhaveLahmwho, even thoughhemaybe thebest full-backintheworld,canplayanywhere–hecouldbeourstrikerifweaskedhim.Inmidfieldhe’sjustprodigious.’

From thispoint,Bayernbegin toplay the football theirnew coachwants. ‘Foreverythingtocomeoffforus,theplayersneedtoruntheir legsoffbuttousetheballliketheydidwhentheywerekids,’Pepexplains.Hisplayersarebubblingwithexcitement.

Ribéry: ‘They are little details but really important. Pep has boosted myconfidence.’

Schweinsteiger:‘He’sgotincredibleideas.’Robben:‘Hisarrivalhasbeenrefreshing,agreatstimulus.I’m29butunderPep

I’mlearningtacticalconceptsI’dneverheardofbefore.’Right nowwe can’t be absolutely certain if the Etihad is the turning point of

Bayern’sentireseason,butitisunquestionablethatOctober2,2013willforeverbearedletterdayforGuardiola.WhentheylandbackinMunichthecoachreadsaquotefromLotharMatthäusinanewspaper:‘TiquitacahasreachedBavaria.’

Pepthrowsitinthebin.

34

‘IFANYONEWOULDPREFERMENOTTOMAKETHEDECISIONS,NOPROBLEM.YOUDECIDE

WHO’SGOINGTOPLAY.’

Munich,October18,2013

PEP’STACTICALTALKdelaysthestartoftrainingbyhalfanhour.Heusuallygivesthreepermatch.Thedaybeforehetellshisplayershowtheiropponentswillattack. Then, on the morning of the match, he describes their offensive anddefensivestrategyandthatevening,intheteamhotel,herunsoverhistacticalplanforBayern’sattack.

It’sFridayandhismenhavebeenscatteredbyinternationalcall-upsfor12days.Hewantstorallythetroopsandshakethemoutofrelaxedmode.Playerstendtocomebackfromthesetrainingbreaksindifferentstatesofmind.Thosewhohavewonwiththeirnationalsidewillbefeelingprettyhigh,whilstthoseonthelosingsidewillbesuffering.Inanycase,everyone’shappytobebacktogetheragainandthere is a good deal of joking around. The Säbener Strasse dressing room isjumping.Pep,however,wantsconcentrationandseriousfocus.He’slookingforthesamelevelofintensitytheyproducedinManchesterandLeverkusen.

ThirteendayspreviouslytheyleftLeverkusenwitha1-1draw,thesameresultastheFreiburggameattheendofAugust.Thistimehowever,Bayernhadputonaprodigiousdisplayof football, just like inManchester, andDortmund’sdefeatbyBorussiaMönchengladbachpropelledGuardiola’steamtothetopoftheBundesligatableforthefirsttimeinthechampionship.WeekeightandBayernwererightontrack.

BayernhadtakentheeuphoriafromEurope-widerecognitionforthemanneroftheirvictoryintheEtihadStadiumtoLeverkusen,andcelebratedanotherfestivaloffootball three days later. This time they didn’t win despite the overwhelmingdominationof their third-placed rivals.With theball at their feet for80%of thegame, Bayern completed 90% of their passes accurately and had 27 shots at theredoubtableBerndLeno’sgoal,18ofwhichhitthetarget.ButPep’smenmanaged

toscore justonegoal, foraconversionrateofonly3.7%.Leverkusenproducedaterrificseriesofblocksandsavesandneededonlythreeshotsontargettoscore.

IthasbeentwoweekssincethemidfieldtrioofLahm,KroosandSchweinsteigerwere so impressive inManchester andLeverkusen, andGuardiolawants everyonebackontrack.Theinternationalbreakwasaparenthesiswhichhenowwantsclosedasquicklyaspossible.Histalkgoesonfor35minutes,twiceaslongasusual.Thecoachexplainshowtomorrow’sopponents,Mainz05,play,describeshowhewantstodealwiththemandfinishesupwithsomeinstructionsabouttheimportanceofmaintainingsolidarity.

‘Wemustallshowrespecttoeachother.Iknowthatyouallwanttoplaybutthatjustisn’tpossibleandIhavetochoosetheplayersIthinkarethemostsuitable.Itdoesn’tmean that those of youwhodon’t get a game and endup sitting on thebencharelessable.ItjustmeansIhaven’tpickedyouthistime.Butifyourunofftothepressoryouragentssayingthatyoushouldhaveplayed,youwillbeshowingalackofrespect–notforme,butfortheguywhodidgetagame,yourteam-mate.If anyonewouldprefermenot tomake thedecisions,noproblem.Bemyguest.Yougettogetheranddecidewho’sgoingtoplayandwho’snot.’

Clearlytheaimofthisunexpectedandratherstartlingonslaughtisnottoinciteamanagementtakeoverbuttopuncturesomeoftheratherover-inflatedegoswhichhavereturnedfromthefortnight’sbreak.Pepwantstoreactivatehismen’sall-for-onementality.Hewantstostopthemslippingbackintotheircomfortzone.

Todaythegiantscreenshavecomeoutforthefirsttime.Pepdemandedthemonhisfirstday,backinJune.HewantedtocoveruptrainingpitchNo.1sothatthepressandscoutsfromotherclubscouldnotspyonthem.Weknowonlytoowellthat the coachprefers towork quietly, in privacy, away fromprying eyes. Awarethatanearbyhilloffersabird’s-eyeviewofSäbenerStrasse,heaskedthattheclubgo a step further than just shutting the gates. He wanted one training pitchcompletelyshieldedfrompublicview.Afteranunacceptabledelayoffourmonths(duetotheinitialdifficultyinfindingmaterialswhichwoulddothejobeffectively),today,atlast,athickgreyscreen,blockingoffthewholepitch,isinstalled.ThesunisblazingintheMunichskyandjustashefinisheshistalk,Pepandhisassistantscomment that the screen probably isn’t sufficiently opaque to hide the trainingsession completely. Anyone with their wits about them will still be able to seeeverythingfromthenearbymountain.

‘Mountain?How do you say ‘mountain’ inGerman again? I can’t remember.’Heinz Jünger, Säbener Strasse’s head of security, who is always helpful andinterested,intervenestoremindhimthatbergisthewordPepislookingfor.

BastianSchweinsteigeristhefirstplayeroutontothepitch.Heisstartledbythescreen.Punchingtheairwithbotharmsandshoutingsomethingunintelligible(oratleastsomethingweprefertoignore)aboutthepress,heindicatesadistantpointandsaysthatsomeoneisboundtoturnupthereandgetagoodshot,despitethescreen’s arrival. As it turns out the vice-captain is spot-on. A little later MarkusHörwick, the super-efficient communications director, rushes up to close a tinycrackthroughwhichanewspaperphotographeristryingtograbanexclusive.

Pep is very quiet. He’s thinking about tomorrow’s game against Mainz. Thetrainingsessionsimmediatelypriortoamatcharespecialforhim.Hewillalreadyhavespentthepreviouseveningshutupinhisofficegoingoverhisrival’sstrengthsand weaknesses. He’ll know what he needs to do to win. But he dislikes theinternational breaks because his players come back a little dazed. He wants toreinvigorate the team so that it starts to feel that their triumphant performancesagainstManchesterCityandBayerLeverkusentookplaceonlyacoupleofdaysago,insteadoftheactualtwoweeks.

In the last few days he has asked for up-to-date stats on the team’s finishing,whichcontinuestodisappoint.It’snotsomethingyoucanteachintrainingandinanycase,highgoal-scoringphasesarejustthat:phases.However,greaterfocusandconcentrationwillhelpalot.Heusesthisafternoon’stalktopraisehismenfortheirexcellent defending and points out that the team allowed Leverkusen only threemeagrechances.Hethengoesontoremindthemthatoftheir18shotsontarget,theymanagedonlyonegoal.

‘Focus,gentlemen.Ifweareconcentratingallthetimewewillgetitrightmoreoften.’

ExceptforThiago,who’sinthegymworkingonhisankleandShaqiri,whoisoutforsixmonthswithamuscletear,Guardiolahashiswholeteamback,althoughJaviMartínez has not joined them today. He is working at the foot of the nearbymountain with Thomas Wilhelmi, the fitness coach responsible for playerrecuperation. Javi will work for 80 minutes today, trying to recover his much-depletedfitnesslevelsafteragroinoperation,dentalsurgeryandadifficultstarttotheseason.LorenzoBuenaventurawillleadtherestofthesquadinanintenseanddemandingtrainingsession,carriedoutintheshadowofthegreyscreeninstalledbytheclub.

The evening goes verywell.The ball flies across the grass in a possession drill;nineminutescontinuouslyuntiltheystopfortheobligatorydrinksbreak.Themaincourse will be an 11-against-10 mini-match using the whole pitch and done atmaximum intensity, followed by another game in a smaller part of the pitch.

PhilippLahmis,ofcourse,inmidfield.Lahmhas been the great discovery of European football this autumn,which is

prettyamazingconsideringthatthisisa30-year-oldwhohasspenthiswholecareeras a full-back.The coach’s decision tomove him intomidfield and the captain’sresponseonthepitchhavecreatedanunexpectedrevolution.DespitethefactthathehastoldtheclubmagazinethatLahmwillgobacktobeingafull-backoncetheinjuredplayersare fit,Pep isverypleasedwith theoutcomeso far. ‘Ifweachievesomethingthisseason,itwillbebecauseofthatdecision,’herepeats.

IaskPhilippLahm’sagent,RomanGrill,whathethoughtwhenPeptoldLahmtomoveintothemidfield.‘Tobehonest,Ithought:“Finally!AcoachwhocanseethenaturalplaceforPhilipp.”

‘UpuntilnowGermanfootballhas focusedmoreonthephysicalaspectsratherthanthetechnicalsideofthings.Coachesherehavemissedalotofopportunities.IhadbeenthinkingforagesthatPhilippwouldbeperfectinthatposition.’

Roman Grill played for Bayern II as a pivote and coached at youth level.‘Obviously I have the advantageofhaving coachedPhilippwhenhewas a kid. Iusedhim in themidfield then.His strongestqualities arehis football intelligenceand his ability to read a game tactically. That’s why he should be in the centre.Philippcontributesalottothedefensiveorganisationbutalsotothefluidityofthegame.Asafull-backhehadthisabilitytospothisteam-mateandmakeexactlytherightpasswhich,inturn,helpedthewholegroup.Andinthemidfieldhehasevenmoreopportunitytousethatskill.’

Today, just before the Bundesliga resumes, Guardiola is saying very little butdoingalotofthinking.Hisplayershavespent10daysworkingwiththeirnationalsidesacrosstheglobeanditreallybothershim.He’shadsomegoodnews,however.JoachimLöw’s decision to giveMarioGötze 45minutes forGermanyhas had ahuge impact onBayern’s big signing,who is not yet 100% fit.Guardiola is alsodelightedthatLöwchosetoputLahminthemidfieldduringthelast15minutesoftheSwedengame.Mostcoacheswouldn’thavedone it,butLöwhasopted tobeguidedby theempiricalevidence rather thanhisownego.ApparentlyuntroubledbypeopleintheworldoffootballsuggestingthathisdecisionwasaweakattempttocopyGuardiola,thecoachhasputtheinterestsofhisteamfirst.

SomenicewordshavealsocomePep’swaytodayfromBarcelona,whereGerardPiquéhasbeentalkingtoSoFootmagazine.‘GuardiolaisthebestcoachIhaveeverhad.Theguyusedtowork24hoursaday.’

Pep,ashumanastherestofus,istickledpinkbythecomplimentandmarksthemomentwithoneofhisfavouritesayings:‘Thesearethekindsofthingsthatmake

senseofthisjob.’Bytheafternoon,however,he is totally focusedonMainzandismuchquieter,

muchmore serious thanusual.Until, that is, heopenshismouth– and lets rip.Completelysilentduringthe11-against-10match,hethenstartstoshoutatthetopofhisvoicewhentheymovetoasmallerareaofthepitch.Hecorrectspositionsandshouts for greater intensity as he spurs hismen on.Guardiola really lets go.Hewhipshismenup,demandingmore andmore. It’s as if he’sdealingwithnoviceplayers who have never won anything, who have it all to do. He’s squeezingeverythingoutofthem,extractingtheirjuicelikesomanyoranges.Thisisanothertime when the collective flow underpins every move. Robben flies like a manpossessed,Ribéryrunsnon-stop,Götze’sobviouslylovingeveryminuteandLahmandKroosworktogethereffortlesslywithouthavingtolookateachother.OnthiswarmOctober evening this is a Bayern possessed by some fantastical force until,thatis,Ribéryfallstohisknees,avictimofanaccidentalkickfromKirchhoff.He’llbeouttomorrow.There’snodoubtaboutit.

Despitethis,Guardiolaallowshimselfthefirstsmileoftheeveningashewalkstotheshower.Heismorethanhappytojoinintheteasingabouttiquitaca,thetermusedtodescribeanyplayingstylethatinvolvesmorethanthreeconsecutivepasses.

‘Ihatetiquitaca.Ialwayswill,’hesays.‘Iwantnothingmoretodowithtiquitaca.Tiquitacaisaloadofshit,amade-upterm.Itmeanspassingtheballforthesakeofpassing,withnorealaimandnoaggression–nothing,nothing.Iwillnotallowmybrilliantplayerstofallforallthatrubbish.’

35

‘I’MNOTSAYINGMYWAYISBETTER.IT’SJUSTMYWAY.’

Munich,October20,2013

THEREAREFOURwhitelinespaintedonthegrass.Pep’sfourlines.Theydividetraining pitch No.1 into five lanes, all more or less the same width. The twoexternallanesorcorridorsareformedbycontinuingthewhitelinefromtheexterior(vertical)lineofthepenaltyboxallthewayupfieldtoconnectwiththeexteriorlineof the opposite penalty area. This leaves a big square of space between thehorizontal edges of eachpenaltybox.The two furtherwhite linespaintedon thegrass run frombox to box, thusmaking the five vertical lanes of roughly similarwidth.

Despitethefactthatit’salmosttheendofOctober,wearesweatingunderafierceMediterranean sun.Training finishedanhouragoandanyonewhoplayed in thewinagainstMainz05 stuck to a simplewarm-up, some rondos followedbya fewshortjoint-mobilityexercisestoassistinpost-matchrecuperation.Thislastedallof20minutesforArjenRobben,buthehasalsocompletedhisowndailyworkoutinthegym.Thirtyminutesbeforeandafter training theDutchplayerwarmsupontheexercisebike,doessomestretchingandinjury-preventionwork.Hefinishesoffwith some abdominal and other specific muscle-building exercises, followed bysomeproprioceptiveandisometricmuscle-concentrationwork.Robbenfollowsthisroutine every day without fail. It’s an essential part ofmaintaining the powerfulmusculo-articularphysiquewhichmakeshimsoexplosive.Hetakesthesamehigh-speedapproachtohisfood,too,cuttinguphissteakatmaximumvelocity,justasifheweredribblingpastanopponentandthenchompingitdownwithsimilarhaste.This need for speed is one of his virtues but it’s also a weakness. He has, onoccasion, injured himself by attempting some trickymove at this same explosivespeed,sopreventativeworkisvital.

The rest of yesterday’s team are content just to do the standard post-matchtraining:warmup,rondos,somelooseningoffandthat’situntilTuesday.Theteamis showing signs of tiredness.They’ve had a lot of ‘Englishweeks’ (a game every

threedays)plustheinternationalbreak,whichinevitably leavestheminabitofamess.Players likeLahmare absolutelydone-inby the constantdemandsmadeofthem,althoughthedamageismorementalthanphysical.However,thereisnotimetorest.Inthreedays’timetheyplayViktoriaPlzenintheChampionsLeagueandfaceHerthaintheBundesligathreedaysafterthat.Thesematchesareanimportantpartofmaintainingtheirmomentum.

‘Theyneed a break,’ says Pep. ‘But right now I can’t give themone.After theHerthamatchwe’veawholeweekbeforethenextgameandI’mgoingtogivethemtwoorthreedaysofcompleterest.ImightgiveLahmasmanyasfourdays.Theyneedtogohomeanddisconnect.’

Outon theSäbenerStrassepitch themenwhowerenot in the line-up againstMainz or had just a few minutes that day play a game in two areas. LorenzoBuenaventura has just sent Rafinha off to have his shower. ‘I want to play butLorenzowon’tletme,’smilestheBrazilianashewalksthroughthedressingroom.‘You’remuchtooimportantRafa!’thephysicaltrainertellshim.

Götze,Kirchhoff,Alaba,Pizarro,Starke,VanBuytenandsomeoftheyouth-teamplayers are playing. JaviMartínez has joined them as thewild card. ‘Finally, I’mfeelinggood.I’venomorepaininmygroinanditmakessuchadifference.’

Pepisslowlyputtinghisteambacktogether,althoughitseemsabsurdtosaythatconsideringShaqiri’smuscle tear (sixweeks out), thedeep cutDante took tohisankleagainstMainz(twoweeksout)andRibéry’sankleinjury.AswellasThiago’sproblems,ofcourse.

Thenormalrulesapplytothetrainingmatch.Maximumintensityandaggressionwhilst thepublic,givenaccess today for theSundaysession, lookon in respectfulsilence.Nomatterhowmanytimesyouwitnessit,thesightof1000fans,manyofthemchildren,sittinginabsolutesilenceisactuallyquiteunnervingforthoseofuswith aLatin temperament,more used to shouting and cheering from the stands.However, theGerman supporters are happy towatch quietly for 90minutes, nomatterwhathappensonthepitch.AllyoucanhearareGuardiola’sinstructions,thesoundofHermannGerland’swhistleasoneexerciseendsandthenextstarts,andtheshoutsoftheplayerslookingforagoal.Thesearetheonlysounds.

ThefansgetnoisyonlywhenTigerGerlandblowshiswhistletoindicatetheendofthesession.Thentheairisfilledwithfrenziedshoutsasthesupportersclamourfor their idols’ autographs. This is another house rule: look after the public.Nomatter how tired the players are, they’ll head over to the youngest supporters. Itmakesthefans’dayandit’snosurprisethatquiteafewoftheplayerstakeafull30minutes toget to theshowers.Today itwillbeAlabaandJaviMartínez’s turnto

share a little stardustwith thehundredsof kids there.They thengive everyone athrill by jumping aboard the kitman’s buggy (normally used to transport waterbottlesandisotonicdrinks)andracingitupanddownthepitch.

AtmiddayDantecomesoutofthemedicalroomusingcrutchestokeeponefootoff the ground. Thiago has just completed another recuperation session and isobviously delighted to be working on the eliptical trainer. He also does somerunning on the Alter-G, an anti-gravity treadmill, which will help him regainmobility inhis injuredankle.Thiago loves it. ‘Thismachine isa real luxury.Youstart very gently, it’s like you’re running in lower gravity and the machine iscalibrated so that it counters your bodyweight and you don’t do damage to theankle.’

Thiagoisfuriousaboutthewastedmonthsandallthemissedopportunities.Theteamhasreachedcruisingspeedandheisstillnotyetonboard.‘I’llbebacksoon.Realsoon,’heinsists,althoughweknowthathehasanotherlongmonthaheadofhim.

JaviMartínez,ontheotherhand,doesseelightattheendofhisparticulartunnelandnextSaturdayhe’s likely togethis firstminutes in a leaguegame.Pep’s facelightsupwhenhetalksaboutfirstgettingJavibackandthenGötze,SchweinsteigerandThiago: ‘It has been a very tough start and there have been timeswhen I’vethoughtthatwecouldn’tmoveforwardbecausethewholestructureinthemiddleofthepitchhadbrokendown.’

ToniKroos is theonly truemidfieldplayerwhohasmade it through from thestartoftheyear.Foronereasonoranother,Javi,Thiago,SchweinsteigerandGötze,overandabovethepositionsPephadinmindforeachofthem,havenotbeenabletocontributemuchduringthesethree-and-halfmonthsandhehashadtopatchuphismidfield time and again. It looks like the dark times are at an end – just asproblemsstarttoappearindefence.

With Dante injured and Boateng banned, Bayern will have to play their nextChampionsLeaguegame,againstViktoriaPlzen,withtheveteranVanBuytenandDiegoContentopartneredattheback.Thereisnothingelseforit.Javiwon’tbefitintimeandKirchhoffhasalreadyshowntimeandagainthatdefensivepowerisnothisforte.Contentowillbetheothercentre-half.

It has been such a lovely Sunday thatwe are treated to one of thosemomentswhenGuardiola relaxes enough tobreakwith the etiquetteof aworkingday andopenupabit.ItallstartswithMatthiasSammer,whoturnsupfullofcheekygrinsand starts a bit of leg pulling: ‘Do me a favour. Go on YouTube and type in‘Guardiolagoals’.You’llneverguesswhatcomesback!404notfound!’

The joke’sonPep,buthe roarswith laughter as the sportsdirectorguffawshiswaythrougha10-minuteanecdoteaboutthecoach’swoefulgoal-scoringrecord(inalmost400matcheswithBarça,hemanaged13goals).

‘Zero. A complete blank. Zero. Just look on YouTube and you’ll see it keepsgivingyouanerrormessage.’

Pep respondsbyaddressinghimasTorpedo Sammer, an allusion toderBomberderNation,GerdMüller.ThisleadstogeneralhilarityamongsttheentiretechnicalteamandPeprelaxesandstartstotalk.

‘These guys are beasts. Their acceleration is super human. They all have thisGermantalentforthesensationalcomeback.It’sthespiritofBeckenbauerandtherest.IfeellikeIcanachieveanythingwiththesemen.YoucouldbeinaChampionsLeaguesemi-finaltwogoalsbehindandtheseplayerswoulddoit.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatitis,theycandoit.Theyhavesuchaspecialspirit.’

I ask if hehad to givehismen a bit of a tongue lashing yesterday at half-timewhen Mainz 05 were winning 1-0. After the break, goals from Robben, Müller(two)andMandžukić turned thegamearound, so thatBayerncameawaywithawinwhichputthematthetopoftheleaguebyasinglepoint.ItisassistantcoachDomènecTorrentwhoanswers.

‘Never.Whenthingsaregoingbadlywe’dnevergivethemahardtime.Weonlydo that when things are going well because that’s when it can be useful. In thedifficultmomentsallwedoischangepositionsandadjustdetails.We’dneverstarttelling themoff. If thegame’sgoingbadlyyouonlyearncredibilitybycorrectingwhatthey’redoingratherthanshoutingaboutit.’

Pepispleasedwithyesterday’scomeback.Insteadofshoutingtheodds,allhedidwaschangepartofthetacticalframework,puttingthemina4-2-1-3,withMarioGötze in the No.10 position behind Mandžukić. This simple alteration playedhavoc with super-organised Mainz, coached by the excellent Thomas Tuchel,currentlyoneofthemostpromisingGermancoaches.‘Thetimewereallystruggledwas againstWolfsburg.Theyweredefending like champions and I reallyworriedthatwewouldn’tgetawinthatday,’addsPep.Hethengoesontopointoutthestrengthsandweaknessesofhisteam.‘We’vemanagedtostaunchtheblood-lettingcaused by counter-attacks. German teams are capable of executing a successfulcounter-attack in three seconds flat. We started out badly because Alaba wasn’tmoving forward topresshiswinger.Hewasmovingback tooquicklyandgiftingthemtoomuchspace.Buthemanagedtocorrectitveryquickly.’

In contrast, bringing the ball out, avoiding the dull U-movement of the ballremainsaworkinprogress.‘Wearen’taggressiveinhowwedoit.Iftheopponent

holdsoff,youhavetogoafterhim,tocreatedivisionintheirlines.’TomakeanotabledifferenceinthisPepoptstohaveLahmdropbackinbetween

the two centre-halves in order to gain the powerful, daring playing out from thebackwhichismodelledonthatoftheArgentiniancoachRicardoLaVolpe.

‘Playingoutwiththreemenfromthebackisveryusefulbecauseitconditionstheresponseofyourrival.Even if theypressyou, it’llbewiththecentre-forwardandsecond striker, obliging them tomove into a 4-4-2 shape and you can thereforeover-runthembyachievingsuperiority.’

Pep’svisionofthegamemeansthathelooksforsuperiorityineveryareaofthepitch. But he explains that tactical ideas are tools for the team to use, not thereverse.

‘That’s always the case. The players are the important people and you have toadaptthetacticstothem.LookatmylastyearwithBarça.Wechangedeverythingandstartedusinga3-4-3systemsothatwecouldaccommodateCescFàbregas.Andthatwasonehellofanera,withMessiandCescplayinglikeadoubleNo.10,withall the repertoire of skills they bring, hunting around the opposition penalty boxwhenevertheysmelledblood,’heexplains.

Pep is also delightedwith Arjen Robben’s performance every time he puts theDutchmanonthe leftsideoftheattack. ‘Maybeit’sacoincidencebuteverytimeyouputhimonthelefthescoresagoal.’He’snowthinkingaboutusingRobbeninallareasoftheattack.

Matthias Sammer has to leave, but before he does he grabs my arm and saysquietly: ‘It’snot just thathe’s agenius,whichhe is. It’snot just thathe’s abornwinner,whichheis.It’sthat,aboveallelse,Pepisagreatguywithabigheart.He’salovelyperson.’

WithSammergonethelanguageofchoicenowswitchestoCatalan.There’sPep,Domènec Torrent and Cadiz-born Lorenzo Buenaventura, who understandsCatalanperfectly.ManelEstiarte,CarlesPlanchart andMiquelSoler (NanuSolerholds the record for having played in the most Spanish first division teams:Espanyol, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Zaragoza andMallorca–sevenintotal)areallstillhere,too.

‘Pep, do you rememberwhat I told you about crossing to the front post?’ asksSoler.

‘Yes,ofcourse,we’vebeenworkingon it.Across fromthe sidewhich fizzes intowardsthenearpostislikeahalf-scoredgoal.Ifthestrikerrunningintoitdoesn’tscore then there’s agoodchance thedefenderwillput it inhisownnet. It’swhyyoualwaysneedtotrytoclearafront-postcrossbeforeitreachesthefrontpost.I

saidthattoContentotoday:“Alwaysclearitbeforeitreachesthegoalmouth.”’After the diatribe he gets back to a perennial preoccupation – counter-attacks.

‘Theyareverygood,theseGermanteams.Whentheyleavefreeplayershighupthepitch they’re excellent. I’m going to have to talk with Svetislav Pesic [Bayern’sbasketball coach] so he can explain to me why in basketball it’s not feasible todefendwith4v5andleaveafreeguyupthecourt.Thisfascinatesme.’

Guardiola has kicked off his football boots but stands on the grass chatting asthoughthiswereanextendedpartoftraining.Hegesticulates,jumpsaboutandactsout the moves he refers to. ‘I worry about giving my players too many tacticalconcepts.Itjuststruckmeoneday.Theywerestartingtocollapseundertheweightofitall,soIdecidedtobeabitmoreselectiveaboutwhatIshare.’

Hethencontradictshimselfashe leadsusover tothe fourwhite linesonPitchNo.1andlaunchesintoaformidablemonologue,whichlasts20longminutesandisimpossibletoreproducehere.Hedetailsexactlywhateachofhismendo,goingthroughthesquadplayerbyplayer.Hemovesacrossthepitch,througheachofthedemarcatedlanes,crossingthedividing linesashedelivershismasterclass.He’sawhirlwindofmovementandgesturesandmuchofwhathesaysisjusttoodifficulttofollowwithoutlosingthethreadofhiswholeexplanation.

‘Weworkinthesefivecorridorsandthefundamentalthingisthatthewingerandthe full-back from the same side of the team can’t ever be in the same corridor.Dependingonwhat position the central defender takes up, the full-back and thewingeronhissidemustpositionthemselvesinoneorotheroftheavailablelanes.The ideal is that if thecentre-half ismovingopen, the full-back shouldbe in thenextdoorlane,inside,andthewingerinthewidelane,outside,sothattheballcanbepasseddirectlytohim.Ifyouachieveawidepassdirectlytothewingeryou’vevaultedthewholeoftheenemymidfield,andiftheballislostthenthefull-backisinsideandcanclosedownspaceimmediately.

‘It’s trying to force theopposition’splans to changevia yourownactions.Ourfull-backcomesinside,draggingtheirwingerwithhim.Ifthewingerdoesn’tfollowhim,you’vegotafreeman.Ifit’stheirattackingmidfielderwhogoestocoverhimthenourtrackingmidfielderisn’tmarkednow,andsoitgoes.’

Pepbreaksdownonebyone every step eachplayerneeds to take.Not justhisown,butespeciallythoserequiredinrelationtowhatateam-matedoes.‘Whenweattackviaabuild-upfromtheback,thewingerhangswideandourcentre-forwardmustdothat,too,todraghiscentre-halfwithhim.Thatspacedownthemiddleiscreatedsothatourattackingmidfielderorfull-backcantakeadvantage.Ifourfull-back starts wide, the striker also copies thatmove, inwhich case it’s ourwinger

(operatingdownthechannelorcorridorinsidethefurthestwideone)whoattackstheopened-upspace.’

These lanes are the instrumentswithwhich the orchestrawill co-ordinate theirmovements but the overall aim, as always, is to disorganise their opponents. ‘Wehavetoshakeupourrivals’organisationalstructure.Always.That’sourobjective.’

Inordertodothis,Pepwantstoestablishsuperiorityinthecentralarea.‘Iwantalot of players inside, in fact that’s wheremost of them should be.Most coacheswanttheopposite.Theywantmostoftheirmenontheoutside.I’mnotsayingmywayisbetter.It’sjustmyway.’

Havingpresentedhisimpassionedmasterclass,Pepisnowstarving.‘Ok,afterallthat talkingI’mgoingtogoandgetmyfamilyandfindusanice terrace tohavelunch.’

The coach’s family have adapted brilliantly to Munich and the three kids arehappy. If they struggled a bit with English in New York, their current fluencymeanstheyarenowalltopoftheirrespectiveclasses.

AsheleavesthesportsgroundonhiswaytoWettersteinplatzmetrostop,MiquelSolerwonders:‘WillPepbeabletokeepthisupformorethanthreeyears?Ireallydoubt it.Theguyusesup somuch energy.He lives everything at1000miles anhour. I think the same thing will happen here as happened in Barça. He’ll beexhaustedafterthreeorfouryearsandhe’llhavetotakeanotherbreak.Thenhe’llbeofftoEnglandandmoreofthesame.Hejustcan’tkeepthismomentumup.’

36

‘DIEGO!ILOVEYOU!’

Munich,October24,2013

‘IT’SABOUTCOMPETINGwellevenwhenyou’renotingreatshape,’LorenzoBuenaventuratellsus.

Bayernaren’t ingreat shapeasweapproach theendofOctober.Thereare tworeasonsforthis:injuriesandnewconcepts.Buttheyarewinningmatches.

Sometimes the final score speaks of complete domination, such as the 5-0winagainstViktoriaPlzenintheChampionsLeague,orthe3-0winagainstAugsburgin the Bundesliga. At other times (3-2 at Hertha and a 2-1 win away toHoffenheim) Bayern struggle through the first half as if trying to digest a heavymeal.Pepaccepts there is aproblem. ‘We tend toplaywell in the secondhalfofmatchesintheAllianzArenabutthefirsthalfisalwaysmuchtougher.’

Hisplayersareassimilatingthenewconceptswellbutputtingthemintopracticeisanothermatterentirely,andthehighrateofinjuriesisslowingdownthisprocesseven further. If it isnotRibéry it’sDante;whenShaqiri is fit, suddenlyKroosorRobben develop a problem. The team is in constant flux and it’s impossible toachieveanykindofstability.

PepmightgettwovitalplayerslikeGötzeandJaviMartínezbackinthefold,buthethenhastopartwithacrucialteammemberlikeBastianSchweinsteiger,whoseperformancehasdippedbecauseof theunbearablepain inhisankle.Heneedsanoperation.

Guardiolacontinuestofindimaginativesolutions.Theyplay intheChampionsLeague with Diego Contento in central defence. It’s an experiment – againstViktoriaPlzentheyusedfourfull-backs:Rafinha,Contento,AlabaandLahm.

Thecoachisnotcomplaining.Heknowsthatcopingwithunforeseeneventsandproblematicsituationsisallpartofthejob.He’spleasedwithhisplayersalthoughnotentirelysatisfied.

‘Myobjectiveistogetthebestoutofthesemen.Idon’tlikethewayweplayinthe firsthalf. It’s theonly thing that reallyworriesme. Iwantpeople enjoying itfromthefirstminute,notthe46th.Wehavetoplaybetter.Much,muchbetter.’

Improving their gamewill remain an obsession for the rest of the season. Theleague table paints a more positive picture than Pep. Bayern are top, one pointaheadofBorussiaDortmund,andhaveonlyonepointlessthanthistimelastyear,when Heynckes’ men were basking in the praise being heaped upon them, butManel Estiarte dismisses any attempt to draw comparisons. ‘It’s not about that.There’snopointinmakingcomparisons.Wejusthavetogetonwiththejob.’

Ifanyoneeverfeelstemptedtorelaxalittle,evenforasecond,Estiarteisalwaystheretoremindhimthattherearenoguaranteesandthatsuccessonlycomesfromhardwork,day indayout.Manel’s is thevoiceofmoderation.He’stheonewhogivesthemaboostinthedifficulttimesandwhopiercesthemomentsofeuphoriawith reminders that they have everything still to fight for. If this team doesn’ttriumphintheend,itcertainlywon’tbeforlackofeffort.EvenGennaroGattuso,theformerACMilanplayerwhowasaformidablemidfielder inhisday, isprettytaken aback bywhat he sees at Säbener Strasse: ‘Do they always train this hard?They’relikemachines.’

Pepdoesn’tletup,evenintrainingsessions.ThemorningafterthrashingViktoriaPlzen5-0,he’soutonthegrassgoingthroughhisroutineofgestures,instructionsandorders,alldeliveredatmaximumvolume.

Everyoneknowswhattoexpectatwork.Thedayimmediatelyafteramatchthestartingplayersdosomerondos(inwhichNeuerandMüllercountthetouchesandcompete mercilessly) followed by joint mobility and recuperation exercises.Meanwhile,anyonewhowasasubstituteisnosetothegrindstone,toilingawayasifeverychance in thebox, every cross, every shotmightdeterminehis place in thefirstteam.Infact,that’sexactlywhat’shappening.InPep’seyesit’snotstarqualityor status thatgetsyouagame.Everymanhas toearnhis spotby sweating itoutevery day on the pitch. Even in a training session for second-choice players, he’shere,inthemiddleoftheaction,shouting,yelling,pushingthemon.

BytheendofOctobertheteamhasalreadycompleted107trainingsessionsandthere has been a resulting shift in terms of the players’ grasp of Pep’s concepts.They’re starting to understand his football language, although they are still notconsistentlyrepeatingthelevelofperformancetheyshowedinManchester.

FitnesscoachLorenzoBuenaventuraconfirmsthattheyareassimilatingthenewconceptswell. ‘Pepdealswithnewconceptsbyintroducingthemfromthewarm-up,thesimplestpassingexercisesonwards.Todayhe’llshareafewdetailsandthengivethemsomemoretomorrow.Thedayafterthathe’lltalkabouthowtochoosewhatanglethebodyisattoreceiveapass,then,nexttime,howtotaketheballonthemove,followedbyhowtopractisepassingoffyourweakerfoot.Littlebylittle

theplayersstarttounderstandandassimilateandverysoonit’scomingeasilyandthey’reputtingitalltogetheratspeed.’

They reached peak performance inManchester and have suffered a dip in thesubsequentweeks.Guardiola agreeswithBuenaventurabut resists any attempt todrawdefinitiveconclusions.‘We’reonlyattheendofOctober.There’salongwaytogoyet!’

Wewatch today’s training session.Buenaventura talksus through it. ‘Weneverstartoffwiththesamewarm-up.WhatdoImeanbynever?Imeanthatwehavethenextexerciseplannedandthatdictatesthekindofwarm-upwedo.Normallywestartwithsomejointmobilityexercises, thensomeinjurypreventionandafterthat,howtofindspace.Thatusually lastsbetweensixand10minutesdependingonthenextexercise.Atothertimesweprefertostartoffwithjointmobilityworkandagameof some sort.Or the focusmightbeon injuryprevention,whichwework on in the gym twice a week, usually aftermatches.We always do it post-match–amixofmobility,stretching,balanceandstrength.Thenwhenit’sone-on-one,eachplayerworksonmobility,butinrelationtowhatthelasttypeof injuryproblemhe’shad,orwhetherheislackingbalanceorstrengthorwhatever.’

Afterthattheydotherondos,anabsoluteimperativeforGuardiola.Therewon’tbe a single session this year when they miss them out. ‘Once the warm-up isfinished the rondos are next.Apart fromonce perweek– either the day before agame or the morning training session before a game – when we are a bit lessdemanding.Therondosnormallyputemphasisononeaspectoranother:onedayonwhoshouldplayinthemiddleofthecircle,thenonhowtowintheballback,anotheronhowtosupportthemanwiththeball,oronhowtofindthethird-manmovement.’

Somedayswemakeitmorefunandwe’llhaveseven-against-twooreight-against-two,butusuallywedosmallrondosoffour-against-oneor,mostoften,five-against-twoor six-against-two.’Therondo is the cornerstoneofPep’s footballphilosophyandthat’swhyhededicates20minutesadaytoit.

Next there is circuit work. Today this is high intensity strength-resistanceconditioning. Buenaventura has designed an attacking exercise, emphasisingstrength,whichmeetsPep’sdemands.‘Hehasaskedmetoensurethatthedrillendsupwiththewidemancentringforashotandthattherearemovementswithinthedrill which attack space and divide the opposition defence lines. He gives megeneral instructions and then I organise all the drillmovements accordingly. I’mlooking for strength conditioning in tackling and running, reaction strength[jumping] and elasticity of strength [repeated jumps]. All of it is designed to

emphasise how the coach wants the team to attack in terms of movements.Normally it’s two or three drills with the ball and a few others just focusing onstrengthalone.

‘I’llmake themdo strength-strength-strength-anticipation; or strength-strength-strength-pass; strength-strength-strength-one-two and shot. Then I make theirreturn to set up for the next drill a part of the process. I’ll ask them to showintensity then too, not to relax, and they get very short amounts of time torecuperate.Theaimisthattheycompletethreeinarow–doingoneevery30-40seconds.That’showyouhit the levelofworkrequired.Maximumintensityatalltimes. Today every player has completed a circuit which has ended with themshooting at goal a total of 18 times. It’s always a balance ofphysical/tactical/technical.’

The session has two further goals. The first is positional play, anotherfundamental inPep’smanual.Thereare two teamswithina rectangleof20x12metres–eachteamhassevenmen,buttherearefourplayerswhoactaswildcards(any of them can link with the team which has the ball and occasionally he’llaugmentthistofiveofthem).Theideaisthatateamtriestopasstheballasoftenaspossiblewithoutbeinginterceptedbytheotherside.Whoeverhastheballtriestoopenupthepitch,evengiventherestrictivedimensions.Theotherteampressesatmaximumintensityand intelligence.Eachplayerneeds toknowhowto show fortheball,whatfirsttouchtogive,wheretomoveto,howbesttocirculateitrapidly–althoughusuallywithonetouch.

It’sadrillwhichdemandstotalconcentration,technicalexcellence,visioninthepass and domination of the entire repertoire of football skills in every singlemovement.SometimesPepwillaskplayerslikeThiago,Kroos,SchweinsteigerandLahm touse two touches,while everyone else is obliged toplay one-touch.Thatmakestheexercisestillmorecomplex.TodayPephasorderedthreeofthesedrills–five minutes each with two minutes of recuperation between them. While theexercise is goingon there isnot a second’s relaxation andPep constantly correctsthemastheydoit.Withoutquestionwearewatchingthemostvaluableofallthedrills, onewhich requires prodigious choreography given thediminished space inwhichthey’reworking.

Therearenosmiles,jokes,relaxation,ribbing–insteadaconstantandobsessivesearch for the rightmovement, the correct space, individual and team.And thentherearewhatPepchristensthetac-tacmoments.It’sthesoundtowhichSäbenerStrasse constantly echoes when the ball moves not only cleanly but at lightningspeed, back and forwards in the space of split seconds between two phenomenal

players like Lahm and Thiago, or Kroos and Thiago. Two passes within splitsecondsofeachother,butagainandagainandagain.

It’snowtimeforthelastactivityofthesession.Theforwardsarereleasedand,asalways, they spend 20 minutes bombarding Neuer and Starke’s goal. Müller,Mandžukić and Kroos always take part, Pizarro also often joins in but today,Robben,whoalmostneverpracticesshotsongoal,hasalsojoinedthegroup.

Thecoachhasalsoplannedanactivityforthedefenders.It’sallaboutcontrollingcounter-attacks.Rafinha,VanBuyten,ContentoandAlabalineup.JaviMartínez,Højbjergandfouryouth-teamplayersattack,puttingpassesbetweenthecentre-halfandhisfull-back,lookingforthewingertobeabletoreachthepassandcross.Theidea is to force the central defender to cover the front post of the goal. For 30minutesPep shouts instructionsuntil it’sobvious thedefendershavewon.Pep isecstaticwithDiegoContento.‘BravoDiego!Iloveyou!’hesaysinEnglishandtrotsofftopractisecornerswithhisforwards.Kroos,RibéryandRobbenwillbehereforanother20minutes,practisingthrow-inswhileaddinginsomeofthedetailswhichPephasaskedfor. ‘Ifyoudothesethingsbeforetakingthethrow,you’llbegintomake the opposingdefencedrop their guard and their concentration.Even if it’sonly fora tenthofa second itcanmakethedifferencebetweenthemcoveringorlosingtheguytheyaresupposedtobemarking.’

37

‘PUTTHEGOODPLAYERSINTHEMIDFIELD.THAT’SMYIDEAANDI’MGOINGTOSTICK

WITHIT.’

Dortmund,November23,2013

GÖTZEANDTHIAGOarewarmingupinahallwayinWestfalenStadion(akaSignalIdunaPark).Thesecondhalfofadecisiveleaguegamehasjuststartedandthescoreisnil-nil.It’sfreezingoutsideandit’saverydifferentexperiencefromthatevening last summer when Borussia won theGerman Super Cup in suffocating,Mediterraneantemperatures.GuardiolainitiallyhopednottohavetosubjectMarioGötze to the fury of Signal Iduna Park’s ‘Sudkürve’, the single most frenziedfootballstandintheworld,where25,000chantingfansleapaboutforthefull90minutes.Now that he’s aBayernplayer,Götze is notwell received at his formerclub,butGuardiolaneedshimoutthere.It’stimetogoontheattack.

Dortmund have come to the game four points behind (they lost last week inWolfsburg)andwithalonginjurylistwhichhasleftthemwiththefollowingline-up: Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Friedrich, Sokratis, Durm; Bender, Sahin;Blaszczykowski,Mkhitaryan,Reus;Lewandowski.

Bayern also have a few problems and several players missing, the most crucialbeingRibéry.Mandžukićalsohasproblems.Hetwistedhisankleduringlastnight’sfinal training exercise and the club doctor has had to do give him a pain-killinginjection.However,hewon’t lastmore than50minutes.Guardiola’s strategy forthefirsthalfistotakecontrolbywearingDortmunddown.Hisline-upis:Neuer;Rafinha,Boateng,Dante,Alaba;Lahm,Kroos,JaviMartínez;Müller,Mandžukić,Robben.

ThisisthefirsttimeGuardiolahasusedJaviMartínezasanattackingmidfielder.He puts him high up the pitch in an attempt to short-circuit Nuri Sahin, theinstigatorofmostofBorussia’scounter-attacks.Mostofthefirsthalfhasonlytwofacets.Dortmund try to forceBayern toplayout fromthebackviaonlyRafinhaand Alaba, the outside corridors of Pep’s divided pitch, and Bayern try to use

Martínez to preventDortmund springing counter-attacks viaNuri Sahin. ‘If yougivehimspacetorun,you’redead,’Peptoldhimyesterday.

Theteamsareprettyevenlymatchedinthefirsthalf,althoughthehomesideisslightlymoredangerousandLewandowskihastwogoodshotsontarget,matchedbytwofromMandžukić.

Bayerngetstagnated,evenwide.TheyareobligedtousethewidthbecauseofthenetworkofpressingcoverageDortmundmountacrosstheentiremidfield.Ontheother hand, Dortmund can’t produce their usual greased-lightning fluidity incounter-attacks.It’sastalemate.

PepstillhasathorninhissidefromtheSuperCupdefeat.Healsohasadream.Adreamheprefersnottoshare,evenwithhisfriendsandallies.ButXavierSalaiMartín, a close and trusted friend, is willing to tell me: ‘Pep wants to prove tohimself that he is capable of playing like Barça, without the players that he hadthere. I’m not talking in terms of playing style. It’s more about his ability todominatematches, tobe the superior team, theonewith total authorityover thegame.Hewantstoshowthathecanbuildanother,equallydominantteam.’

He’salreadyachievedthisinthebiggames.InManchester,againstCity,Bayernwerebyfarthedominantside.Andit’sjustabouttohappenagain.InDortmund.Bayernareinastrongpositionathalf-time.Withthescore0-0,Pep’steamcouldemerge from this battleground with their four-point lead intact, but the coachwantsmore.HetellsGötzeandThiagotostartwarmingup.

Lorenzo Buenaventura supervises the two players plus Van Buyten as they gothroughtheirwarm-upexercisesinalongcorridorinsidethestadium.VanBuytenhastostoopasheworksbecausetheceilingissolow.Heisalmosttwometrestall.Thecoachwantsthetwolittleguysonthepitcheventhoughtheyarenotyetfullyfit.Thiagohasn’tplayedasingleminutesincehewasinjuredattheendofAugust,butPepknowshecanbuyhisteamthetimetheyneedtodeactivateDortmundandpropelBayernforward.Thelittleguysaregoingtowinthematchforhim.

After56minutesGötze comeson forMandžukić andSignal IdunaParkgreetstheirformerplayerwithjeersandboos.PepisusingGötzeasafalseNo.9forthefirst time, instead of an attacking midfielder orNo.10. It’s as if he reserves thismove for the big games, like he did in 2009 with Messi against Real Madrid.Guardiola makes his move at a crucial moment. He also starts to make radicalchanges to Bayern’s midfield. Up until now Pep has always ensured that themidfield is crowdedwithhismen, butduring the first half he’s beenparticularlycautious and conservative. Rafinha and Alaba have stayed wide, protecting theirwings,insteadofedginginsidetohelpLahmatpivote.GiventhatJaviMartínezis

pitted right up against Sahin, Lahm has really only two passing options whenbringing the ball out: to the two full-backs, wide, or to Kroos. It is a totalcontradiction of Pep’s rule in the previousmonths that Lahm,when playing outfromtheback,musthavenumerouspassingoptionsatalltimes.

Guardiolareflectsonhisstrategyathalf-timeanddecidestomakesomechanges.Theconservativeapproachisnotsuitinghismen.Hecomesupwiththefollowingconclusions:Götze andThiago startwarming up; JaviMartínezmoves to pivote,Lahmplaysasanattackingmidfielder.Thefull-backsbothnowhavepermissiontocomeoffthetouchlineandhelpinthemiddleofmidfield.

DomènecTorrentturnstousandwinks: ‘Wecouldhavesettledfor0-0,butathalf-timePep told them to goout andwin.That’swhenhebroughtout thebigguns.’

With Götze playing in the midst of all the fury coming from the Dortmundstands,Bayernmakeamajorshiftandmovetoasix-manmidfield:Rafinha,Alaba,Martínezatpivote,LahmandKroos,andGötzeatfalse9.Suddenlythegamehaschangedcolour.Allwe’reseeingisred.

Bayernaresuddenlyfreeoftheasphyxiationinmidfield,thepassinggamecranksupandthewidemen,MüllerandRobben,gettheballoverandoveragain,whilstGötze is making the game a living nightmare for Dortmund’s centre-halves,Sokratis and Friedrich, who can’t decide whether to go after him or stay in thedefensivezone.ThesearethesamehorrorsRealMadrid’sMetzelderandCannavaroenduredafewyearsbackwhenMessiunveiledhisnewrole.

Guardiola smells blood and decides to up the ante.HewantsThiago to shakethingsupabit.Pepistense,butit’sthekindoftensionheexperiencesonthebigoccasions.He talks at ahundredmiles anhour, givingnon-stop instructions.Hedoesn’twantThiagotakinganyrisksandtellshim:‘Thiago,Thiago,forGod’ssake,don’t losetheball.Don’t lose it!Control,control, lotsofcontrol.Don’ttakeanyrisks.Notevenoneriskypass.Control,control.Lookforyourteam-mateandmakethe easy pass. It doesn’tmatter if you don’t getmany touches, we just need thegametokeepflowingbut,aboveall,don’tloseit.ForGod’ssakedon’ttakeanyrisksThiago!’

Thiago is about to go on and, standing here in front of the bench, he appearsoblivious to theuproar in the stadium.Heemits a senseofdetachedcalmwhichamazes his coach and says with a smile: ‘Don’t worry, míster, don’t worry. Youdon’tneedtoworryaboutme.IknowwhatI’mdoing.’Andherunsouttoplay.

IthasbeenexactlythreemonthssinceheinjuredhimselfagainstNurembergandhehasn’tplayedaminutesinceAugust24.Butitdoesn’tmatter.Herunsontothe

pitch and immediately takes over. Javi Martínez moves to centre-half, Lahm topivote andThiago takes up the attacking, creative responsibility in front of him.BayernreturntothesameformtheyachievedinManchesteramonthbefore.Justtwo minutes after Thiago has come on, this domination results in a goal fromGötze.Forthefirsttimesince2009(underVanGaal),Bayernarewinningawayattheirbiggestrivals.

RarelyhasPepmanagedanongoingmatchwithquitethelevelofprescienceheshowsnow.HenoticesthatKlopphaschangedhistacticsinthehopeofgettingtheequaliser.MarcoReusalmostdoesit,andforcesNeuerintoatremendous,lungingsave.Guardiolarespondsbyreorganisinghismenforthefourthtime.VanBuytencomeson forRafinha, JaviMartínez goes back topivote andLahm is nowright-back. Bayern are going all-out to destroyDortmund, but this time they’re usingtheir rival’s weapon of choice: the counter-attack. Thiago spots Robben in spaceandbreaksalltheDortmunddefensivelineswithafabulousdiagonalpass.Robbentucksitaway.Twominuteslater,Martínezsurgesforwarddownthemiddle,feedsRobben,LahmoverlapsandhispassletsMüllermakeit3-0.

It’s a glorious victory for Bayern, whose victory leavesDortmund seven pointsbehind,agapwhichwillbeimpossibletoclose.Butwhattheytakeawayfromthegame above all else is renewed confidence in their own ability. The players nowbelieve that theirperformance inManchesterwasnoone-off,but the resultof allthe organisationalwork they’ve been doing.And the coach’s idea to put his bestmeninthemidfieldhasbeenvindicated.It’sawinningformula.

ThisisaBayerninconstantflux,capableofadaptingandchangingthroughoutamatch. The two outstanding examples of this are Lahm and Javi Martínez. Thecaptain has begun at pivote,moved to attackingmidfield and ended up at right-back. Within 90 minutes, the Spaniard has been in attacking midfield, pivote,centre-halfandthenbackagaintooffensivemidfield.

Thenext day, back inMunich, Pep is still talking aboutDortmund’s counter-attacking: ‘They’re like a steamroller, unstoppable. There are other teams whocounter-attackbrilliantly,likeMadridforexample,butDortmundareunique.I’veneverseenanythinglikeit.Theyarecompletelyfocusedfor90minutes,waitingforyoutomessupapasssothattheycansettheirsprintersonyou.Imusttakesometime to really study this and see if there’s anyway to stop them.They’re just sogood.’

Pephasreceivedlotsofpraiseforthewayhealteredthecourseofthematchfromthebenchbychangingplayersandpositions.‘Praisedoesn’tmatter.Theimportantpeoplearetheplayers.Thesearesuper-talentedguyswhoareupforanything.They

areallworkingtoimproveandmakeprogress.’Their triumph in Dortmund has strengthened his convictions. ‘Put the good

playersinthemidfield.That’smyideaandI’mgoingtostickwithit.Getthegoodplayersinside,holdontotheballandbeaggressive.It’svitalnottokeeprethinkingit.Thisisdefinitelythelinetofollow.’

ThedreamXavierSala iMartíndescribed toushasbeenrealisedonceagain inDortmund.Pep’sBayernhaveshownsuperiorityanddominationonthepitch,justastheydidinManchesterandLeverkusen.ThesearePep’smostprivateaspirations.Guardiolawantstobuildanotherteamwhosedominationofthegamewillactasabulwarkagainstthevagariesoffate.Buthewantstodoitwithadifferentkindofplayer. He’s clear that he doesn’t want Bayern’s game to mimic the way Barçaplayedwhilehewasincharge.However,hedoeswantBayerntodominatewiththesameauthority.‘GötzeandThiago,’hesays.‘That’showwehavetoplay.Notlikein the first half. We’ll certainly score if we bombard the box, but we won’t bedominating thegame.Thewaywedominate isbyputting thebestplayers insideandleavingthetwowingersreallywideonthetouchlines.Inthemiddlewe’llhaveThiago,Toni,Lahm,Götze,Alaba…andifwelose,itwon’tmatter.I’llgohomehappyjustthesameknowingthatIdidwhatIbelieveisright.’

38

‘THEWHOLECLUBHASTOLDMETHATFRANCKWANTSTOTALKTOME.IWANTTO

TALKTOHIM,TOO.’

Munich,December2,2013

PHILIPP LAHM SUFFERED his first ever muscle injury on November 27 inMoscow with the temperature at five degrees below zero on a slippery, snow-covered pitch. The 12-hour journey had been a nightmare. Flight delays plus amonumentalMoscowtrafficjamhadcombinedtomakeBayernsolatearrivingattheir hotel that they had not been able to train the day before the ChampionsLeaguematch against CSKA. Instead, Lorenzo Buenaventura had to improvise astretchingandjointmobilitysessiononthecarpetinoneofthehotel’slounges.

Pep’s team put on an efficient, workmanlike performance althoughunderstandably,giventheconditions,therewasnotraceofstarqualityondisplay.Theresulting3-1victory,theirfifthwininfivegames,wasarecordand,addedtofivewinsunderHeynckes,meantthatBayernhadwon10consecutiveChampionsLeaguematches.

However,thematchtookitstollonLahm,leavinghimwiththefirstnon-impactmuscleinjuryofhiscareer–attheageof30.Itwasn’taparticularlyseriousinjuryand cost him only a couple of weeks, but it was a new and uncomfortableexperienceforthecaptain,whotookawhiletoacceptit.AlthoughLahmwasgiventhe all-clear from themedics relatively quickly, the player himselfwouldnot feelfullyfituntilwellintoDecember.ItwasonemoreproblemforGuardiola,whohadnotyetbeenable touseallhis first-choicemidfielders in thesameteam.Nowhewaslosinghiskeyman,theonewhodrawsinandthendividestheopposition,thecornerstonearoundwhichhehadbuilthisteam.IfPephadtochooseadreamteamfromalltheplayershehadmanagedatBarcelonaandBayernthen,withoutdoubt,PhilippLahmwouldbeonthatlist.‘IfwewinanythingthisseasonitwillbecauseofwhatwedidwithLahm.Puttinghiminthemidfieldmeantthatallthepiecesfellintoplace.’

They leftMoscow in theearlyhoursof themorningand,despitebeinggivenarestdayonThursday,lookedexhaustedatFriday’strainingsession.Pepbrokewithtraditionandtoldthemtotakeiteasy.‘I’vedonehundredsofjourneysinmylife,all over the world, but that was the toughest yet. My worst journey ever,’ saidThiago.

CarlesPlanchart,whoisinchargeoftheteam’sanalysts,agreed:‘I’mcompletelydestroyed.Mybody,everything–imaginehowtheplayersarefeeling.’

Despitetheirexhaustion,asmallgroupofplayerstoppedthetrainingsessionoffwithaseriesof60-metresprints.Guardiolalaughed.‘Lookatthem.Whatabunch!Igivethemaneasytimebecausethey’reontheirkneesandthentheydecidetogoforarun.Andthey’vedraggedThiagointoit.Thiago!’

ManelEstiartewasalsoamused.‘Leavethemtoit.Theyneedtosorttheirheadsout.Theyneeditmentallyandanythingthat’sgoodforyoumentallymustbegoodforyourlegs.’

Later, Thiago explained why it had been important for him to join his team-mates in their impromptu running session. ‘I came here to become German, totoughenupandbecomemoreresilient.’

Thecoachispleasedwithhissigning.‘Thiagohasahugeheart.Hemaynotyetbe fully fit but he just gobbles up the pitch. Javi, too.He’s not in perfect shapebecausehecouldn’tdoaproperpre-season,buthe’smanagingeverythingIaskhimtodo.’

The tirednesswas still evident the followingdaywhenBayernplayedEintrachtBraunschweig,winning2-0.Theplayerswereclearlyenjoyingbeingbackwiththeirfamilies after a few days away and that evening the Allianz Arena’s players’restaurantlookedmorelikeacrèche,giventhenumberofkidswhohadcomealongto spend timewith their dads. EvenGuardiola’s parents had decided to join thefamily inMunich for a fewdays.Their son atewith thembut continued to talkfootball,thistimefocusingongoalsconceded.‘Yousee,we’veplayed14gamesandwe’veonlyconcededsevengoals.It’sbrilliant.Justseven.Thatmakesonegoaleverytwogames.That’swhatIlikebestaboutwhatwe’redoing.’

By10o’clockonSundaymorninghewasalreadyplanningtheDFB-PokalmatchagainstAugsburgthefollowingWednesday.‘It’sabsolutelyvital.Ifwegetthroughthis round andbeatBremenonSaturday in the league, byChristmaswe’ll be inmuch better shape than I could have hoped for. We’ll still be alive in all threecompetitions. I justwant to get to the start of thewinterbreak still sevenpointsahead.DortmundandLeverkusenareplayingonSaturday,solet’shopeLeverkusenwin.Hoeness reckonsadrawwouldbebetterbut, formymoney,Dortmundare

themoredangerousofthetwo.’Bayernhavemanagedtoretaintheleaguetitleonlyonceinthelast10years, in

season2005-06.Pepwants tochange thisand isdeterminedtobring successandconsistencytotheclub.Forthefirsttimethisseasonhevoicedhisintentions–upuntilnowithasbeenhisassistantswhohavetalkedaboutthis.‘Theobjectivethisyear is towin theBundesliga. It’s amuch tougher leaguehere thanpeople think.Forexample,yesterdayBraunschweigdidn’tevenopenupwhentheywerelosing2-0.Their striker spentmore timemarkingour attackingmidfielder than trying toscore.Heneverstoppedrunning.Oftenit’seasieragainstthebigsidesbecausetheydon’t park the bus, or at least do so less, and they play with pride. They try todemonstrate theirpower andpotential.The centre-forward for abig clubdoesn’ttrytokillthegamelikethis.’

This took the conversation on toRealMadrid: ‘Madrid are playing brilliantly.They have three terrific players at the front andXabi Alonso is there to supportthem. But if you play them you know thatCristianoRonaldowon’t go deep todefend and that gives you options.He’ll try to stay high up and be ready to getbehindyourbackwhentheballisplayedthrough.’

InevitablywegotontotheChampionsLeague:‘Forgetaboutit,forgetaboutit.We need to think about the Bundesliga. Nobody’s won the Champions Leaguetwiceinarow.’Hezippeduphisanorakandsaid:‘I’mgoingdowntothepitch.Iwanttovisualisetomorrow’sexercises.’

Since it was a rest day, only the injured players were working. LorenzoBuenaventura andDomènecTorrentwere on pitchNo.1, putting out the conesandthemarkingsforthenextday’stacticalexercises.Everyoneknowsitinsideout,havingdoneitsomanytimesalready,butGuardiolahadoneofhisbrainwaves,oneofhisspecialintuitions.‘IhadanidealastnightandIwanttogodowntothepitchtovisualisetheexercise.Iwanttoseeitclearly inmyheadandworkoutthebestwaytodoitonTuesday.IfitgoeswellImaygowiththreeatthebackandoneofthefull-backshighup–butIneedtoseeifwecandoitwellfirst.’

Andsohededicatedanhourofhisdayofftorunningupanddownthepitch,theone with the four painted lines, working out if he could convey his ideas wellenoughso thathismenwouldunderstandhowtoplay threeat thebackandstillbringtheballouteffectively,thewayheimagined.AsheworkedwithTorrentandBuenaventura, two of Pep’s basic characteristics were in evidence: intuition andhardwork.Themost imaginative tactical ideascannotbe implementedeffectivelyunlessyoupractisethemrepeatedlyonthepitch.

OnDecember1,Pepwasinthesecondphaseofafive-stageprocess.Stageone–

theidea–hadcometohimthedaybeforeandhewasnowatstagetwo–doublechecking how to implement it. The following day he would practise it with theplayers andbyWednesdaymorningwouldhavedecidedwhether touse it in thegame,dependingonwhathadhappenedintraining.Allbeingwellwewouldthenseetheculminationoftheprocess–stagefive–onthepitchinAugsburg.

‘Augsburgisafinal,’hesaid.It’s midday on December 2, a bright, freezing Munich Monday and Pep is

showingallthesignsofahigh-pressureweek.‘Augsburgisafinal,’herepeats.‘We’llplaywithoutasafetynet,full-onforthe90

minutes. But if we win we’ll be in the quarter-finals and then those guys [theplayers] will see that the final is within their grasp, only twomatches away andthat’swhenthey’llbeunstoppable.’

Ribéryhastrainedasifhislifedependedonit–90minutesundertheguidanceof Thomas Wilhelmi, the recuperation coach who has programmed a session ofshort, explosive exercises to be repeated over and over. His face is showing hisexhaustion after such a heavy session but he’s delightedwith his fitness levels. ‘IwantawordwithPep,’RibérytellsEstiarte. ‘AndIthinkthathewantstotalktome,too.’

Ribéryisstilloutofbreathandhechokesoutthewordsashepuffsandpants.Hehashardly taken abreak in thewhole90minutes– sprints followedby jumpingexercises, quick turns and drills which push him up against a marker who willliberallyuseelbowsintheFrenchman’sribstoseewhetherhe’sfullyfitornot.

‘I’mfine,Manel,I’mfine.Icanplay.ImusttalktoPepandIknowhewantstotalktome,’hesaysagain.‘Don’tworryFranck,’Estiarteresponds,‘I’lltellPepandhe’llhaveawordwhenhegetsbackfromtheothertrainingpitch.’

BayernhadbeatenDortmundwithoutRibéry,somethingwhichwouldhavebeenconsideredMissionImpossibleat the startof the season.Thenthey’dhadagoodwininMoscow.RobbenandGötzearebothplayingwellandRibérydoesn’twanttomissanymoregames:‘TellhimIwanttotalktohim.I’mfineManel.I’mgoodtogo.’

AugsburgisafinalandThiagohasalsocomedowntoSäbenerStrasse.Afterthreemonthsout,hehasplayedthreegamesinaweekandbySundayhecouldn’tmove.He’scomedowntodoabitofstretching,somePilatesmovesandafewrecoveryexercises.HewantstobeontopformforWednesday.‘Augsburgisafinal,’hesays.‘Everythinginthe90minutes,aone-offopportunity–it’safinalforus.’

Atthisrate,Guardiolawillhavenothingtodo intermsofmotivatinghismen.They all understand the importance of the game. Fredi Binder, the head physio,

approachesEstiarte.‘Manel,RibérywantstotalktoPep.’‘Iknow,Iknow,’Estiartesaysagain.‘He’singreatshapeandhasnoproblemsatall,’saysBinder.‘Theonlypainhe’s

feltiswhenwegavehimamuscle-relaxinginjectionacoupleofdaysago.Wilhelmireallyhammeredhimintheribsandhe’sinperfectshape.Remember–hewantstotalktoPep.’

PeparrivestoreviewthelayoutofthepitchfortomorrowandEstiartetellshimabout Ribéry: ‘I knowManel, I know.Thewhole club has toldme that Franckwants to talk tome. Iwant to talk to him, too. Iwant to see howhe is. I’d bedelighted tohavehimplayingagainstAugsburg.Theonly thing is thatFranck isnotthekindofguyyoucanputonthebench.Heneedstostart.Ineedtoseehimanddecidethen.Augsburgisafinal,Manel,afinal.It’salmostafinal.’

39

‘EXCELLENCEISLIKEABUBBLE.YOUCANLOOKFORIT,BUTITONLYAPPEARSFROMTIMETO

TIME.’

Munich,December5,2013

RIBÉRYRETURNEDTOtheteamfortheAugsburggame,butPepwasto loseRobbenthatsameday.TheDutchplayerhasbeeninsublimeformandinthethirdminuteofthematchscoredhis13thgoaloftheseason,therebyequallinghistotalforallofseason2012/13.Hehasalsomatchedhistotalassistsforlastseason,with10.

Robben’s career at Bayern, as well as at Chelsea and Real Madrid, had beenmarredby repeated injuries.Hismostproductive seasonwas2009-10,his first inMunich,whenhemanaged37games,with23goalsandeightassists.Now,atthebeginningofDecember,hehas20games,13goalsand10assistsandlookssetforanoutstandingseason.Andallofthisattheageof30.

Then,15minutesintothematch,ahardtacklebygoalkeeperMarwinHitzcutsshort2013 forRobben, leavinghimwithabadlydamagedknee joint.Hewouldnot be back until January 24. ‘It’s a huge loss,’ saidGuardiola. ‘Hewas playingexceptionallywell.’

Injury prevention has become a central part of Robben’s regime. The badexperiences down the years have taught him to look after himself and he hasintroduced a daily regime of a 30-minute personal exercise plan focusing onstrength,balanceandcoreworktoprotecthisbackmusclesaswellashisabductorsand hamstrings. This is followed by a post-training 30-minute routine of jointmobilitywork and stretching.Thispreventativework is thekey to achieving andmaintainingconsistentfitnesslevelsfortheplayer.

The DFB-Pokal match in Augsburg was just as intense as Guardiola hadpredicted,althoughhedecidedagainstemployingthetacticofbringingtheballoutfromthebackusingthreemen,giventhatthepracticedrillsthepreviousdayhadn’tgonethatwell.Assumingthatthisrivalwouldpressaggressivelyandhigh,heopted

forThiagointhepivoterole,therebyprioritisingBayern’sabilitytocirculatetheballfluidly.

Inthespaceofonlyfivemonths,Pephadusedsixorganisingmidfielders:Lahm,Schweinsteiger,Kroos,JaviMartínez,ThiagoandKirchhoff,whichgivesyousomeideaoftheimpactinjurieshadhadontheteam.

In the team talk in the hotel Pep asked his defenders and midfielders toaggressively attack Augsburg’s first line of pressure. He wanted them to avoidshiftingtheballfromsidetoside,thedreadedUshape,andinstructedthemtousepossessiondaringly. In the event,hismenwerenot able to comply fullywithhisinstructions, although Robben’s goal gifted them an early advantage. Whilst theoppositionpressedrelentlessly,Ribérymanagedafull30minutesandMüllerliveduptoeveryone’sexpectationsbydeliveringaMüller:oneof thosescruffykindsofgoals, almost an accident, which only he seems capable of producing. On thisoccasion,thegoalseemedtocomeoffsomepartofhisback.

Guardiolawasstilldissatisfied.‘We’renotplayingwell,notatall.We’regettinggood results and I’mhappywith theplayers, butwe’renot playing aswell asweshouldbe.Ineedallmymenbackandthenweneedtostartimproving.Iwanttounderstandexactlywhatthisteamrequiresinordertorealisetheirpotentialbecausesofarwehaven’tplayedbrilliantly.’

At the moment Paul Breitner is more optimistic than anyone else. ‘I actuallyexpected the players to take far longer to understandGuardiola’s ideas – far, farlonger. But they’re taking it all in, no problem.Okay, at themomentwe’re notplayingasbrilliantlyaswedidafewweeksagoinManchesterandLeverkusen,butyou don’t succeed in the German league or the Champions League by playingbrilliantly. Victory comes through hard work. And this team personifies bothqualities:theyplaybrilliantfootballandtheyknowwhathardworkmeans.Lookatyesterday’sgameinAugsburgandtheoneinMoscoworanyofourmatchesoverthe last few weeks. Hard graft, that’s the thing that matters, much more thanbrilliance. If you have a team of artisanswho know how towork hard andwhounderstandthatyou’llhavemomentsofsuperbfootballandothertimeswhenit’sjust a matter of slogging away, well that’s the perfect combination. That’s whatmakesthedifference.ThatiswhatdefinesthecharacterofateamandthisBayern,underthiscoach,hasenormouscharacter.There’snodoubtinmymindthatwearegoingtodogreatthingsinthenextthree,four,fiveyears.’

Asalwaysafteragame,Guardiolaistotallyfiredup.Ontheonehandwhathe’sseeninthelastmatchhasgeneratedawaveofnewideaswhicharesurgingaroundinhishead.Ontheotherhandheneedstostartdissectinghisnextopponentand

workingoutthebestwaytoattack,defendandwinthegame.‘It’scostingalotforourpivotetobreakthroughtheoffensivepressinglineifthe

rival strings five guys across themiddle of thepitch.That’swhy I putThiago atpivote for half an hour, even though it’s not hismain speciality.As a player he’sbrave and daring in his thinking – even if this means he can be caught losingpossession.NowI’mgoingtospendtimetalkingthingsthroughwithJavi,workingouthowtobreakthroughthisoppositionlineoffivemeninthemiddleofthepitchvia insidechannels,butalsoabouthowtogivethe impressionofoverloadingonesideofourmove forward,only to then switch to theother,nowunder-defendedwing.Ifyoucandothat,youdisrupttherivalandmakethemturnandrunback.Thenyou’veachievedyourobjective.What’smore,I’lltellyouthis:insteadofthedefendersmoving the ball about in that damnedU shape, I’dmuch rather theytriedalong,diagonalpassbecauseiftheballislostlikethatit’smucheasiertowinitback.’

Guardiola is well aware that he is demanding a lot from whoever is in themidfield.‘Iknow,Iknow,thereareveryfewplayersintheworldwiththeabilitytobreakthelineofpressingwithaninsidepass.Busquets,XabiAlonso,Lahm–lookwhat Lahm did for our first goal in Dortmund. He was superb. He fooled hismarker,draggedhimoutofpositionandbroke theirpressing lineby sending theballtotheoppositesideofthepitch.Højbjergisalsoverygoodatit,butobviouslyhe’sstillveryyoung.AndI’lltellyousomethingelse:Iwasgoodatit,too.WhydoyouthinkIlastedsolongatBarça?Itwasn’tformyspeed,ormymusclepower,ormyheaders,ormygoals,obviously.’Andheburstsoutlaughing.

PephasbeenreadingBarcelonadefenderGerardPiqué’scommentsthattherearemore andmore teamswhowant to play open, possession-based football. ‘I hopePiqué’sright.That’sexactlywhatIwanttosee.Lettheothersallplayoutfromtheback,becausethenwecanrobtheballoffthem!But,I’mafraid,thenormisthattheycloseranksatthebackwithfourdefendersandtwodefensivemidfieldersandlooktoreleasetheirfourquickguysonthecounter.TheylobtheballoverthetopofThiagoorKroos and, ifwe aren’t inposition,we’re lost.That’swhywe can’tlaunchtheballandlooktogoupandsupportit,becausethatwillleaveThiagoandKroosrunningupanddownthepitchthewholetime.Weneedtogostepbystep,allofusinunison.Losetheballand–pam!–wewinitbackquicklybecauseourpositionalplayhasusalltightlylinked.’

PephasexactlytwodaystopreparefortheWerderBremenmatch,lesstimethanhe really needs. Usually he likes to have two-and-a-half days to analyse hisopponents.Hewatches their games andworks outhow to attack them.He then

prepareshis threeteamtalks.Giventhat theygenerallyhavetwomatchesaweek,Pephastimetoplanonlyforthenextgame,althoughhisassistantsalwaysprovidehimwithabasicsummaryoftheirlastencounter,whichthecoachstudiesintothesmallhoursofthenight.

BeforeimmersinghimselfinhisplanforWerderBremen,he’llspendsometimewith JaviMartínez at the endofmorning training,goingover theproblemswiththeUandtheneedformoreboldness.He’llalsotaketimeouttohavethattacticaltalkwithRibéry,postponedafewmonthsagowhenherealisedthatheneededtogo a bit more slowly with the Frenchman. Today the pair sit down and studyfootageofa falseNo.9.Pepwants toconvince theplayer thathecanplay in thiszone,notnecessarilypermanentlybutcertainly fora fewminuteseverygame.Heneedshimtounderstandthathecandoexactlythesameashedoesonthewing,onlywithnoexteriorlinetorestricthim.Inthemiddlehe’llbeabletomovewithtotalfreedom.

Pep is determined about this.Hehasno intentionof changingRibéry, forcinghim tomove from thewing to the centreof thepitch,buthedoeswanthim todeveloptheability tomoveto thecentre for shortbursts.He isconvincedthat itwillbeausefulextensiontotheFrenchman’srepertoireaswellasaqualitativeleapforwardforthewholeteam.

IsuggesttoGuardiolathatthiswouldbeonemorestepinhisquestforconstantimprovement, the pursuit of excellence, but he laughs. ‘Excellence! And whatexactlyisexcellence?Excellenceislikeabubble.Youcanlookforitasmuchasyoulike,butitonlyappearsfromtimetotime.Okay,youhavetobeready,youhavetobeintherightplacewhenitdoescomealong.’

40

‘MISTAKESCOMEWHENYOURELAX.’

Munich,December14,2013

INTHENORTHofGermany,HurricaneXaverwaswhipping upwinds of 90miles per hour and the resulting downpour was close to bringing the WerderBremenmatchtoahalt.IntheWeserstadion,FranckRibérydroppedinandoutofthe central attacking position, as per the instructions he received two dayspreviously,andwithshatteringresults.TheFrenchmanplayedsuperblyandwasalethalpartofBremen’sworst-everhomedefeat–7-0.

Bayernplayedwithfivemidfielders(Rafinha,Kroos,Thiago,GötzeandAlaba),with the three forwards taking on very different roles:Müller playedwide, like awinger,butwithlicencetomakeconstantdiagonalrunsinfield;Mandžukićstartedcentrallybutrepeatedlydriftedwide left, leavingthecentre-forwardpositionwideopen; and Ribéry dropped in to combine with the midfielders, effectivelyperforming like a false 9. This constant movement, change of position andcombination play demolished their opponents and drew this comment fromPepGuardiola:‘Thisisthefirsttimewe’veplayedagreatmatchusingmydefinitionofpositionalplay.

‘I’dliketothankmyplayersforwhattheyhavedone.It’sanhonourtobetheircoach.’

ThethenpresidentUliHoenesswasquicktohighlightoneofthecoach’smainqualities: ‘This is incredible. Whoever’s playing, they play well, but Pep alwayswantstocorrectsomething.’

ItwasathrillingexperienceandforPep,thereweretwoparticularlyspectacularmoments in thematch.The opening goal came fromRibéry’s cross to the frontpost. Alaba and Mandžukić powered towards the cross like hungry wolves asWerderdefenderLukimyaputtheballinhisownnet.ItremindedPepofMiguelSoler’sphrase:‘Ahard,lowcrosstowardsthefrontpostislikeagoalhalfscored.’

The second stand-out moment for Guardiola was the sixth goal, created byRibéry.TheFrenchmanstarteditbytakingacornerandendeduptuckingthegoalawayhimself.Thisapparentlyimpossiblesequenceofeventswasinfactaset-piece

Bayern had practised repeatedly in training. Ribéry passed it hard and low toPizarro,whoheld itup just abouton thevertical edgeof the six-yardbox.Alabahadbeenoutsidetheboxbutsprinted in,beyondPizarroandtheChileanflickedtheballbacktohim.AlabawasnowonthetouchlineandimmediatelycutitbacktoRibéry,whohadruninunmarkedfromthecornerspot,toscore.Anexceptionalgoal,createdinsevensecondsandscoredbytheguywhobeganitatthecornerflag.

Bayernwereeuphoricandthetechnicalteamwasparticularlysatisfied,havingjustseen the results of their strategic planning, the hours of analysis andexperimentationtheyhadputin.

ThematchmarkedGuardiola’s200thwin in274officialgamesacrosshis timewithBarcelonaandBayern.AsBayerncoachhehadnowalsobeatenaBundesligarecord,havingavoideddefeatinhisfirst15matches(arecordhewouldcontinuetoextend).AndtherewasmoregoodnewsawaitingPep:BayerLeverkusenhadwon1-0 at Dortmund, which meant that Jürgen Klopp’s side were now trailing thechampionsby10points.Bayernwereoncloudnine.

ItwaslefttoManuelPellegrinitobringthemcrashingbackdowntoearth.Guardiolagetsirritatedbyerrorsmadeonthepitch,butheiswillingtoforgive

them.Althoughheislesspermissiveinprivatethanhemightappearinpublic,heacceptsthatmistakesdohappen.Hewasaplayerhimselfandremembersthemanytimeshemessedup inhisplayingdays.However,he is infuriated ifhebelievesaplayer ismovingdownagearbecausehe thinks it’salready in thebag.Guardiolaholdsdearthebeliefthatyouhavetoearneverythinginsportwithdailyeffortandconcentration.NowonderhispassionisexcitedbyfootballerslikeMascheranoandIniesta at Barcelona or Lahm and Neuer at Bayern. None of them drops theirconcentrationinanygame.

One evening, dining at the Allianz Arena, Pep joined us to watch an unusualvideowhichIhadfilmedfromthemainstandofthestadium.ItfocusedexclusivelyonNeuer asBayern incessantly attacked, over and again, at the other end of thepitch.

In the film you could only seeNeuer, with brief appearances fromDante andBoateng, because Bayern were exercising almost total control of the game. Theoppositionwere pinned back in their own area, butNeuer followed every singlemoveasifhewereinvolvedinthem,eventhoughtheactionwas60metresormoreaway.Notoncedidhe lose focusashemovedaroundhisarea,andoutside it, inunisonwithhisteam–constantlytryingtopreviewwheretheplaymightresultinagap in the Bayern structure, whichmight need him to intervene.Guardiola wasknockedoutbyit.‘Manuelisunique,justunique.’

As if still propelled by the Bremen hurricane, Bayern hit the ground runningagainstManchesterCityintheAllianz.Ribérywasatfalse9again,MandžukićhadbeenallowedtodropwideasregularlyashewantedandMüllerwaspeggedtotherightwing.BehindthemThiago,KroosandGötzestrokedtheballaboutathightempo,joinedbyLahmatright-back.With11minutesgoneMüllerandGötzehadmadeit2-0andanotherdemolitionwasonthecards.Bayernwereenroutetosixstraight Champions League wins in the group stage, something no reigningchampionhadmanaged since the competition replaced theoldEuropeanCup in1992/3.

Thenithappened.Bayernstartedtorestontheirlaurels.Thechanceshadbeenfloodinginandtheirdominationhadbeenoverwhelming.Pep’splayersweretakingvictoryforgranted.

‘Mistakes come when you relax, if you lose focus when you pass the ball, orreceiveit,orpressforit.It’swhenyouthinkeverything’sdone,’Pepexplainedlater.

Boatengwatched the ball go into the boxwithout intervening;Dante bundledJamesMilneroverintheboxwhentheEnglishmanhadalreadylettheballgetawayfromhim.Andfinally,atthehourmark,Boatengtoppedagrimnightbyfailingtoclearaneasyballinthebox.ThesethreeerrorsallowedCitythreegoalspastNeuer,whountilthenhadn’tletoneinforfiveconsecutivematches.

Infact,sincejoiningBayern,Neuerhadneverconcededthreegoalsinthesamegame.

Pep responded by taking a large gulp of water from his bottle and turning toTorrentandGerland,seatedbesidehim,whoremindedhimthatifCityscoredonemore then they,notBayern,would top thegroup.Thiswas significant in that itwouldmean losing theadvantageofplayingaway first in thenext round.Bayernwouldalsohavetofaceagroupwinner,probablyoneofthegreatEuropeanclubs.Pep paused momentarily then, with 10 minutes left, called Müller over to thetouchline togivehimvery firm instructions. ‘Kill thegameThomas,get themtokillitofflikethis–theymustn’tscoreagain.’

FromthemomentCityscoredtheirthird,Bayernhadlookedgroggy, incapableofrecoveringtheirnormallevelofplay.PepdecidedtoprotectBayern’spositioninthegroup.

Thebig surprisewasn’t thatBayernclosed thegamedownbut thatCitydidn’taccelerate.NobodyintheEnglishclub–notthecoach,nothistechnicalstaff,northeirsportsdirector–realisedthatafourthgoalwouldmakethemgroupwinners.After the match, they admitted as much (as a result of the final standings, CitywoulddrawBarcelonainthelast16andlose4-1overtwolegs).

Bayern’sCatalancoachwasoffendedmoreby themannerof thedefeat,by thefact that his players relaxed. Matthias Sammer, who two months previously hadrockedtheclubwithhisdemandsthattheplayersabandontheircomfortzone,wasstillmoreirritatedthanPep.Butneitherofthemacknowledgedthisinpublic.

Bothmenknowthat thebig rowsusuallycomeafteravictory.Afteradefeat–calm.PubliclyPepcommented:‘CongratulationstoCityfortheirgreatwin.Nowandagainyouloseagame.IwanttocongratulatemyplayersforwinningthegroupandhopethattheynowrealisehowdifficultitcanbeplayinginEurope.Ofcoursetheyhavetherighttohaveanoffdayeverynowandagain.We’vegotmoreworktodo.’

Nor,overthenextfewdays,wouldPeptalktothemaboutthedefeat,leavinghisplayers to reflectonwhathadhappenedandwhy.Havingobserved theway theyabsorbnewtacticalconceptshehadconcludedthat,sometimes,lessismore.Better,also,toteachthelessonsfromthisdefeatatexactlytherightmoment.

Fourdayslater,onDecember14,BayernplaytheirlastmatchoftheyearattheAllianz.Hamburg are sent homewith a 3-1 defeat in a gamewhich, oncemore,stands out for the connection between Thiago andGötze, which has gone fromstrengthtostrength.DortmunddrawatHoffenheimandLeverkusenloseathometoEintrachtFrankfurt,meaningthatBayernnowheadtoMarrakechwithaseven-pointadvantageatthetopofthetable–aheadofBayerLeverkusenand12aheadofDortmund. It is a decisive distance unimaginable to Pep only two monthspreviously.

BayernwillgotoMarrakechinsearchofonemoretrophy:theClubWorldCup.En route to the airport, Guardiola sums up the year. Bayern have played 33Bundesligamatchesin2013,winning30,drawingthreeforahistoricrecordof93points.Heynckesmanaged17 of them,drawing once, Pep the rest, 14wins andtwodraws.Thenewman’sfirst16gamesareunbeatenfor44pointswith42goalsforandonlyeightagainst.

TheHamburgwinmeansBayernare41gamesunbeatenintheleague(35winsand six draws) and that’s it for home games until 2014. There’s a sense ofinvincibilityintheair.Naturally,Pepisnotofthatmind.

‘We’vealottoimprove–alot.’

41

‘HEREWEAREAGAIN.ANOTHERFINAL.’

Marrakech,December21,2013

WHATSURPRISEDGUARDIOLAmostwasthefestiveatmosphereinthestreetsofMarrakech.‘Peoplehadcomefrommilesaround.ItremindedmeofBarcelonathedaywewon theChampionsLeague.Therewere thousands and thousandsofpeopleoutanditwasarealstrugglegettingtothehotel.’

Pephad attended the semi-finalbetweenRajaCasablanca andAtléticoMineirowithafewmembersofhistechnicalteam.Theywereallsurprisedbythescore.TheMoroccanteamdefeatedRonaldinhoandcompanywithtwobreathtakingcounter-attacksofBundesligaquality.

Hopingtoavoidthetriumphantcrowdswhowerecertaintofloodthestreets,Pepandhisparty leftearly, sixminutesbefore theend.Just in time,as it turnedout,because thousands of fans were already pouring into the centre ofMarrakech tocelebrate theirvictory.Rajahadmade it to the finalof theClubWorldCupandwereabouttogoupagainstthemightyBayern,who,thedaybefore,inAgadir,hadscoredallthreeoftheirgoalsagainstMarcelloLippi’sGuangzhouEvergrandeinanexplosiveseven-minuteperiod.

InthebusenroutefromAgadirtoMarrakech,ManelEstiartedidn’thavealottosayexcept: ‘Hereweare again.Another final.’ ItwouldbeGuardiola’s15th finalandhiseighthininternationalcompetition.Hehadbeendefeatedinonlytwo:byJose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in extra-time of the 2011 Copa del Rey and byJürgenKlopp’s BorussiaDortmund in the 2013German SuperCup.His recordsuggestedthat,aslongashisteammadeittoafinal,therewasafarbetterthanevenchancethey’dwin.

Andsoitproves.TheydanceringsroundRajaandafter20minutestheylead2-0throughgoalsfromDanteandThiago.Pep’smenlooksocomfortableoutonthepitchandchangepositionsofrequentlythat,attimes,theirgameevokesBarcelona’sperformance against Santos in the same competition in 2011. That day theBrazilianside’scoachsworethatGuardiolahadplayedwitha3-7-0.Withoutgoingquite that far, the German champions have certainly varied their formation,

switching seamlessly at times from a 3-1-6-0 to a 3-2-5-0, given thatMüller hasonceagainperformedfluidly,certainlynotoccupyingthetraditionalcentre-forwardposition.Pephasaskedthemtoplaythreeatthebackandbringtheballoutwithcourageandpanache–thesystemhepractisedatthebeginningofthemonthbutdidn’tuseatAugsburg.

LorenzoBuenaventura tellsusmoreaboutPep’sapproach: ‘SometimesPepwillspend10minutesoftheteamtalkexplainingexactlywhattheyhavetodo.Then,oncehe’sgiventhemthisin-depthtutorial,he’llsay,“Okaylads,forgeteverythingI’vejustsaidanddothis instead…”’[Buenaventuracracksuplaughinghere]. ‘Heteachesthelessonbutonlyheknowswhenit’stherighttimetoactuallyapplyit.’

Having won the Intercontinental Cup in 1976 and 2001, Bayern’s win inMarrakech represents their third world title and gives Guardiola, champion in2009,2011and2013,his16thtrophyfromthe22hehascontestedasacoach.Hewon14outofapossible19withBarcelona, twooutof threeso farwithBayern,plus (let’s not forget), the Third Division title with Barça B. Pep has lifted theWorldClubCupwithtwodifferentclubs(untilnowonlyCarlosBianchiheldthishonour). What’s more, he has also won all of the international finals he hascontested: twoChampionsLeagues, threeEuropeanSuperCupsandthreeWorldClubCups.

2013has indeedbeenaprodigiousyear forBayern.UnderJuppHeynckestheyhadwonthethreemost-covetedtrophies: theBundesliga, theDFB-PokalandtheChampions League.Guardiola has now added the European SuperCup and theWorld Club Cup. Only their defeat in Dortmund has prevented them fromachieving a clean sweep. The Munich club is now firmly established as thedominantpower in football, althoughhighexpectationswillbringunprecedentedlevelsofpressurein2014.

Pep celebrateshis victorywith close friends, among them the economistXavierSala i Martín, and the filmmaker David Trueba, who used Pep’s dad, ValentíGuardiola, in his film Living is Easy with Eyes Closed, which triumphed at theannualSpanishcinemaawards.TheyalltraveltoBarcelonainaprivatejet.

Pep has now entered a new phase and anything that he wins in 2014 will becompletelyunrelatedtoHeynckes’success.AllBayern’strophiesfromnowonwillbethefruitofPep’sownwork.

IffortherestofBayern,theyearhadbeenoneofunimaginablesuccess(withfivetrophies and only three defeats in 12 months), for Pep there was still room forimprovement.There had been a lack of consistency in his sixmonths in charge,notwithstandingthesublimemoments.Theteamhadalsosufferedanepidemicof

injury problemswhich had prevented him from fully implementing his ideas. Inotherwords,despitehisoutstandingresultssofar(justtwodefeatsin29matches)Pepisstillnotsatisfied.Ashetravelshome,alreadyrelaxingintoholidaymode,heis straightforward about his ambitions. ‘We have to play better. Much, muchbetter.’

PARTFOUR

THELEAGUEINMARCH

‘Peopleareveryopen-mindedaboutnewthings–aslongasthey’reexactlyliketheoldones.’

CHARLESKETTERING

42

‘INSIXMONTHSHEREPEPHASTRIEDMORETHINGSTHANINFOURYEARSATBARÇA.’

Doha,January12,2014

‘PEP’SCHANGINGBAYERNandGermany’schangingPep.’LorenzoBuenaventuraisn’treferringtothecoupleofkiloswhichPephasputon

over theChristmas holidays.As he is introducinghisDNA toBayern, he is alsogoingthroughametamorphosis.PhysicallyheappearstobejustthesameguywholandedinMunichlastJune,but life inGermanyhashadapowerful influenceonhischaracter.

Pep feels free andhappy inGermany.Hegets ahuge amountof affection andsupportfromtheclubwhich,inthecaseofthepresident,Hoeness,hasdevelopedintoafirmfriendship.SuchacontrastfromthesourrelationsovertwoyearswiththeformerBarcelonapresidentSandroRosell.

ThewayBayernsupporthimisremarkable.Pepis lessinchargethanhewasatBarcelona.Herehe’sjustthecoach,butinsteadofmakinghimfeeluncomfortable,this ‘lesser’rolehasbeenaliberation.Hisfriend,XavierSalaiMartín,putsit likethis:‘TheburnoutfactorforPepinMunichislessthanatBarcelonabecausetherehehad to step into roleswhich shouldn’t reallyhavebeenhis,due to the lackofleadershipthere.ThereweremomentswhenheseemedalmosttobethepresidentofCatalunya,thecoachofFCBarcelonaandtheclubspokesman.Hehadtofightaccusationsofdoping,battleMourinhoanddealwithUEFA.HisworkinMunichismuchmorenormal.’

Pep loves his players’ immediate pre-disposition to hard work, the care withwhichMarkusHörwickpreparesthepressconferences,theminutedetailtowhichteamdelegateKathleenKrügerdedicatesherself,theaffabilitywithwhichHermannGerlandisteachinghimaboutthevarietyofcharacteristicstheBundesligaexhibits,theoutrightpassionofMatthiasSammer…

Germany is moulding Pep, who now seems more open, more serene, moredisposed to new initiatives with every passing day. He’s not just concedinginterviewstotheclubmagazineandtelevisionstation,buthappilylendshimselftosomeofBayern’spublicitydrives.Heknowsthatthebusinessoftransferpolicyis

taken care of in the offices ofRummenigge andHoeness and he’s just finewiththat.‘HereI’mthecoach,fullstop,whichisverydifferentfromBarça.Icoachtheplayers, I try to drive the team towards the best results and I’ve got Sammer’ssupport,whichisveryimportant.He’sthekey.’

HiskidsarelearningGermanswiftly,theynevermissaBayernhomematch,eventhenightgames,andhavemadegoodfriendsatschool.Cristina,Pep’swife,isstillrunningherclothesshopandhasprobablyvisitedeveryartgalleryinthecity.TheGuardiola family feels thesamepeaceofmindhereasPepdoes.AsSala iMartínexplains: ‘They’reallhappyinMunich.There’snohomesicknessatall.Pep’skidsarethemostimportantfactorforhim.He’sobsessedwiththeimportanceofthemstudyingabroadandlearninglotsoflanguages.Healwaysinsiststhatthebestthinghecandoforthemisgivethemagoodeducationandlotsoflanguagelearning.’

German football is in his blood now. While he is trying to correct small butimportantdetailsinhisteam,heissoakinguptheinfluenceofaverydifferentkindof football – quicker, more aggressive and full of lightning-fast counter-attacks.Whatever tactical deficiencies exist inGerman football, they are compensated forwithaggression,teamworkandeffort.So,ashealtersBayern,theBundesligaaltershim.

‘He’sfullofre-invention–insixmonthsherePephastriedmorethingsthaninfouryears atBarça,’ saysDomenècTorrent,who still shares thebenchwithhim,havingbeguntogetheratBarçaBbackin2007.

Intermsoftactics,therehavebeensixareasofbigdevelopmentduringthefirstsixmonths.

1:THEDEFENSIVELINE

Pephasmoveditforwardfromastartingpointof45metresinfrontofthekeeper.IfBayernare fullyon theattackhighupthepitch thenhewants the twocentre-halvestotakeuppositions56metresaheadofNeuer–intheoppositionhalf.

2:PLAYINGANDMOVINGFORWARDFROMTHEBACK,INTOTALUNISON

The teamhasgot this: it’s a journey theymust take together.Howtheyplayoutfromthebackisofabsoluteimportancetohowthingsthendevelopintheattackingphase.

3:ORDERINTHEPLAY

Thepassingsequencesneedtobalancetheteam’spositioning.Ifproperlyeffected,frombeginningtoenditmeanstheirattackwillbeorderedandiftheballislostit

canbewonbackquickly,withlittlewastedeffort.

4:SUPERIORITYINMIDFIELD

ThisistheessenceofPep’splayingphilosophy.Healwayswantshisteamtohavemidfieldsuperiority,whethernumericalorpositional.Achievingthisguaranteeshisteamwilldominatethegame.

5:FALSEATTACKINGMIDFIELDERS

This is the big tactical innovation within Pep’s first season. Given the powerfulwing play of Robben and Ribéry and also the need to immediately cut off thecounter-attacksofopponentshighupthepitch,Pephasdecidedtopositionhisfull-backs almost as old-fashioned inside-forwards, right alongside the other attackingmidfielders,highupthepitch.

6:PLAYINGWITHOUTTHEFALSE9FrombeingtheabsolutekeyfigureatBarcelona,thefalse9 isnowjustonemorepotential tactic forBayern. Itwillbeused sporadically,dependingon the specificneedsofaparticularmatchorphasewithinagame.

FromwhathehaslearnedfromGermanfootball,Pepmostvaluesfivethings:

1:COUNTER-ATTACKS

He has sometimes branded it the Bundesliga-counter, based on the efficacy andspeed of the counters he has had to plan for. The efficacy, particularly, hasfascinatedhim.Andhe’s loved itwhenBayernhavebeencapableofemploying itthemselves.Nevertheless,oneofthegreattasksofhisseasonhasbeenworkingouthowtocounterthecounter.

2:AERIALPLAY–OFFENSIVEANDDEFENSIVESTRATEGIES

ThephysicalqualitiesoftheplayersinGermanfootballmakeaerialtacticsessential,bothfromsetplaysandopenplay.HisBarçateamwasfulloflittleguys,butBayernhaveheightandthishasmeantanewcoachingapproachtothestrategyoftheaerialball.

3:AGGRESSIVEPRESSING

Against the power of the Bundesliga counter-attack, it’s vital to have a high,effectiveandaggressivepressinggame–particularlyifBayernlosetheballhighupthe pitch. It was a tactic at Barcelona, but in Munich the coach has needed to

augmentthecollectiveaggressionandintensityofthisaction.

4:DOUBLEPIVOTE

Although he’s been the flag bearer for using just one organisational midfielderthroughout his coaching career, Pep has accepted the need to renounce thiscommandmentonoccasion,ifitwillbringanimprovementinhisteam’smidfieldplay.Hewilloftenignorethesingle-pivoteconceptinthelatterpartofthisseason.

5:WIDTH

AtBarça,theballwasplayedwidewithprettymuchthesoleintentionofdistractingandconfusingtheoppositionsothatitcouldthenbeslottedbackintotheinside-forwardpositions inandaround thebox, in searchof thebreakthroughpassor ashot on goal. At Bayern, with the two full-backs often pushed up, it becomesessentialforthewingerstomaintainwidth.

Sowhat’sonPep’smenuas2014begins?Justwhatyou’dimagine–acombinationofhisoldideasandtheinnovationshehaspickedupinGermany.

Torrentexplains:‘He’llmaintaintheessenceofhisphilosophy:movingtheballasadevicetokeeptheteam’spositionalplayorganisedandstrategicallyasfarasaboutthree-quarters of the way upfield; keeping a very high defensive line and alwayslooking to achieve an extraman inmidfield – however that’s achieved. But youcan’t any longer expect a fixed tactical system fromhim, nor a fixed startingXI.Thesewill both change frommatch tomatch.And the analysis of our rivalswillbecomeincreasinglymorecrucial.’

The January training camp inDohawill be a turning point. The players havebeen through their learningperiod.Theyhavebeenacquiringknowledge andareflyingintheBundesliga.Withtwomoretrophies inthebag(theEuropeanSuperCup and the Club World Cup) confidence in Guardiola is at a peak. He is nolongerthecharismaticandlegendarycoachatBarcelonawhohadtheadvantageofalreadyhavingdoneitallthereasaplayer.Nowheishisowncoach–theguywholeadsallthetrainingsessions,rainorshineorsnow,withthekids,thesubstitutesorthe first team.Unlike atBarcelona,he’snot automatically a reverential figure. Inthisenvironmentheisfleshandblood–thebosswhohasgotasmile,ajoke,akickup the backside, a growl of anger, a row – and bundles of technical and tacticalideas.Pephasn’tsimplywonhisfirstcoupleoftrophieswithhisnewclub,hehaswonoverthemajorityofhisplayers.

InDohathehardworkstartsalloveragain.Thetrainingcampcomesaftertwo

fullweeksoff.Therestwasbadlyneeded.Legmuscleshaverelaxedandtheplayershave cleared theirminds afterwhat has been a prodigious but utterly exhaustingyear.GuardiolacomesbackfromtheChristmasbreakcarryingtwoextrakilos.Histechnicalstaffwatchhimdoallthesamerunningastheplayers,doingthesit-upsand turning down pasta for plates of salad instead. Pep is very fussy about hisappearance.

InDoha,theyprepareforroundtwo.Thisisacrucialmomentinthebattleforthetitleandthewinterbreakhasbeenarealblessing.

‘This break is fantastic for everyone, physically and mentally,’ LorenzoBuenaventurapointsout.‘Youonlyhavetotalktothemedicsandthephysios.InEngland they do the opposite. They have games every two days during theChristmasbreakandanydoctorwilltellyouhowhardthatisonthebody.BythemiddleofJanuarytheplayersareallstrugglingbadly.Aftertheintenseprogrammeofmatches Bayern has played in 2013, twoweeks of holiday, plus three of pre-seasontraining,areanabsoluteblessing.’

The technical staffprogrammetheworksimilarly to thepre-season inTrentinolast July,but there is an importantdifference: this isn’t the same teamanymore.Theseguyshaveput inhundredsofhoursofworkandassimilatednewconcepts.Pephasinstalledanewkindofsoftwareinthemand,aftersomeearlygremlins,hismenhaveadaptedtohisideas.Theynowspeakadifferentfootballlanguage.

TZonlineputsoutavideooftraininginDohaandit’sasurprisetoanyonewhohas not had the good fortune to see Pep’s Bayern sessions in person. It whizzesroundtheworldandgivesatasteofwhatdailylifeislikeworkingunderPep–theintensity heputs into ensuring that his players implement the correctmoves andreactions,everysecondofthesession.Eachsessionisasintenseandfocusedasthis.Eightyminutes ofmaximum effort, every time, in search of the correctmoves –moveswhichwillmeanaqualitativeimprovementintheplayersandtheteamasawhole.

IquizManelEstiarteaboutthischangeinGuardiola,somethingwhichthefansandtheGermanjournalistsprobablyaren’tevenawareof,butwhichisapparenttoanyonewhoknewhimatBarcelona.

‘There’snofuss,fanfareorluxuryhereatBayernbutthere’sabsolutelyeverythinga professional needs to do his work well. Fundamentally, it’s full of goodprofessionals.And there’s anenormous respect forworkethic.Yesterday I said toPep,“we’reinpreciselytherightplaceatexactlytherighttime.Itmayormaynotbetheclubwherewewinthemosttrophies,butIstruggletoimagineanywhereelserightnowwithsuchidealconditions.Theplayers individuallyandcollectivelyare

determinedtoprogressandimprove.Theyarehungrytolearnandjustashungrytowin.Itmeansthatrightnow,thankstotheunionoftheclubandthesquad,thisisanunparalleledenvironmentforus.Perhapsinafewseasonsitwon’tbe,butrightnowitdefinitelyis”.

‘AllofthathashadaneffectonPepandchangedhim.’Theprodigious calendar year of 2013has finished and it is time toput all the

clocksbacktozero.Football’srevolvingwheelisabouttostartturningagain.TheBayernwhichleavesitswintercampinDohaisoneinfullgallopinsearchofmoretrophiesanditwillshortlyswallowuptheBundesliga.

43

‘I’MGOINGTOHAVETOMAKESOMERADICALCHANGES.’

Stuttgart,January29,2014

‘THEREAREDAYSwhenyouplaybadlyandnothingworksforyou.Youthink,“whatthehellamIdoingouthere?”Butthenyougiveanassistandscorethegoalofyourlife.’

Bayernprettymuchwin the leagueon this cold January eveningwhen,despitehavingapoorgame,ThiagoAlcántarascoresacolossalgoalinthefinalminutes.

Bayern’sgamehasbeenboring,clunkyandchaoticandthehometeam’sexcellentperformancehascertainlywarrantedabetterresult.They’vedoneeverythingright.Withacompactandsoliddefence,theyhaveconcededverylittleandwhenBayerndobreakthroughthedoubledefensiveline,theirkeeper,Ulreich,whohashadanexceptional game, is there to frustrate them. Stuttgart attack with precision andintelligence,ruthlesslytakingadvantageofanylapseinBayern’spositionalplayandcausingthedefencegenuine, if infrequent,problems.AndwhenBayernfinallydofindtheirrhythm,Stuttgartdisruptitbyslowingdownrestartsandthrow-ins.

Thehomeside’scoach,ThomasSchneider,whowillbeoutofajobinsixweeks,hasshownhimselftobeafirst-classtactician.Bayernhavelookedlost,asiftheyareno longer thinking clearly. Perhaps losing thismatch,which has been postponedfromDecember,wouldbenobigdeal.Theydo,afterall,havea14-pointleadoverBorussiaDortmund.

For the first time this seasonGuardiola has repeated his line-up of the Fridaybefore,whentheyproduceda sizzling2-0victory inMönchengladbach’sBorussiaParkinthefirstleaguematchafterthewinterbreak.Howonearthcouldagroupofplayers who played such aggressive, penetrating, brilliant football just five daysbeforehavedippedsodramatically?

‘Itwas likewecouldn’tgiveanymore.WewereblockedmentallyafterFriday’smatch against Gladbach, which had been really tough,’ Thiago explains as hebouncesoutoftheMercedesBenzArenadressingroominStuttgart,obviouslyoncloudnine.‘Thesethingshappeninfootball.Sometimesyoujustcollapseandcan’t

doanymore.Theminutestickbyandyou’reprayingforittoendbecauseyoucanseenowayforward.Butintheend,wefoundone.’

This time the solutionhas come from the bench.Therewere three reasons forPep’sdecisionto turnout thesame line-up:Firstly, it’shispreferredoption,withLahmatpivote,KroosandThiagoslightlyadvancedofhimandGötze,MüllerandShaqiri constantly swapping positions in attack; secondly, Ribéry, Robben,SchweinsteigerandJaviMartínezwereout through injuryorotherproblemsand,thirdly, because Mandžukić was being punished for his apathetic attitude totraining.Pepwasnotwilling to start the strikerunlesshewasprepared toput insomeefforttoearnhisplace.

In Stuttgart however, nothing has gone the way the coach had hoped. Bayernhavebossedpossession,movingtheballaroundjustoutsidethepenaltyareaatwillwithThiago andGötze easily gettingbetween the twoStuttgart lines ofmidfieldanddefence.However, the final passes have beenpoor and the shooting still lesseffective. As has happened before in other games, Bayern’s overwhelmingdomination has not translated into a serious threat and, as theminutes pass, theopposition’scounter-attacksbegintomakeanimpact.Stuttgarttaketheleadatthe30-minutemarkandBayern’sgamecontinuestodeteriorate.

Athalf-timePepdecidestochangetacticsandMandžukić,PizarroandContentostarttowarmupinthefirstminuteofthesecondhalf.

Pep radically transforms the game.He’s tried it before without success, but inStuttgarthisalterationsdothetrick.

Guardiolahasalwaystakenaninterventionistapproachtowhatishappeningonthepitch,butnowhehasoneundoubtedadvantage,lackinginhisBarcelonadays:he has different players who are capable of completely altering the way they areplaying.

‘We’re going nowhere, Domè,’ he tells Torrent the minute they get into thedressingroom. ‘I’mgoingtohave tomakesomeradicalchangesbecausewecan’twinlikethis.’

His team are so stuck that Pep breaks his own rules by making two changeswithinthefirstminutesofthesecondhalf,puttingMandžukićandPizarroonforShaqiriandKroos.Hegoes further.Heusesadoublepivote composedofThiagoandLahm,heputsPizarrointheNo.10positionandtellshimtospreadtheplaywidetoeitherwing.It’snowa4-2-3-1shapeandthedefendersaretoldtogettheballasquicklyaspossibletoThiagoandLahm.EitherofthemfeedsPizarroandthePeruvian,atthetopofhisgame,keepsonopeninguptheplaytoMüllerandGötzewide,thenpushesupquicklytosupportMandžukićinthestrikerrole.

Pep’schangesrepresentaradicalshiftawayfromhisusualgameplan.Infact,youcouldsaythattheyaretheantithesisofhisnormalplayingstyle.InNovember,inDortmund,heputallhisemphasisonthemostagile,technicalplayersfloodingthemiddleof thepitch,especiallyThiagoandGötze, inorder towin3-0.Youcouldcallthatthemost‘Guardiola’oftactics.ButinStuttgart,hedemandsthattheballgoeswidetothewingersandtheycrossintoMandžukić.

It is possible to conclude that Pep has betrayed his own principles, but whenasked this veryquestion after thegame,his response isblunt. ‘What the fuck areyoutalkingabout,mate?Weneededtowinthegame…’

Thepiecestakeafewminutestofallintoplace,butitquicklybecomesclearthatStuttgart are going to struggle toholdback this reformedBayern, even if playerslikeGötzeandThiagoareclearlyexhausted.Just likeGuardiola saidmonthsago,whena fightback isneeded,Bayernarecapableofanything.Theyhave started topush up into Ulreich’s area and are looking dangerous. They equalise with 15minutestogo,PizarrogettingitafterThiago’sfree-kick.Pepmakesathirdchangewhichcouldprovedecisive.ContentocomesonfortheflaggingGötzeandAlabaisnowa leftwinger.Theycontinue to slogawaydespitea seriesof terrificcounter-attackswhichputNeuerunderrealpressure.

Peptellshismentoexecuteamanoeuvrewhich,althoughfairlystraightforward,couldbedifficult for themtoeven recall in theheatofbattle.Hewants themtorememberhowtooverloadtheplaydownonewing,suddenlyswitchtotheotheropenwingandthencross intothemiddle.ItwasthesamemessageheappliedtogreateffectintheepicEuropeanSuperCupfinalagainstChelsea.Overloadtheleftwithbodies,switchsuddenlytotherightandthengetthecrossintothebox.Inthe93rdminutethisishowtheyscore.

Alaba, Contento, Thiago and Pizarro all combine down the left before Lahminstantly switches to Rafinha, who has appeared down the right. The Brazilianwing-back crosses accurately andThiagoproduces a brilliant overhead kick – thevolleywhichsealsthegameandpracticallytheleaguetitle,too.

TheBavarianteam’seuphoriabringstomindacertainnightinPraguewhenJaviMartínez equalised in the last secondof extra-timeagainstChelsea, aswell as theDortmundmatchwhenBayernroutedtheirgreatrival.ThisisthegoalwhichwillearnthemtheMeisterchale,thesilvershieldgiventotheleaguechampions.

‘Diditcomeoffyourshin?’theplayerisaskedinthedressingroom.‘No,no.Iusedmywholeboot.Itwasadreamgoal,justacleanvolley.’‘Thiagoodernichts.’Thiagoornobody.ItwasThiago’sfirstgoalintheBundesliga,anditkepttheteamontheirrecord-

breaking run: 43 consecutive leaguematches undefeated; 28 away gameswith atleast one goal scored; and the first club to win 16 out of their first 18 games –records which they would continue to smash over the next few months, duringwhichBayernwouldadd10moreconsecutivevictoriestoeffectivelywinthetitlebytheendofMarch,earlierthananyoneelseinhistory.

Guardiolawasdelightedwiththeircomeback inStuttgart,buthidhisemotionsbehind one of his blank, Egyptian-mummy expressions. He had joined in theecstaticcelebrationsinthedressingroombutnow,onhiswaytothepressroom,heputthewinoutofhismindandstartedreflectingonotherpendingissues:wehavetogetRibéry,RobbenandJavibackimmediately;IhavetopersuadeMandžukićtokeepworking full-out even if he’s not getting 90minutes every game; I need toensurethatcontractnegotiationsdon’tdistractKroos(theplayer isdemandinganincrease in salary); Ineed tomake sure that the teamdoesn’t relaxnowthat theythinkthattheleagueisinthebag(despitea17-pointlead)andmostimportantlyIneed to work out how to deal with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. The ChampionsLeagueisjustaroundthecornerandthewholeofEurope’seyesareonMunich.

As he leaves the dressing room,LorenzoBuenaventura explainswhyhe backedPep’s decision to change the dynamic of the game: ‘Wewere completely boggeddown. Itwascompletely the reverseofwhathappened inMönchengladbach.Pepmanaged to change the game for two reasons: becausehenowhas ahost ofnewideas,learnedfromwatchinghisplayersandopponentshere,andbecausehehasagroupofplayerswiththeskilltoadjustthewaytheyareplaying.Andthere’sathirdfactor, this guy’s no inflexible ideologue. He’s smart enough to have studied,analysedandadaptedtotheBundesliga,stillwithoutabandoningthebasicconceptswhichdefinehisplayingstyle.’

ButPepisn’tlistening.Histhoughtshaveturnedtotheirupcominggames.‘Loren, we need to rotate the team. From now on we need to choose very

carefully.’‘Pep, let’smake sure thatwedon’tmake the samemistake somanyhavedone

before us,’ adds Domènec Torrent. ‘We can’t risk running the players into thegroundjustforthesakeofbreakingafewrecords.’

Hehadhadhis fiveminutesofcelebration in thedressingroomandnowhe islookingtothefutureonceagain.

44

‘ILOOKATTHEFOOTAGEOFOUROPPONENTSANDTHENTRYTOWORKOUTHOWTO

DEMOLISHTHEM.’

Munich,January31,2014

PEPYELLS:‘MYfeetarelikeice!It’sbloodyfreezinghere!’Stuttgart and that epic last-minute victory is behind them. Thiago has been

lappingupallthepraiseandthefront-pagecoverage,butit’stimetogetbacktotheusualroutine.There’sanewopponenttofaceandPepneedstoanalysethemandpreparethetoolswithwhichhewilltrytowin.

Asarule,Guardiolagivesthreeteamtalksbeforeeachmatch,eachofthemabout15minutes long.He uses images to clarify his points, usually video footage thatdoesn’tlastmorethansevenminutes.Thethreetalksfollowthesamepattern.

The day before the match Pep dissects their opponent’s attacking play. Usingvideo footage he points outwhere their adversary is likely to bemost dangerous,drawing attention to the way key players work. The coach then gives his menspecific instructions about the defensive moves Bayern should make to stop theotherteam.Hismenthenimplementtheseinstructionsinthetrainingsessionthatfollows.

Hegiveshis second talk just before the training sessionon themorningof thematch.Itconsistsofadetailedexplanationofhowtheyusedefensiveandattackingthrow-ins and free-kicks. Assistant coach Torrent has studied the last 50 cornerkicks the rival has taken and explains anything significant that they regularly try.Torrentwillremindthesubstitutesofthepositionstheyneedtobeinforset-plays,justbeforetheyenter thematch.After this talktheteamdoessome light trainingduringwhich they run through the attacking anddefensivemoves theyhave justcovered.Pepstillwon’thavedecidedonhisline-upsoeveryonehastotakepartinall themoves.If it’sanawaymatchtheydon’tdothis.Instead,theyreviewvideofootageofthempractisingthosefree-kicksinSäbenerStrasse.

Pepdelivershisthirdandfinaltalktwohoursbeforethematchintheteamhotel(heprefersnottodoitinthedressingroom).Youcouldcallitamotivationaltalk,

butitwillalsoincludeatechnicalreviewofBayern’sattackingtactics.ThisisalsothemomentthecoachtellshismenwhichofthemareinthestartingXI.

Theplayersknowexactlywhat toexpectbynow.This talkwill focus solelyonhowtoattack.Preciselyhowthey’llusethefirstcornerkickorwidefree-kicktheywinwillalsobespecifiedbythecoach.

Usually,althoughnotalways,Pepwillalsousethetalkasamotivationaltool.Forexample, in the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final againstManchesterUnitedinearlyApril,Pepdroppedthisthirdtalk.Onthatoccasionhehad already named the team the day before, they had practised their attackingmoves andhe felt therewasnothing else to add. In contrast, the team arrived atMönchengladbach’sBorussiaParkwithjustminutestospareforthefirstmatchof2014onJanuary24becausePep’s talkhaddelayedthem.Hewantedto leavehismeninnodoubtastowhytheyhadbeenresoundinglythrashedsixdaysbeforeinafriendly in Salzburg: they hadn’t bothered to run and their game had lackedintensity.

‘I can take us so far,’ he told them. ‘I can analyse our opponents and usemytacticalknow-howtoplaceyouinthebestpositions.So,forexample,todayDavid[Alaba],Idon’twantyougoingtoofarupthepitchbecauseStuttgart’srightwing[MartinHarnik]coulddoussomedamage.Butfromhereoninlads,it’sdowntoyou.Ifyouchoosenottoplaywithintensity,ifyoudecideyou’renotgoingtorunyourlegsoffoutthere,well,wewon’twinthematch.’

Pepplanshis three talksonlyafter adetailedanalysisof theoppositionandhisown team.These talks also reveal his talent for innovation.Xavier Sala iMartín,who is aneconomicsprofessor atColumbiaUniversity,puts it like this: ‘Forme,Pepisagreatinnovator.Hewinsmatchesbyanalysinghisopponent’sweakpointandthenattacking it.But,more than that,he introducesconstant innovations sothat even if his opponents catch on and correct their own errors, Guardiola hasalreadyalteredhisstrategy.Heisalwaysonestepaheadandmanagestosticktohisowngamephilosophyof superiority in themiddleof the fieldwhilst at the sametimeadaptingBayern’sgametothecharacteristicsoftheircurrentopponent.’

InOctober2012inNewYorkhehadchattedwithGarryKasparovabouthowtoattack the adversary in chess and other sports, andKasparov had told him: ‘Youwouldn’t attack in the sameway from amountain top as youwould fromwideopencountryside.’

He had also dined in New York at the end of 2012 with Ferran Adrià, thegastronomic geniuswhowas about to closehis restaurantElBulli.The chef toldhim:‘Pep,you’remorethanacoach,you’reagreatinnovator.’

The coach had responded: ‘Look Ferran, all I do is look at the footage of ouropponentsandthentrytoworkouthowtodemolishthem(inactualfactheusedarathermoreprosaic and somewhatobscene term).All Ido is studymyarsenalofweaponsandpicktheonesIneedforeachoccasion.’

In the opinion of Sala i Martín, Guardiola’s natural talent for innovation is aperfectfitwiththeGermanspiritofenterprise.

‘I don’t know what the German footballing public would say but I do knowmanyofthepeopleinchargeofgovernmentandbusinessinthiscountryandtheyare all innovators and perfectionists. They live to do things right and avoidmistakes.They’re always looking for perfection. It doesn’tmatterwhether you’retalkingaboutBMW,SiemensorAudi.Theyvalueinnovativeideasandarealwayslookingfortheperfectproduct,whichtalliesexactlywithPep’sworkingstylewhichisallaboutconstantevolutionandinnovation.Andadaptation.Justlookatwhat’shappened here. Pep hasn’t tried tomake Bayern play like Barça. Instead, he hasadapted to the country and the players. Having said that, of course, there is norelationshipbetweenthewaytheteamisplayingnowandwhattheyweredoingonJuly1,2013.’

Inorder to fullyunderstandhowthisanalysisofBayernandtheiropponents isgenerated,weneedtotalktoCarlesPlanchart,whoisinchargeofGuardiola’steamofanalystsandwhohasworkedwiththecoachsince2007,whenhetookoveratBarçaB.Planchartexplainsthedifferentstagesheandhisteamgothrough:‘Therearebasicallytwopartstothis job:theanalysisofyourownteamandthatofyouropponent.Andtheyaretwoentirelydifferenttasks.You’reworkinginaclubthathasagameeverythreedays,soyoujustdon’thavetimetocorrectalltheirmistakeson the pitch. You therefore need to use other methods to communicate thecorrections which are impossible to get through to them during a game. If youhappen tohaveawholeweekof training sessions then,of course,youcanplanaseriesofexercisestocorrecttheerrors.Forexample,ifthedefensivelineistoohighor too deep, or if there’s too much space between the team lines, or there’s aproblem dealing with crosses, or if we are defending badly at the front post.Otherwise, themostefficientmethod is toshowthemvisual images,because thatgetstheideaacrossveryquickly.’

At the end of every match the analysts agree their conclusions about the playthey’vebeenwatching.They’llcommentoncollectiveandindividualactionaswellas the strategic and tactical side of things. Pep will then work one-to-one withspecific players during the week, or decide to save the information for a moreappropriatetime.Usually,however,strategicandindividualadjustmentshavetobe

madeimmediatelyandthesewilltheninformtheanalysisofthenextgame.This season Planchart’s team has added another dimension. They now analyse

eachplayer’smovesaswellaslookingatthetacticalplays.BytheendofthematchtheyhaveadetailedaccountofallthespecificmoveseachoftheBayernplayershasmadeandcanjudgewhetherornottheyhavemadetherightdecisions.Theyhaveopened a file on each player inwhich all his plays are noted in detail. After thematchtheyorganisetheseintocategoriesofplay.Forexample,therewillbealistofaerialchallenges,headers,dribblesandsoon.Theycanthenshoweachmanspecificimageswhichhelphimasanindividualorinthecontextofhispositionintheteamline, orwith a view to tactical priorities.All of the footage is filmedwith awideangle,sothattheycanjudgetheplayerandhisworkintermsofthetacticalworkoftheteam,notjusthowhedoesindividuallyandtechnically.

‘Pepalwaysliketoseethewholematchandweloaditontohiscomputerassoonasthematchisover,’continuesPlanchart.‘Hemightthenlookatthewholegameorwatchtheparticularmoveswe’vecategorised,eitherplayerbyplayer,orbytypeofmove,orunderdifferenttacticalheadings.He’llalsofindmynotesthere,bothdetailsfromthematchandspecificthingswe’veagreedtowatchoutfor.Aswellasgettingthematchbrokendownlikethis,Peplikestoreviewthematchhimselfandheproduceshisownanalysis.’

Theotherpartofthisanalyticalprocessconsistsofbreakingtherivaldown,avitalstageintheprocessofchoosingBayern’sownapproachtothegame.TheGermanleague records every Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga (second division) match inpanoramic format and thenmakes the footage available to clubs first thing everyMonday morning. The Champions League has no equivalent service and it ishugelydifficult to tape thematches– somuchso thatclubshavebeenknowntoindulge in trickery such as using a small, hand-held camera to record from thestands,orwearingglassesfittedwitharecordingdevice.

It is absolutely vital to recordmatches in situ in panoramic format so that theaction can be studied from a tactical point of view. ‘In Germany, scouting isconsideredapartofthejobandnotsomeformofespionage.Theclubsthemselvesevenpassfootagetoeachother.It’snormalpracticehere,’Planchartexplains.

Itisalsovitaltoanalysetheopponentinordertoselecttherightplayingsystem,theplayersyou’llneedandeventhetrainingexercisesthey’lldointherun-uptothematch. ‘In Barcelona, whenever we played a Champions League final we wouldanalyse our opponent’s last 12 matches, and for ordinary games we’d watch anaverageoffiveorsix.Wehavetotakeaccountofthetimeofyearandthetypeofteamouropponentsarefacingineachgame.Itmakesadifferencewhethertheyare

takingtheinitiativeorwaitingforachancetocounter-attack,iftheyhaveasimilarplayingstyletoourselves,etc.Ifyouropponentsaregoingupagainstteamsthataresimilartous,that’sfantastic.Ifnot,it’smuchlessmeaningful.’

After analysing the five or six games, Planchart prepares a report for Pep,organised according to concepts and the related moves. It will be a visualpresentation, which is much easier to understand, and which will offer threeexamplesofeachconceptinaction.IfPepfindsthishelpful,he’llthenbasehisownworkaroundtheinformationpresented.

‘Normallyassoonasthematchisoverorfirstthingthenextmorning,Igivehimthereportonournextopponent.Iworktwoweeksahead,buthejustconcentrateson the next game. Sometimes I’ll give him some of the Champions Leagueinformationabitearlierandthen,ifhehasaweekwithoutaWednesdayfixture,hecanhavealookatitabitearlierthanusual.Butusuallyhejustworksfromgametogameandonlyonceamatchisovercanhethinkaboutthenextone.’

Guardiolahasalookatthereportfirst.Itcoversaround50or60differentmovesandallowshimtogetageneralideaofhowtopreparehisnextgame.Sometimesitevengiveshimaclearideaoftheline-uphe’llneed.HecanthenstarttoplanthetrainingactivitieswithTorrentandBuenaventura,bearinginmindspecificaspectsof thegame. In thenext fewdays,he’lldoadetailedanalysisof theiropponents,looking at matches, or parts of matches and drawing his own conclusions. Hemakeslotsofnotesanddecidesonthekeyideasheneedstotransmittohismen.Sometimes he combines these with concepts developed from previous matches,either because he wants to revisit a particular move or tactical idea or formotivationalpurposes.

Duringthematch,PlanchartandhisteamalsosendimagesofspecificmovestothebenchwhereDomènecTorrentreceivesthemonhisiPad:‘Carlessendsthingshe’snoticedhimselforspecificmoveswe’veaskedfortomyiPad–cornerkicks,atypeofcounter-attack…weaskforitinimageformsothatPepcanseeitalmostsimultaneously.’

TheanalystsinthestandshavetheircameraconnectedtoTorrent’siPad,tothecomputer in Pep’s office and to the computer in the dressing room, which isconnected to a screenon thewall. In real time,Planchart selects and sends thosemoveshe thinksare relevantand savesothers for later.Then, fiveminutesbeforehalf-time,henipsdowntoPep’sofficeandfilestheentirefootageofthefirsthalf.Obviouslytheydon’thavethesamenetworkofconnectionsawayfromhomeandPlancharthastotakehisowncomputerdowntothedressingroom.

Heusuallypicksthreeorfourconceptstocoverathalf-timeandwillusetwoor

threethree-secondvideostodemonstratewhathemeansabouteachone.Intotal,therewillberapidshotsofroughly10specificmoves.‘Whatarewedoingathalf-time?That’llbePep’s firstquestion.Hecomes intohisofficeandasks,“whatareyouseeingupthere?”Becauseyougetacompletelydifferentviewoftheactionfromupaboveandyouspotdifferentthings.HealwayslistensattentivelywhenImakemy report. In fact Pep is always listening, always analysing. He’ll discuss withTorrenthowtocorrectfaultsorhowtochangethegame.Hethenmakesanoteofthe few concepts hewants to correct and goes off to the players’ dressing room.Withaboutfiveorsixminutestogo,he’llcalltherelevantplayersover,showthemthe imagesandtell themwhathewantstochange.Andthenoffhegoes,backtothebench.’

As Pep said to FerranAdrià, innovation can sometimes be themost prosaic ofprocesses.

‘All Ido is look at footageofouropponents and then try toworkouthow todemolishthem.’

45

‘PERFECTFOOTBALLISDAMNDIFFICULTTOACHIEVE.’

Munich,February15,2014

INEARLYFEBRUARYMarioGötzescorestheAllianzArena’sfirstgoalof2014.It’s been seven weeks since Bayern played on home turf and in that short timeplenty of things have changed. It’s not just that Pep seemsdifferent, it’s that histeam is functioning differently – quicker,more electric, as if propelled by a newenergy despite the never-ending injury list. Thiago has transformed into theemblemofthisdevastatingBayern.

‘HejustneededagreatgoalliketheonehescoredinStuttgart,’Pepexplains.‘Ithashelpedthefansunderstandwhatenormousqualityhehas.Thiagowon’teverbea prolific scorer but a great footballer? Yes. Just look at what he did back inDortmund.Threemonthswithoutamatchandhetakesoverthewholegame.’

Thiago’s increased influence stems fromreasonsbeyondthepsychologicaleffectofthatterrificgoal.It’stactical,too.Guardiolahasabandonedthesinglepivoteandthe false 9. Circumstances have dictated. In various games he has had to use acentre-forwardandasecondstrikerjustoffhim,whichhasmeantalittlebitmoreprotection down the middle of the pitch. This had its roots in the month ofOctober:everytimeheputGötzeonasasecondstrikerbehindMandžukićhehadto alter the positioning of the midfielders and use them in a double pivoteformation.TheninJanuary,duringtheepicfightbackintheMercedesBenzArenain Stuttgart, he needed to do the same thing, with Thiago and Lahm as doublepivote,sothatPizarrocouldplayoffMandžukić.

Suchwastheimprovementintheteam’sdynamicthatthecoachchosetomodifyhis traditional philosophy. ‘When he is in this position Thiago is in constantcontactwiththeball,he’stakingoneortwotouchesandhegeneratesfluidityandcontinuity inourplay.Lahmis there to supporthim,especially in the fluidityofmovingtheball.Philippisterrificandhe’llhelpmakeThiagostillbetterthanheisnow.’

Torrent puts it like this: ‘The use of the double pivote was born out of the

disappearanceofourfalse9.Whenwehavetouseasecondcentralstriker,linkingbetweenhimandmidfield,wehavetocloseupbehindthemusingtwoorganisingmidfieldersinthemiddle.Thepivotesalsofeelmuchmoresecureplayingwithjustoneattackingmidfielderthanwithtwo.’

Therehasbeena lotof teamrotation, asmanyas seven starters changing fromonematchtoanother,despitewhichthefootballintheAllianzhasbeenspectacularsincetheturnoftheyear.GötzeandThiagoareflyingandLahmiscomfortableatpivote.FromFebruary2theSchickeria,thestandwhereBayern’sultrascongregate,echoes to cries of: ‘Champions inMarch!’ andBayern do indeed blast theirwaythroughthenextfewweeks.FromthatdayuntilMarch8,Bayernwineightoutofeightgameswithanoverwhelminggoaldifference, scoring33andconceding justtwice.IntheAllianztheybeatEintrachtFrankfurt5-0,Freiburg4-0,andSchalke5-1.AwayfromhometheydefeatNuremberg2-0,Hannover4-0andWolfsburg6-1. In theDFB-Pokal theyeliminateHamburg5-0and in theChampionsLeaguethey take the Emirates Stadium, beating Arsenal 2-0. Bayern have become ademolitionmachine.Torrentreckonsitstemsfromthewinterbreak.‘Thetrainingcamp in Qatar marked an extraordinary change in us. Perhaps because after theholidaystheplayerswererefreshedandthey’dhadtimenotjusttolearnbuttofullyassimilate all thatwe’dbeen teaching them.Qatarwas like a catalyst.Everythingclicked andwebecamemore than the sumof ourparts.The team shot forwardsbecausetheplayersfullyunderstoodwhatwashappeningandwhy.’

Guardiolaseemsslightlylesssatisfiedthanhisassistant.‘Perfectfootballisdamndifficult to achieve. Heynckes’ Bayern managed it last season, but I still requiresometimetoreallylearntheBundesligaanditwillalsobeawhilebeforemyplayersareplayingattheirabsolutemaximum.’

Right now those players seem driven by a bottomless energy. The team isunmovedby the fact thatKroos is sent to thebench as apunishment forhavingreacted badly to being substituted.The collective energy overrides any individualdip. Even when the players go from one side of the stadium to another toacknowledge their fans after yet anotherwin, yet another record, they run.Theyshow that they can play direct, vertical football against Frankfurt or use long,continuousball-possessionagainstHamburgintheDFB-Pokal,whentheyowntheballfor84%ofthefirsthalf.It’sunheardofinGermanybutitdoesn’tnecessarilyimpressPep.

‘It’snormalenoughwhentheoppositionparksthebuslikethat.Thatallchangesif your opponent happens to be aggressive and wants to contest the ball – howmuchballyouhaveisn’tofsupremeimportance.What’sreallyimportantisthatthe

ballneedstobefarawayfromourgoal–that’swhatmakesmehappy.’Contrarytowhatmanythink,Guardiolaisnotinterestedinowningtheballfor

themajority of thematch, nor in pure statistics.What is eternally and cruciallyimportant for him is the idea of running – something which will only gain inimportanceinthecomingmonths.

‘Weenjoyourworkwhenweplaywellandwerunandrunandrun.Inordertoenjoyourbestplay,weneedtorunalot.’

TheothergreatfactorinthemonthofFebruaryisthefloodofconsecutivegames.‘Rightnowwe’reconstantlyplayingeverythreedaysandwecan’tallowanythingtodistract us and affect our focus,’ Pep insists. ‘The next game is always the mostimportantandthatmeanswecanonlythinkofthatandnotabouttheChampionsLeague or anything else. We must concentrate only on the next step forward.Always serious, always focused.Every single victoryneeds tobe constructed fromzero because the most difficult thing isn’t to win but to continue winning onceyou’ve hit winning form and the whole world just supposes that you’ll keep onwinning.Wehave towipe everything else out of ourminds, including last year’streble,andourwinsthisseason.Wehavetoworkeverysingledayasifwe’dwonnothing–asifwe’restartingfromzero.’

AttheendofthisunstoppableFebruary,perhapsthemostemblematicmomentactuallycomesonMarch1,whenthevisitors,Schalke,don’tevenmanagetocrossthehalfwaylineuntilthe29thminuteandNeuerdoesn’ttouchtheballuntilfourminutes before half-time. It’s just one more indication of Bayern’s devastatingdominance.Pep,nevertheless,wantsnothingtodowithsuchafloodofremarkablestatistics,norwiththerecordshisteamisaccumulating.‘Asportsmanalwaysneedstocentrehimselftotallyontoday,intheverymomentifpossible.Whoknowswhattomorrowwillbring?’

Runceaselesslyandfocusonthehereandnow:thetwofundamentalprincipleswhich will underpin Bayern’s performances in February, when they continue totriumph despite having already won everything. Principles which will then beforgotteninearlyApril,whenthetitleiswonandtheteamhitsitsonlydipoftheseason–andit’sabigone.

Before thishappens,Bayernwillcontinuetohammertheir rivalswiththesameregularity as they recover and then lose players. Schweinsteiger andMartínez arebackbutShaqiri is injuredoncemoreandRibéryneeds surgery.OnWednesday,February6,Pephasallhissquad(exceptlong-termabsenteeBadstuber)fitforthefirst time. It lasts one measly day. By Thursday, Ribéry undergoes his backoperation. Thanks to injuries, thanks to tactical alterations and because of the

dreadfulburdenofmatches,thecoachcan’ttalkaboutthestartingXI.Instead,heoperateswithamaingroupof15or16 interchangeableplayers–amongstwhomguys like Pizarro continue to perform well when called upon. This is a Bayernwhichmutatessmoothlyfromonetacticalschematictoanotherandwhichchangesformationconstantlyandeasilydependingonthedemandsoftheircoachandthecharacteristicoftheirrivals.

IremindedChristianStreich,Freiburgcoach,aboutachatwe’dhadsixmonthspreviously at his Mage Solar Stadium. Back then he’d predicted how impressivePep’sBayernweregoingtobe.‘Yes,Iremembersayingthattoyou.ItoldyouthatBayernweregoingtobeabrutalrivalandthat’swhatthey’vebecome.Ifyoutrytoplaydefensively,they’lljustunpickyouwithpasses.Pressthemhighandtheycanripyouapart.Theyhavesomanystringstotheirbowandare justoverpowering.Sixmonths ago theyweren’t playing like this, but during that time, under Pep’stutelage,they’vedoneit.Bayernareamachine.’

Pep continues to alter his line-updepending on the next opponent, or injuriesand the need to rest players, but these practical decisions also reflectGuardiola’simmutablebeliefthatconstantevolutionisafundamentalimperative.Evolutionasawayofbeing–anecessity,aduty.Pepstatesitbluntly:‘Thecharacterofateamisthecharacterofitscoach.’

46

‘HE’SSOINTENSETHATHE’LLEXHAUSTUS.’

Munich,February16,2014

DEFININGPEP–THAT’Satoughchallenge.Thereisn’tasingleadjectivewhichwillwhollysumupthecomplexitiesofapersonality likehis.Sometimesheseemslikehe’smadeoutofsteel,sometimesoutofbutter.Allthesameitistemptingtoseekoutsomedefinitiveword.Like‘obsessive’.

‘Ifbeingobsessivemeansbeingpassionateanddetailedinyourpreparation,’sayshis friend Sala iMartín, ‘then Pep is obsessive. But inmy opinion that kind ofobsession isn’t a negative thing if you’re obsessed about something you love andyou’retryingtoachievetoaperfectdegree.Pep’sobsessiveinthesamewayagreatmusicianoragreatartistisobsessed.It’sjustthathiskey,hispalateisfootball.’

The professor of economics talks to us about what he sees as in-depthpreparation. ‘During his sabbatical year inNew York he’d sometimes attendmyclassesoninnovationandeconomicsatColumbiaUniversityandhewasextremelyinterestedinindividualcommunication–farmoresothangroupcommunication.He’d already figured out that this was no longer an era to show his players a‘Gladiator’video[ashedidbeforetheRomeChampionsLeaguefinalof2009]oruseCruyff’sturnofphrasefromthe1992EuropeanCupfinal[‘Gooutandenjoyyourselves’]. Pep was much more interested in personalised communication –findingotherwaysofgettingfeelingsandbeliefsacrosstohisplayers.HewantedtounderstandTwitter and social networkingwith a view to possibly using some ofthoseconceptsandruleswhilecommunicatingwithinthedressingroomoronthetrainingpitch.Becauseheknewheshouldbedoingthat.SointheUShededicatedhimself to working out how to harness the power of modern technology tocommunicatewithplayers.Hespentayearworkingitout.Itbecameanobsessionevenwhenhedidn’tyethaveateamtoapplyallthisto.IntheheartofManhattanlifehewasconsumedbyhowallthiswasgoingtohelphimchangeandimprovehiswork,longbeforehehadsometodo.’

Sala i Martín evokes another ingredient which is essential to understandGuardiola: passion. ‘Kasparov told him clearly: Pep, you can’t play without

passion.’Buenaventura,too,believesthatpassionisfundamentaltovictoryinfootball.‘If

youtalktoDiegoSimeonehe’lltellyousomethingwhichprettymuchstandsout:“I’m the footballerwho got themost out of the least resources. You knowwhy?BecauseIhavepassion!HowthehellwasIgoingtoget100gamesforArgentina?As a player I was a bit of a lump, but everything I achieved was down to mypassion.”’

Pepisn’touttointellectualisefootball,orhisideasandconcepts.Hedoesn’tusecomplicatedvocabulary.He’s anordinary guy anduses simplewords.This is thesonofabricklayerwhohasneverforgottenhisroots.

‘TheplayerswillendupdrainedbyPep,’Thiagooncepredicted.‘He’ssointensethathe’llexhaustus.He’sanevenbetterpsychologistthanheisatactician.’

Thiagoreallyknowshim.He’stakenhisrowsandhe’searnedhisdemonstrationsofaffection–hiswarningsandhispraise. ‘Pepwillneverbe satisfied.Hedoesn’tenjoyhimself.He’llneverenjoyfootballbecauseheisalwayslookingforwhathasgonewronginordertocorrectit.Pepisneverhappybecausehe’saperfectionist.’

47

‘THEYLIKETHEIDEAOFTELLINGTHEIRFRIENDS:IPLAYFORPEPGUARDIOLA.’

Munich,February17,2014

THETEAMISmorethanpreparedforthegreatchallengesoftheseason.They’reontopformandthey’rehungry.Theleaguetitleiswithinreach.WithtwoweekstogobeforetheendofFebruary,Bayernare16pointsaheadofBayerLeverkusenand17 above Borussia Dortmund. Guardiola jokes: ‘If we don’t win the league, I’llresign.’

Given that the teamareon such ahigh, it seems a good time to chat to a fewexpertsandIstartwithAlexisMenuge,theGermancorrespondentfortheFrenchpaper L’Équipe and author of Franck, Franck Ribéry’s biography. ‘Bayern arestrongernowthantheywereattheendof2013.Ithinkthat’sdowntothefactthattheplayersunderstandmoreaboutwhatPepwants.TheQatartrainingcampwasvery intense and they trainedwell.But apart fromall thehardwork I think thattacticshavehadaroletoplayhere.ForthelastfewweeksPephasallowedhismentoplaywith a 4-2-3-1more frequently.That’s how theyplayedunderHeynckesandIthinkhisplayersfeelmorecomfortableasaresult.’

NextIinterviewRomanGrill,PhilippLahm’sagentandamanwhounderstandsfootball tactics inside out.Grill has strong opinions. ‘The team’s improvement ismostlydowntoPepGuardiola’sabilitytoteacheffectivelyandinmyopinionhe’sthe first Bayern Munich coach Philipp’s worked under who teaches his playerssomethingneweveryday.Hehashadaverypositiveinfluenceonthemand,givenhisrecordwithBarça,hasthekindofauthoritythatinspirestheplayerstolearn.’

AswellasworkingsocloselywithLahm,RomanGrillplayedforBayernIIandalsocoachedtheyouthteam.There’snodoubtinhismindastothereasonfortheteam’s improvement. ‘This teamneeded someone likePep.And I really can’t seeanyothercoachdoingwhathehasdonehere.LastyearBayernalreadyhadthebestsquadintheirentirehistory,whetheritwascreatedbysheergoodluckorbyfirst-class planning on the part of the management, but there were some very dodgytactical decisions made under Jupp Heynckes. Heynckes used his charisma and

authorityasarespected,experiencedcoachtomanagehismen,buttheplayerswerecomingupwiththe tactical solutions themselvesonthepitchand it justcouldn’thavegoneonforanotheryear,particularlyaftertheywoneverything.Theyneededthestimulusofacoachwithideas,acoachwhohasaplanwhichheimplementsonadailybasis.There’snoothercoachintheworldwhocouldhavegiventhemthis–onlyGuardiola.TheteamhasgonethroughanamazingprocessofevolutionandIhaveneverseenaBayernteamplaywiththislevelofintensity.ThematchagainstCity in Manchester was a fantastic spectacle, extraordinary. Pep always knowsexactlywhathewants.He’samanwhowantstohelphisplayers,workwiththem,notagainstthembutheisalsoclearaboutwhathewants,whathisobjectivesare.’

The day after this chat I catch up with Daniel Rathjen, a Eurosport Germanyreporter, who has followed Bayern’s season closely. ‘Winter was an importantturning point for Pep and for Bayern. He came here in the summer with hisphilosophyandhisnewideasbutitwasstillHeynckes’team.Youcouldseeitintheplayers, in the bosses and even in Pep himself. You could see it in theway theyplayedanditwasanenormouschallengetoturnthisaround.Itwasalwaysgoingtotaketime.IthinkthatMarrakechwasthecatalyst,aftertheywontheClubWorldCup.Back thenPep thankedHeynckes again saying, ‘Danke, Jupp, forgivingusthe chance towin this title’.But itwas awatershedmoment. Itwas the last titlewonby the ‘old’ team. InQatar, after thewinterbreak,Pep’s reign reallybegan.PlayerslikeRobben,Schweinsteiger,LahmandRibéryunderstoodthattheycouldcontinuetowintrophiesanditwasthenmucheasierforPeptoreaptherewardsofthe seeds he had sown.Theweeks prior toFebruarywere spent getting to knoweachother,establishingroutinesandrecoveringfromtheplagueofinjuriesthathadhit them. And all the while Bayern still managed to achieve overwhelmingdomination of the league. Their second stage of evolution really started fromJanuaryonwards,whentheybegantofunctionasasolidgroup.’

IalsospeaktotherenownedauthorRonaldReng,whohaswrittenseveralbooks,themostfamousofwhichisRobertEnke:ALifetooShort.RonaldlivedinBarcelonaforseveralyearsandwitnessedGuardiola’sBarçaatfirsthand.Heis,therefore,wellplaced tomake comparisonswithBayern. ‘TheBayernplayers have surprisedmemuchmorethanPephimself.IalreadyknewPepfromBarçaandwasawareofhistalentforinnovationandhistacticalideas.Butthehumilitywithwhichtheplayershavebeenpreparedtolearnhassurprisedme.Insomecasesthishasmeantaradicaltransformation,almostasifthey’vemovedtoaforeigncountry.Inanycase,thereare huge differences between Bayern’s game and Barça’s. There is the occasionalgame,usually athome, that you can see some similarities, but they are very rare.

Bayern have this ability to hit you hard from a standing start. Barça don’t haveanythinglikethat.It’sthecapacitytocreatesomethingoutofnothing.’

Perhaps themost interestingpartof theprocess forRenghasbeenthe fact thatwinning the treble in 2013 didn’t dissipate their hunger in any way. ‘First, it’simportanttosaythattheprospectivechangeofcoachhadanimpactontheteamevenduringtheirtreblecampaign.ByJanuarytheplayersknewthatPepwasgoingto be appointed and that affected them psychologically. Consciously orsubconsciouslymany of them started to giveHeynckesmore support because hewastheguywhowasleaving.ItwaseveneasierforJupptomanageateamofmenwhohadsomuchaffection forhim.Players likeRobbenandRibéry,whowereakey part of the title wins, were no longer focusing on themselves and their ownegos.Theywere thinkingof their coach,whowas leaving.So in essence the ‘Pepeffect’actuallystartedbeforeheevengothere.Andrightnowthey’replayingatamuchhigherlevel.Theirresultsareoutstanding,butsoisthewaytheyareplaying:thetypeofgamethey’replayingnowismuchmoredifficultthanwhattheydidlastyear.More passing,more definition,more complex tactics – it’s actually quite acurious phenomenon that rarely happens in football. These players had woneverythingbuttheystilllikedtheideaofbeingabletotelltheirfriends,‘IplayforPepGuardiola’.That’snotwhatusuallyhappens,Icantellyou.Infactplayersareusuallyverycriticaloftheircoaches,onlytooreadytofindfault.Heretheoppositehappened. There was a huge amount of curiosity about Pep and they were alsosurprisedbythekindoftrainingsessionsheintroduced.Intruth,Pep’sarrivalwasthebiggeststimulusthisteamcouldhavehad.Thegreatestdiscoveryofthisseasonhasbeenthatveteransplayingatthiselitelevelarestillcapableofchanging,andinsuchashortspaceoftime.’

FebruarywillbeBayern’smonthofconsolidation.January’sgoodimpressionsnotonlytranslateintovictoriesandadevastatinggapatthetopoftheBundesliga,butalso allow them to shift their focus to the Champions League, something thatGuardiolahadwantedtoavoiduntiltheywereguaranteedtheleaguetitle.Butitisunavoidableandtheplayersarenowveryconsciousofit.Theyflythroughtrainingsessions.Theyhavehad a tasteof victory in theChampionsLeague andhavenointentionoflettingtheultimateEuropeanprizeslipthroughtheirfingers.

Watching a positional play training exercise is like watching a recital of ballcontrolbyThiago,whomanages toopenup space every timehe controls apass.Thisisthetraditionaldrillwhichispractisedinarectangleof20x12metreswhereitis7v7plusfiveplayerswhoalwaysswitchtoassisttheteamwiththeball.Onlythechosenfew–Thiago,Lahm,SchweiniandKroos–areallowedtwotoucheson

theball.Everyoneelsegetsonlyone.Pepceaselesslycorrects.Itdoesn’tmatterifit’sKroos,Robben,Schweinsteiger.

‘Tac, tac, tac, pass, look,move the otherway, keep the ball, take up the rightposition.’

Theteamradiatesasenseofsecurity.ItseemsthatBayern,forthefirsttimesincePeptookover,hasreachedthatintangiblestatewheretheyfeelcompletelyshieldedagainstthewhimsandcapricesofbadluck.Pephasprovidedthemwithasafetynetthat gives them a deep sense of security and the belief that they can achieveanything.MemoriesofthegoodtimesinBarcelonafloodback,thedayswhentheCatalanteamfeltwrappedupinanauraofinvincibility.

AttheendofthelasttrainingsessionbeforetheymeetArsenalinLondoninthelast16oftheChampionsLeague,IaskThiagoAlcántaraaboutthissensation.

‘You’reabsolutelyright,’saysThiago.‘Iwasthinkingaboutitlastnightandthat’sexactlywhat I’mfeeling:a senseof security.The teamfeels secureandcapableofjustaboutanything.IhadthesamefeelinglastsummerintheUnder-21Euros.TheSpainteambelievedthatwewouldwinandthattheonlyteamcapableofbeatinguswasourselves.Andwewon.’

There was one person left to talk to about what Bayern was going through.Someonewhonevertakesthepressureoff,whoneverrelaxes.MatthiasSammer,theclub’ssportsdirector.‘We’reingoodform.We’restrong,fast,focusedandhungry.Wewant towin.Butweneed todomore.We areBayern.Wehave to giveourutmostineverytrainingsessionandineverymatch.That’stheonlywaytoachieveexcellence, to reach that elite level only reserved for the few true greats.This is ahistoric opportunity. We are Bayern and we need to make the most of thisopportunity.Wemustn’tstopnow.’

48

‘JUSTASWELLWEHADMANU.WITHOUTTHATHANDIDON’TKNOWWHEREWE’DBE.’

London,February19,2014

IT’S5PMINLondonandtheplayershavejusthadsomethingtoeatunderthepalmtreesoftheLandmarkHotel’sWinterGarden,astone’sthrowfromRegent’sPark.Pepiswaitingfortheminoneofthehotel’smeetingrooms.He’sabouttodeliverthepre-match talk for theArsenal-Bayernmatch, theaway legof theChampionsLeaguelast16.There’sbeenamajorchangeintheline-up.JaviMartínezwillbethesolopivote,Lahmreturnstoright-backandRafinhaisbenched.Afterannouncingthe team, the coach explains his plan for the game againstArsèneWenger’s side:‘Lads,weallhaveexperienceofthiskindofgame.We’veallplayedinChampionsLeagueknockoutroundsandyouknowwhatthey’relikeandwhattheymean.Youknow how intense they are. Intense, complicated, aggressive and dangerous. I’mgoingtogiveyousomeverypreciseinstructions.’

Pepstopsforamoment.It’satheatricalpause.‘ThisiswhatIwant:forthefirst10or12minutesIwantyoutokillthegame,andshatterArsenal’sconfidenceintheprocess.They’llcomeoutallgunsblazing,readytoattack.Iwantyoukillthegamedead.Keeppassingtheball.Foronce,IwantyoutodoexactlywhatIhatemost,thethingI’vetoldyouistotalshit.Tiquitaca.Iapologise,buttodayIwantyoutodopreciselythat,justforawhile.Passtheballaimlessly.Passitforthesakeofit.You’llbeboredandyou’llfeellikeit’sapointlessexercise,butitdoeshaveapurpose.WewanttokeeptheballandborethepantsoffArsenal,keepthemfromtakingtheballoffus.They’llsoonseethatalltheiraggressionispointlessbecausetheywon’tcomeinstrikingdistanceoftheball.

‘Youwon’tneedmetotellyouwhentomoveon.After10minutes,whenyoucanseethatthey’rerunningoutofgas,they’regettingboredandlosingheart,whenyou see that they’renot chasing theball as aggressively, gentlemen, that’swhen Iwantyoutostarttherealgame.That’swhenwestopthetiquitacaandstarttoplayourfootball.That’swhenwegoforthejugular.’

Intheevent,hismendoeverythingbutfollowhisinstructionsandthestartofthematch bears no resemblance to Guardiola’s instructions. Within the first 10

minutesBayernlosepossessionsixtimes,hooflongballsintotheArsenalhalfandgift them possession. But hadn’t they agreed to hijack the ball? Why were theygivingitaway?

For the first 10 minutes, which feel like a lifetime to Guardiola, Arsenal tossBayern about like a rag doll.Happily forBayern,ManuelNeuer – once again –playsablinder.NotonlydoeshesaveaMesutÖzilpenaltyandseveralothershots,but he works to calm his team-mates, yelling at them to follow the coach’sinstructions.Neuersavesthemandsoothesthematthesametimebutit’sanervous10 minutes for Guardiola, who is struggling to understand how players of thiscalibre are booting long balls instead of protecting the possession as he hasdemanded.Nor is his decision to put JaviMartínez in the fulcrum of the teamworking: the Spaniard addsmuscle in the centre of the camp, but loses control.Whyhavetheteamcompletelyfailedtofollowhisinstructions?

‘Because it’s football,’ Pep explains the next day, now much calmer. ‘Becausewe’remen, not robots. Because we want to get it right but sometimes we don’tknowhow,we justmessup.Because training is relaxedandagame isvery tense.Becauseouropponentsarealsotalenteddespitethefact thatpeopleoftencriticisetheotherteam.Becausethat’sfootball,myfriend.’

Thosemomentswhenhisteamlostcontrolseemedlikeaneternitytothecoach.Inthepost-matchpressconferencehetalksabout‘20minutesofhell’althoughthenext day, having looked at the video, he realises that it had lasted just sevenminutes,not20.

‘Yes, but it felt like an eternity. If it hadn’t been forManu… fuck, you can’taffordtogiveawayevenfiveminutesintheChampionsLeague!’

AfterNeuer saved the penalty, Bayern took control of thematch and the ball.Thiagocameintohisownandtheteambegantomakechances.Along,highballfromKroos toRobben causedWojciechSzczęsny to foul theDutchman and thegoalkeeperwasimmediatelysentoff.Alabahitthepostandbyhalf-timeitwas0-0despitethe17crossesBayernhadlaunchedintotheArsenalbox.

Everythingchangedinthesecondhalf.Onesubstitutionwasenough:RafinhaforBoateng,Martíneztocentre-half,LahmtopivoteandThiagoleftwing.Thechangewas devastating. Lahm dominated the ball and Arsenal, one man down, saw allhopesnuffedout.

Kroos,morethananyone,hadanoutstandingsecondhalf–152passeswith97%accuracy, and swept in a Lahm pass for the crucial opening goal, before Müllerheadeda second lateon. If anyone stillhaddoubts about theplayer,hismajesticperformanceinthisgamemarkedhimoutasaworldstar.Guardiolahaddrawnon

previously-learnedlessons.Against10menwhilewithBarçahehadusedtoomanystrikersagainstbankeddefences,withninemendefendingtheirarea.HemadesurenottorepeattheerrorhereintheEmiratesStadium.

Opting to populate midfield high up the pitch, he used the trick of drawingdefenders to one side of the field then suddenly switching play to the othertouchline. Kroos got it perfectly and spent the rest of the night sending Arsenalscurryingfromonesidetotheother totheextentthatArsenalmanagedonly justover20%possessionandamere30passesinthesecondhalf,comparedtoBayern’s550(their95%accuracywasaChampionsLeaguerecord).

Lahm’s ability topredict thenextmove,Kroos’ exhibitionof first-class footballandPizarro’srapidunderstandingofexactlywhatwasrequiredallplayedadecisiveroleinBayern’s2-0victory,justasPep’sreadingofthesituation,basedonpreviousbitterexperienceagainst10-manteamswhoparkedthebus,hadintended.BayernleftEnglandwithanotherChampionsLeaguewin,averygoodomen,butnobodycouldpersuadePeptorelaxaftertheshockofthoseearlyminutes.

‘It seemed to last an eternity. Just aswellwe hadManu.Without that hand Idon’tknowwherewe’dbeintheChampionsLeaguerightnow.’

49

‘LAHMBRINGSTHISTEAMTOLIFE.’

Munich,March8,2014

THELEAGUEISalreadyeffectivelywon.Theonlyquestioniswhereandwhen.Bayern are 20 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund and even a breathtakingperformancefromWolfsburgintheirmatchagainsttheMunichteamfailstohaltthe champions, who have been amassing goals and victories in equal measure.Everyone’sinaverygoodmood.

IntheFridaytrainingsession,thedaybeforetheWolfsburgmatch,theassistantcoach, Tiger Gerland, disallowed a goal for being offside in the ‘double area’training game. Such is the level of competitiveness that several players, amongstthemRibéry,roundedonGerland.Althoughitwasallgoodhumoured,therewasaserioussidetotheircomplaints.Theseguysdon’tliketolose,evenintraining.Thedissentlastedallof60seconds,untilRibéryproducedanoutstandinggoal,whichhe then followedwith triumphant celebrations and a laughing, affectionate, two-fingered salute in Gerland’s direction. The joke, however, was not to end here.Guardiolahimselfdecidedtojoininthefunandsurprisehismen.Sayingnothing,hefinishedtrainingandflewwiththeteamtoWolfsburg.Afterdinnerhegavehisobligatory tactical talk, including a video,which, to the players’ amazement,wasimmediatelyfollowedbyfootageofthedisallowedgoalfromtraining.Andnotjustthat. Carles Planchart had edited in several replays, showing where the nominaloffsidelinewouldhavebeen,sothatitwasnowclearthatthegoalhadinfactbeencompletelylegal!Asallhellbrokeloose,halftheteamjumpedtoGerland’sdefenceandtheotherhalfshoutedabuse.Thatnightwhentheywenttobed,everyonewasstillchucklingatthejoke.

On Saturday, Bayern beat Wolfsburg 6-1 in a match which is actually muchtougher than the score suggests. Pep’s choice for the starting line-up serves tohighlight the difficulties he has had this season because, for the first time sinceOctober26,2013,bothRobbenandRibéryarestarters.Ithasbeen19weeks,133days and 22 matches since the last time (against Hertha Berlín in Munich) –statisticswhichgosomewaytoconveythesheervolumeof injuriesthesquadhas

suffered.Theproblemscausedby the injury tollhavebeendealtwithby,amongstother

measures, the fluidity of their game in midfield, with their best performancescomingwhenLahm,KroosandThiagoplaytogether.Thiago’spresencehasfreedupToniKroos,whoseemslessself-consciousandmorewillingtotakerisks.Kroosis already carving out a place for himself in the pecking order, somethingwhichMarioGötze has yet to achieve, perhaps because of his natural timidity. Pep hasrepeatedlyurgedhimtostamphispersonalityontheteam.But,ofcourse,headandshouldersabovethemallstandsPhilippLahm.‘Philippisamachine,’saysPep.‘Hegetstheballandhedoeswhateverhewantswithit.Hetakesitwhereverhewantsittogoandalwaysintherightdirection.’

Sitting beside Pep at the post-match dinner, which is when he offers hismostdetailedandextendedanalysis,ManelEstiarteputsitlikethis:‘Hedoesn’tlosetheball.He turns anddrives the team.He’s an astonishing player. Lahmbrings thisteamtolife.’

It’simpossibletofullyunderstandBayern’striumphantleaguecampaignwithouttaking account of Lahm’s role in the position of pivote. His place in the club’shistorywassecuredonceandforallonAugust30,2013,inPrague.Adaythat isstillfreshinPep’smemory.‘IfwewinanythingthisseasonitwillbedowntowhatIdidwithLahm.’Andthereisafootnotetotheplayer’sstory.IntheNürnbergderbyinFebruary,Lahmgetsagoal,hisfirstleaguegoalin95matches(thelasttimehescoredwasthreeyearsbefore,inFebruary2011).

WhatLahmhasachievedthisseasonisallthemoreimpressivebecauseithasbeenso difficult for a player who is not, in theory, a specialist in midfield. Nobodyknowsthisbetterthanhisagent,RomanGrill.‘Philippobviouslybringsagreatdealto the defensive organisation, but also the fluidity of the team’s play. Even as adedicatedfull-backhealreadyhadthisgiftofseeingateam-mateandgivingtheballto him in just the rightway at just the right time and itwas a huge boon then.Whenheplays as anorganisingmidfielder, this giftofhis standsout evenmore.AcrosstheboardJaviMartínezisthestrongestaerially,Schweinsteiger’spositionalsenseisverygood,butifyouaddeveryfacettogetherthenPhilippisprobablythemostcompleteinthispivoterole.’

Grill also agrees that the trio of Lahm, Kroos and Thiago has brought greaterfluiditytoBayern’sgame:‘WatchingBayernplay,itseemstomethattheyperformbetterwhenthosethreeverytechnicallygiftedplayersareinthemidfield.Theteamismuchbetteratholdingontotheball,notlosingit.Ithasmeantaquantumleapin the quality of Bayern’s performance: an inverted triangle with just the one

organisingmidfielderatitsbase.’Allthesame,anddespitethetopperformanceswhenthistrioareinharness,Pep

wants to add refinements in the middle of the pitch. Some are tactical, such asplacing the two full-backs high up, tight to the attacking midfielders. Grill isimpressedbythat.‘Pep’sideaofputtingthefull-backshighandinside,toflankthecreativemidfielders in a line of four stands out. It has been both intelligent andstrategic.Butithasalsobeentheproductofhowheunderstandshisownplayers.Ithas been done with one aim and it’s very clear what he’s going for. He wantscontrol in themiddleof thepitchand for thatheneeds superiority either inballpossessionorthenumberofplayers there.Hecanthereforeonlyattackdownthewings,withonemanoneachtouchline.Forthathe’sgotRobbenandRibéryandthat’senough.Pephashadtobeclearandsmartinhisunderstandingofhisplayers.Doeshe try to exert influenceonRobbenandRibéry andalter theirbasic game?That’saverycomplicatedprocessandhe’sputthetwofull-backsinsidebecausehehasunderstoodthatthetwowidefrontmenweren’tgoingtobewillingtogivehimwhathewants.His tactichasendedupnotonlygivingBayern superiority in themiddleofthepitch,thankstoRafinhaandAlaba,butalsoallowingthetwocreativemidfielders in that line of four, usuallyThiago orGötze, to pushup in a higherattackingposition,meaningthathe’sgotsuperiorityinthemiddleandmoreplayersattacking the danger zone around the opposition penalty box. It’s a winning,intelligent,aggressivetacticwhichImustapplaud.’

AswellasPep’sdistinctivetacticalrefinements,theclubalsohasitsownapproachtopersonalmattersandpridesitselfontakingcareofitsown,ensuringthatnooneisabandonedintheirhourofneed.Theyseethemselvesasonebigfamilyandthatapplies whether they’re dealing with long-term injury, as in the case of HolgerBadstuber,whose recoverywould save themhaving to sign anewplayer, or evenlegaltroubles.

Bayernhadwelcomed theBrazilianBrenoBorgesbackafter theplayer servedayear-longprisonsentenceforburninghisownhousedown.Onhisreturn,Borgeswasappointedasamemberofthetechnicalstaffinchargeoftheyouthteam.

Schweinsteiger’s fitnesshasalsocausedtheclubdifficulties,albeitonadifferentscale. After undergoing two ankle operations in just five months (June andNovember)hisseasonhasbeenanightmare.InOctobertheclubhadthechancetosignoneofthebestmidfieldersintheworldfornextseason.Itwouldhavebeenanexcellent deal, considering the technical and tactical abilities of the player inquestionaswellasthefinancialterms,buttheclubturneditdown,optinginsteadtocontinuetogivetheirfullsupporttoSchweinsteiger.

In February, when Lahm, Kroos and Thiago were performing brilliantly, Pepdecided to modify the team’s structure. Why? There was only one reason: hewanted to retain a role for Schweinsteiger. It’s a real dilemma for the coach butregardlessoftheshort-termdamageitmightdototheteam’soverallperformance,hewantsSchweiniback.ForRomanGrill, thisdecision is a serious threat to theteam’sfluidity:‘We’venotyetseeneverythingPhilipp,Thiago,KroosorGötzecandointhemidfieldandI’vebeenabitdisappointedthatPephaschangedtheset-upinhislasttwoorthreegames.He’smovedLahmbacktoright-back[inordertofitSchweinsteiger in] and it’s apitybecause I think that itwouldbehelpful togivetheseguysalotmoreexperience.They’realladaptingtosomethingnew–notonlyLahm,butalsoToniKroos,whobringsalotofsavvyandcalmtothecreativeplay,butwho can still lose concentration from time to timeduringmatches. ItwouldhavebeengreatiftheycouldhavecontinuedwiththissystemandI’mdisappointedthatPepseemstohavechangedit.’

Grill is right.PuttingLahm,KroosandThiago togetherworksbetterandgivesBayern increased fluidityandgreater consistency.Ontheotherhand,Guardiola’sdecision is understandable. He doesn’t want to lose a player of Schweinsteiger’scalibre, no matter how difficult his season has been. Achieving a compromisebetween the twooptions is like squaring a circle: impossible.But that’swhat thecoach ispaid for: to take thesekindsofdecisions,even ifhedoesn’talwaysget itright.

50

‘I’VEGONEFORCONTROL.CONTROLANDMORECONTROL.’

Munich,March11,2014

HEHASN’TYETdecidedonhisstartingline-upfortonight.WithjustninehourstogobeforethereturnlegagainstArsenalinthelast16oftheChampionsLeaguePepisstilllockedawayinhisSäbenerStrassehideaway,ruminatingonwhethertoputSchweinsteigerorLahminthecentreofmidfield.Krooshasaslightcoldbuttheexpressiononhisfacemakesitclearthatheisnotwillingtomissthismatch,nomatterwhat.Pepstillhasdoubts.Hegoesoverandovertheteaminhishead.

‘I’mnothappyuntilIdecidewho’splaying.It’snotjustabouthowtoattack,butwhoarethebestmentodoit.It’sonethingtohaveaclearideaofhowwe’regoingto approach thematch but it’s quite another to choose the best players to do it.That’sthekeydecision.’

It’snooninMunichandtheteamhavedonetheirmorningtrainingandlistenedto the second-last team talk. This is the one that strips down their opponent’sstrategy,followedbyaquickrunthroughonhowtoattackanddefendcornersandwide free-kicks. But Pep is still thinking about his line-up. He has a couple ofproblems: Kroos, who has a cold, and, despite his protestations to the contrary,Schweinsteigerisstillnot100%.

Pephas doubts.His technical assistants advise him to gowith the playerswhohavegottheteamthisfarintheChampionsLeague,theguyswhohavetakenthemthroughthetoughtimesandtheirepidemicof injuries,manyofthemahangoverfromapunishing2012/13season.Oneoftheassistantshasacoffeewithmeoutsidethedressingroomandtellsme:‘Myadvicewouldbetorewardtheguyswhohavegotusthisfar.Thisislikeafinal.Itwouldbearealsuccesstogetthroughtothequarter-finals and sticking to the same guys when everyone’s fit would serve toincrease competition forplaces. Ifwe get knockedout tonight, then it’s going tomakethelastfewweeksoftheseasonverylongindeed.’

ThatwouldmeanRafinhaatright-back,withLahmandKroostogetherinatwo-mandefensivemidfield.ButPepisintwominds.Yesterday,hewasonthepointof

agreeingwithhisassistants.Itwasmid-afternoonandforamomentit lookedlikehewassure:‘Oneoptionwouldbetoplaytheguyswhohavegotusthisfar–theguyswhohadtoplaymorebecauseofalltheinjuries.’

It’sstrangehowhechangeshismindfromonedaytothenext.Yesterdayhewasabsolutelyclear.Thismatchrepresentedakeymilestoneintheirseason.Theresultwouldeithermeangivingupononeoftheirmajorobjectivesorembarkingontheirfinalpush.

‘Tomorrow’sgameisimportantbecause,giventhatwe’vealreadywontheleague,ifwegoout, the restof the season isgoing todrag.Wemustget to thequarter-finalsandthenreallygoforit.’

Butwhoshouldplay?OvernightPephadhadachangeofheart.Hedecidednotto take any risks. The quarter-finals were within reach. All they had to do wascontrolthematch,closeitdown,dowhattheydidn’tmanagetodointheEmiratesStadium in the first few minutes. That’s how they’d do it. If they succeeded incontrollingthematchfor90minutes,onlyfourgameswouldstandbetweenthemandanotherEuropeanfinal.

Pep’s not surewhich is thebetter strategy: attackor control.He almost alwaysgoeson theattackbut todayhe’snot so sure.Somuch so thatbynoonhe’s stillundecided.Deepdownhe likeshavinghisbackagainst thewall,whenhedoesn’thaveenoughplayersandhastoplayaChampionsLeaguefinalwithanimprovisedback fourbecauseof suspensionor injury, likehedid in2009and2011. In thatkind of situation his talent for invention comes to the fore. But this is a newexperienceforhim–hehashiswholesquadtopickfrom.It’sagoodproblemtohave,whattheycallinMunichaLuxusproblem.Andhisplayersareprofessionals.They’llunderstand.Ornot.

He had had lunch with Toni Kroos the previous week and told him that hewanted him to become one of the group leaders over the next few seasons. Heavoidedanymentionofthefinancialnegotiationsbetweentheplayerandtheclub,nordidhemake anywildpromises about a guaranteedplace as a starter.This issomething he couldn’t promise any player. He did, however, leave Kroos in nodoubtastohiscoach’shighregardforhim.Yearsbefore,atBarcelona,hehaddoneexactlythesamethingwithYayáTouré.HetoldKroosthathewantedhimbesidehimandofferedtohelphimbecomeanevenbetterplayer.However,todayKrooswon’tbe starting.He’s got a cold andPep alsowants to cementSchweinsteiger’splaceinthegroup.HewantseveryoneinpeakfitnessforAprilandMay.

Badstuberapart,everyoneisfit.Thisisafirst–he’shadtowaituntilMarch10tohave all his men available. Even the guys who have taken a few kicks have no

problemsintraining.Thepainhasgone.TheplayersarewearingtheirChampionsLeaguekitandthatfactalonehasacurativeeffect.NobodyiswillingtomisstheirdatewithArsenal.

Attrainingthedaybeforethematchtherearenocluesastothestartingline-up.Pepstillhasn’tdecidedwhetherthey’regoingouttogetgoalsorerringonthesideof safety and settling for ball domination.The session doesn’t focus on either oftheseapproaches. Instead theyrehearsehowtodefendtheway thatArsenalbegintheir attacks from thekeeper.Theygoover the co-ordinatedmovement thebacklinemustmakewhentheballisbeingputlongfromtheArsenalkeeper.

‘We know that [Lukasz] Fabianski almost always sends the ball to his right,’Planchart reminds them. ‘If it reaches [Olivier]Giroud it’s so thathecanchest itdownandholditup.Ifheputsitto[Bacary]Sagnait’stomakeourfull-backpushup towards him and Sagnawill try to head the ball onwards and into the spacebehindourfull-back.’

AndonMondayeveningtheygooverandoverthewaytodefendagainsttheseArsenalgoal-kicks,withNeuerintheroleofFabianski.For20minutes,DanteandSchweinsteiger are busymarking Pizarro,who acts asGiroud, and Alaba tries toperfectthewaytoclosedownSagna,whoseroleistakenbyRafinha.

Next,PepexplainsindetailhowMikelArtetatriestodrawintheopposingpivoteinordertocreateaspaceinthemiddleofmidfieldintowhichMesutÖzilwilltrytoappear.PepwalksthroughArteta’smovementswhilstemphasisingtohisplayers,whoare spreadout in frontofhim: ‘Özil is thedangerousone–he’s theonewereallyneed to keep the closest eye on.Artetadraws you in,Özil popsup in thatzonewith[Santi]Cazorlaand[AlexOxlade-]Chamberlainaroundhimandthat’sthewaythattheyachievesuperiorityinakeyarea.Wecan’taffordthattohappen.’

TheytestoutthewaytodefendagainstthisArteta-Özilmovement.Theidea isthatRobbenandRibérysqueezeinfieldandthatMartínez,inhiscentral-defensiverole,pushesintotheemptyspacewhichArtetahascreated.Inturn,Rafinha’staskwillbetofillthespacewhichtheSpaniardhashadtoleaveopeninthemiddleofthebackfour.

They go through a series of different actions, moving constantly. Pep keepsshouting out thenames ofArsenal players –Arteta,Özil,Cazorla,Mertesacker –andtheseechoroundSäbenerStrassewhilsttheBayernplayerspushthemselvestoadegree unheard of for a training session the day before a game. In fairness, theydon’tgoonforlong.Just20minutes.It’stherhythmandspeedthey’reworkingatthatissounusual.Somethingischanging.Theplayersperformbrilliantlyandthereisagrowingsenseofprideandtotalsecuritysothatitseemsabsolutelyimpossible

for themnot towin. Everyone is sweating at the end. Pep explains the thinkingbehindhisapproach.‘Youplayattherhythmyoutrainat.Inthematchit’sdowntoeachplayertodotherightthingtacticallybuttheteam’srhythmdependsonthetrainingthey’vedone.Ifyoutrainbadly,youplaybadly.Ifyouworklikeabeastintraining,youplaythesameway.Andtheseguys,theytrainlikebeasts.’

Guardiola chooses control over aggression and picks Schweinsteiger instead ofKroos. By the time the bus is leaving the training ground for the Dolce Hotel,wheretheywillspendtheinterveningsixhours,thecoachisrelievedtohavemadehisdecision.He’sfeelingverypositive.‘Control.I’vegoneforcontrol.Controlandmorecontrol.’

Robbenhasanoutstandinggame.Heruns,defendsandattackswithprecision.Asaplayerwhocanbeinconsistent–capableofalternatingsuperbfootballwithmajordips in performance – he is showing a new-found maturity. He is now a 30-something but has perfected the ability to head up the attacking, suffocatingtriangleofpressureBayernputonopponentswhoaretryingtoplaytheball.LaterPepwillcelebratethisexhibitionoffinefootballbygivingtheDutchmanawarmhug.

In the 54th minute, Schweinsteiger breaks from the middle of the pitch andCazorladoesn’ttrackhim.TheGermanhitstheedgeoftheboxintimetoconnectwith a cross from Ribéry, from which he opens the scoring. Two minutes laterArsenal equalise through Lukas Podolski but that’s that for the game. Bayerncertainlydon’t playbrilliantly but, overall, theyhavehad total control of the tie,whichhasbeenintheirhandsprettymuchfor173ofthe180minutes.Onlyintheinitialminutesofthefirstleg,upuntilthepointNeuersavedÖzil’spenalty,havetheywavered.

Itallendswitha similar theme,withFabianski savingMüller’spenalty todenytheBavarianstwowins.

Pep is euphoric. Some commentators will suggest that Bayern have given amediocreperformance, but the coach is happier than ever. ‘Iwanted control andthat’swhatmymengaveme.Okay,ourfinishingwasoff,butweranthegameandthat’swhatIwanted. Iknowthat inMunichpeople likeus toattackandrunupanddown thepitchbut thismatchneeded theoppositeof that.With a2-0 leadfromtheawaygame,itmadenosensetotakerisks.Okay,weweren’tparticularlyfluidinthecentreofthepitchbutweplayedthegameweneededtoplay.’

By10thenextmorninghehasalreadyreviewedthematchandexpressesthesamemixofsatisfactionwiththewinandself-criticismforthemistakesthatweremade.‘Wedid commit an error,whichwas to allowLahmandRobben towork in the

samechannelononesideandAlabaandRibéryontheother [inreference to thelinedmarkingoflanesonthetrainingpitchwhichPepwantstheplayerstomakethestructureoftheirpositionalplay].Thisduplicationofpositionstookawayouroption of creating superiority. It is so, so important that the full-back and thewingerdon’toperateinthesamechannel.Ifthewingerisopenandwidethenthefull-backmustbeinsideinthenextchannelandviceversa.’

He is, as always, coming upwith new solutions. ‘The full-backsmust positionthemselvesasiftheywereattackingmidfielderssothatGötzecanfloatandappearwherehechoosesto.Butthefull-backsneedtobe inside.Andwhentheirwingercomes inside they must switch and move wide to the touchline and Götze willprovide our superiority. But if the winger and the full-back play in the samechannel,thefull-backwillbebehindthewingeranditallconvertsbackintoone-v-one–andwedon’tachievesuperiorityofnumbers in themidfield.Thismustbecorrected.’

Andso,onthisgloriousmorningwithSäbenerStrasseoverflowingwithasenseofsheerjoy,Pepmakesonemoredecision:RibéryandGötzeareslightlyoffformandneed a ‘mini pre-season’ training plan. Over the next three weeks, LorenzoBuenaventura will give them special attention so that they are fully fit for thequarter-finalsonApril1.TheChampionsLeagueisnowtheabsolutepriority.

51

‘ULIISOURHEART.IT’SHARDTOIMAGINEBAYERNWITHOUTHIM.’

Munich,March14,2014

YESTERDAYWEWERE scheduled to fly to Basel together to watch a EuropaLeague game between FC Basel and Red Bull Salzburg. Pep is very taken withRoger Schmidt, the Salzburg coach who, by April, will be hired by BayerLeverkusen to take charge of their first team for season 2014/15. Guardiola hasbeenstudyingRedBullSalzburgforawhilenow.WhentheyandBayernmetinafriendlybackinJanuarytheAustrianswon3-0.WhatPepwitnessedwassufficienttoconvincehimthatSchmidtisatop-qualitycoach.It’sforthatreasonthathehasdecidedtowatchthisguyandhisteaminperson.However,theeveningbeforethetripitbecomesclearthathewillnotbeabletogo,afterall.

ItisannouncedthattherewillbeajudicialrulingonUliHoeness’casebymiddayonThursday.OnWednesdayBayernMunich is theheart of a great empire.Butthen,inaninstant…

Three-and-a-half-years in jail.Earthshattering.ButperhapsnotasurprisegiventhatithademergedduringhistrialfortaxevasionthatHoenesshaddefraudedtheGermantaxmanofmillions.Nevertheless,thedecisioncameasaterribleblowforeveryone aroundBayern.While his crimewas unconnected to the club,Hoenesswasn’t simplyBayern’s president and a brilliant former player.Hewas the club’sverysoul.YoucouldsayHoenesswastheclub.

Since1977hehadbeeninchargeofBayern’scommercialdevelopmentandhadbecomethegreatconstructorofthemodernBayern,makingitahugelysuccessful,evenmodelinstitution.Ofcourse,thesentencemeanthisresignationaspresident.InastatementissuedbyBayernhetookfullresponsibilityforhisactions,publiclyacceptedthejudgmentandofferedhisresignation.

Pep was the first senior figure at Bayern to speak publicly following theannouncementoftheprisonsentence.MiddayFriday,inthepressconferencepriortoplayingLeverkusen,hesaid:‘Uliisourheart.Theminuteyoujointheclubit’sclearwhyeveryoneatBayernadoreshim.I’veneverseenaclubdirectorso loved.

It’shardtoimagineBayernwithouthim.’ThatPepspokeupwasnotaninsignificantdetailandcouldbeinterpretedina

numberofdifferentways.Onemightseeitasanindicationoftheclub’stotalfaithinhimasspokesmanandthereforesomethinghecouldbejustifiablyproudof.Ontheotherhand,perhapsseniormanagementhadoptedonthisoccasiontostay inthebackgroundandusehimasa shield.This ideaworriedhima little,given thewayinwhichhehadbeentreatedatBarcelona.Inanycase,beingthefirsttospeakcertainlydidn’tmeanhalfmeasuresandPepmadenoattempttohidetheemotionofthemoment:‘Ulihasearnedourtotalrespect.Myworkwithhimsincearrivinghasgoneincrediblywell.Heismyfriendandwillcontinuetobeso.Ihopethat,inthe future,hewill return to support andhelpus ashehasdoneup tillnow.MyninemonthsherehaveshownmehowimportantUliistothisclub.Heisthemostimportantman at Bayern and within the organisation everyone loves and valueshim.UliiseverythingatBayern:theNo.1.Uliistheclub.’

Pep’swords reflectedhisdepthof feeling forHoeness.Theyhadeaten togethereveryweek,sharingtheirvisionsforfootball,andhaddevelopedafriendshipbasedonmutual respect.WithouthimPepwould feel a littleorphanedwithinBayern,despitethefactthatRummeniggewouldtryveryhardinthefollowingmonthstofillthevacuumwhichthedepartingpresidenthadleft.

Rummenigge himself explained the situation to the players through a shortaddress in the lecture hall at Säbener Strasse. It was an institutional message,designed to safeguard club and team stability, but Rummenigge’s delivery wasintenselyemotional.Hisfacewashaggard,hisvoicefaintandbythethirdworditwas clear that he would not control the tears. The squad and staff weretremendouslymovedastheirchiefexecutiveforcedhimselftocompletehisspeechthroughhissobs.

The upheaval was so tough for Bayern that just about any scenario lookedfeasible:fromtotalsupportforGuardiolatoacompletebreakdowninrelations.Pepfelt thatHoenesswas the club’s father figure. Itwashewhohadofferedhim thecontract,hewhohadtakenthefirmdecisiontogoafterPep.Howwouldthedicefallwithouthim?

Goingforward,Pepwouldbemore isolated.Wouldthishaveaneffectonhowlong hewould stay inMunich?His colleagues in the technical team thought so,eventhoughitwasfartoosoontosaysowithabsolutecertainty.InPep’smind,ifHoenessaskedhimtowait,tostaywithBayernuntilhegotoutofprison,hewouldsayyes.It’ssomethingwhich,afewdayslater,theCatalanwouldtouchon.

‘Iwanttogoonfortwoorthreeyears,givingmybesttothisclub,becausemy

dreamistostartoveragainworkingwithUliwhenhereturns.Withouthimnoneofthiswouldhavebeenpossibleforme.’DuringthegameagainstBayerLeverkusenPep felt the German’s absence. Normally, three board members – Hoeness,RummeniggeandJan-ChristianDreesen,thefinancialdirector–wouldcomedowntothecoach’sofficeaftereverymatch.TheretheywouldchatforafewminutesandthenRummenigge andDreesenwouldgooff to thedressing room to touchbasewiththeplayers,butHoenesswouldalwaysstaywithPeptoshareopinionsaboutthegame.Intheearlydays,Hoeness triedtoboostPep’s spiritswhenhewasstilltryingtomaketheteamhisown.

Now, even though the match had been a stroll, ending in a 2-1 win overLeverkusen, Guardiola missed his friend. Bayern were on a 50-game unbeatenstreak(25eachforHeynckesandGuardiola)andtheirlastleaguedefeatwasbackinOctober2012.Pephadbeatenhisownrecordofconsecutivewins,17forBayernand 16 with Barça.Dortmund had lost to BorussiaMönchengladbach and withplayerslikeRobben,Mandžukić,Kroosandcompanyexitingtoastandingovation,theleaguetitlewasprettymuchsewnup.

Aftertheopposingfanshaddonebattleinsong,inthe75thminutetheBayernsupportersbegantovoicetheirsupportfortheformerpresident: ‘UliHoeness,dubist der beste Mann!’ Uli Hoeness, you are the greatest. Their songs talked ofnostalgia. There were banners bearing his name dotted all over the stadium, allhand-written by fanswho, setting asidemoral judgements and their own privateviewsofHoeness’taxevasion,simplywantedtosaygoodbyetothemanwhohadledtheirclubinboththegoodandthebadtimes.

52

‘PICKINGALINE-UPISLIKESITTINGINFRONTOFYOURCHESSPIECES.’

Munich,March15,2014

RIBÉRY WASN’T GOING to play against Bayer Leverkusen. It wouldn’t be agoodidea,givenhisfitnesslevels.WhatwithhisdisgustatfailingtowintheBalond’Or, a muscle injury and an operation to relieve a trapped nerve in his back,Franck’s 2014 had been a dead loss so far. Pep, who was beginning to despair,decided that a mini pre-season training programme would be good for theFrenchmanandmentionedittohimjustbeforetheLeverkusenmatch.Twoweeksofhardworktogetbacktofullfitness.

Claudio Pizarro had been injured after a kick to his hip in the final trainingsessionbeforethematchandRibéryhadtotakehisplace.Beforekick-offPepcalledhimtohisofficeand told theplayer thatheneededhimtogetback tohis2013fitnesslevels,whenhisdribblingskillswereunsurpassable.

However,over thenext sixweeksRibérywouldcontinue tohaveproblemsandhis distress at his own failure to recover his best form would quickly become amentalblock.Pepwasconcerned,althoughhetookcaretohidethis inpublic,asdid the rest of the team, who did what they could to support their team-mate’srecuperation.Itisimpossibleforanysportsmantobepermanentlyontopform,butRibéryfoundhimselfwiththeseproblemsatthemostdecisivepointoftheseason.

After beating Leverkusen, the league titlewas just aboutBayern’s.Theywouldwin it 10 days later in Berlin after establishing a 25-point lead over BorussiaDortmundwithsevenmatchestogo.Itwouldbeonlythesecondtimesince2000thatBayernwouldretaintheleaguetitle–adetailRummenigge,HoenessandPephadoftentalkedabout.Theclubhadhadsevendifferentcoaches in10yearsandaftereverysuccesstheywouldtripup.InprivatetheBayernmanagementteamhadsuggestedtotheircoachthatthemostlikelyimpactofthe2013treblewouldbeatotalwash-outseason.

Ofcourse ithadn’t turnedout thatway, largelydueto the fact that theplayerswere enthused and stimulated by Guardiola’s arrival. Each player had his own

reasonsforthisbut,unusuallyforall-conqueringchampions,theyhadapproachedtheseasonasifstartingfromscratch.Theywerenowintothefinalsprintwiththreetitleswon(theEuropeanSuperCup,theWorldClubCupandtheBundesliga)andtwomoreonthehorizon.

After the Bayer Leverkusen game I had dinner with Pep and assistant coachDomènecTorrentandI listedalltheleaguerecordstheyhadalreadybroken.Pephadn’tknownabouttheir50gamesunbeaten,northathehadequalledHeynckes’recordof25matcheswithoutadefeat,noranyoftheotherstats.ButTorrentwasasdogmaticasever.‘ListenPep,let’snotworryaboutbeatingrecords.Weneedtoforgetaboutbeingrecordbreakersandgetonwiththejobinhand,theChampionsLeague.Itdoesn’tmatterifwestartlosinggamesandlettingingoalsfromnowon.Let’sleavetherecordstillnextseason.’

‘You’requite right,’Guardiola replied. ‘We shouldwin the leagueasquickly aspossibleandfocusontheDFB-PokalandtheChampionsLeague.’

TheconversationthenturnedtotheplayersandtheimportanceofgettingmenlikeRibéry,GötzeandSchweinsteigerbackonform.

Astheeveningworeonthecoach’sconversationturnedtohisfavouritesubject:howhewantshisteamtoplay.

‘It’sclear.Theteamneedstoplaywithmorewidth.Twowingerspeggedtotheirtouchlines, a striker in the area, not necessarily to volley or head on goal, but tosnapupthesecondball.Thenfourplayersalsowaitingfor thesecondballor therebound: two high up wing-backs, plus two attacking midfielders, or a creativemidfielderplusthepivote–alltotakeadvantageoftheballeitherbeingcutback,breakingoffadefenderor thekeeper.Thoseguysqueuingupon theedgeof theboxishowwecutoffthecounter-attackearly,too.’

Hethenaddedonekeyobjective:‘Nextseasonweneedtoplaybetter.’Idecidedtoputhimonthespot. ‘Andhowwillyouplaybetterwiththesame

players?’Pep looked distracted and didn’t answer, preferring to change the topic by

throwingoutaquestionsointriguingthatforamomentIwaslostforwords:‘IfwewereplayingtheChampionsLeaguefinaltomorrow,whowouldyoupick?’

Thiswas a chance to suggest a line-up to the coachofBayernandhis assistantand I could not pass it up. So, fired up by an almost irrational lack of self-consciousness,Ianswered:

‘Noproblematall.I’dpickthe11playerswhoareonpeakformatthemomentandI’dplaythemina4-2-1-3.’

Ithennamedmyteam,although,lookingback,Ican’tbelieveIevenattempted

it.Pep listened insilence, sayingnothing,but it tookDomènecTorrent less thantwosecondstojumpin.

‘And if we were up against Cristiano and Bale’s Madrid, you wouldn’t playBoateng, who is our fastest centre-half? And if it was against Barça, would youseriouslyconsidertakingonMessiwithoutBastian?Andyou’dplayChelseawithatraditionalcentre-forwardbutwithoutGötzeandMüller?’

Ouch! There were just too many variables to consider. That was the night Ilearnedthatsometimesit’sbettertokeepyourmouthshut.Pephadn’tcommentedon my line-up but Torrent’s questions made it crystal clear that having all theinformationisnotenough.Italsostruckmethatlookinginfromoutsiderequiresnoneof themeticulousattentiontodetail thatthedecision-makershavetoapply.Thementherestofusaresoreadytocriticise.

IalsorealisedthatGuardiola’seternaldoubtsarenotpartofhischaracter,norasignofalackofdecisivenessornerve.No,hisdoubtscomefromhisdeterminationto calibrate all the possibilities. My thoughts automatically turned to the chessplayerwhoanalysesallthepossiblevariablesbeforemakinghismoveandIdecidedtosharethiswithhim.‘Theprocessofpickingaline-upisabitlikesittinginfrontofyourchesspieces.’

‘You’veno ideahow similar the two things are,’ saidPep. ‘Youdidn’t read theinterviewLeontxoGarcíadidwithMagnusCarlsen[theworldchesschampion]inElPaísbyanychance?TherewasonethingCarlsensaidthatIloved.Hesaidthatitdoesn’tmatterifhehastomakesomesacrificesatthestartofthegamebecauseheknowsthatheisathisstrongestinthelatterstages.ItreallygotmethinkingandImustlearnhowIcanapplyittofootball.’

53

‘ILOVEYOUPEP.YOUAREINMYHEART,MAN.’

Berlin,March25,2014

DURING THE DRESSING-ROOM celebrations in Berlin, Ribéry split ManelEstiarte’slip.

With seven games still to playBayern hadwon theBundesliga title.They hadfaithfully applied and even exceeded the objectives set out by Pep’s recipe forwinningaleague:don’tloseitinthefirsteightmatchesandthennailitinthelasteight.After today’s game, theywere25points aheadofBorussiaDortmundwithonly21stillupforgrabs.Theyhadbeatenhisformulabysevendays.

Thiswas the seventh consecutive time that Bayern had clinched the title awayfromhomeandtheyhaddonesowithstyle.Theyweretwoupwithin12minutesand looked unstoppable. Pep altered the plans for the game which had beenconstructedoverthepreviousfewdaysandaskedthetwowing-backstoplaywide,not inside.ItwasbasedonhisunderstandingthatHerthawouldman-mark; ifheputRafinhaandAlabawidewhilstattackingitwouldobligeHerthatodefendwithsixguys inadefensive line inordertocoverthetwowing-backs, thewingers, thestrikerandanattackingmidfielder.ThatwouldmeanthatthemiddleofthepitchwouldbeopenterritoryforBayern.Asplanned,Müller,Götze,Robben,KroosandSchweinsteiger took total control of themidfield and at half-time, with the titleprettymuch in the bag, several players commented to Pep that things had gonepreciselyashepredictedtheywould.

The entire squad attended the game in Berlin’s Olympiastadion, althoughBadstuberandContento,whowerestillinjured,travelledonthedayofthematchwithJaviMartínez,whohadmomentarilylosthismemorythreedaysbefore,duringtheMainztie,aftertakingakicktohishead.

Bayernwon3-1,andindoingsobecamethefirstteamtowintheBundesligainMarch,andhadwontheleaguetitleearlierintheseasonthananyotherteaminthehistoryofanyof thegreatEuropeanfootballchampionships.After27gamestheyhad accumulated 25 wins and two draws, with 79 goals scored and only 13conceded. Their record-breaking league campaign had produced an average of

almost three goals per game (2.92) as well as an unprecedented defensive record(0.48goalspermatchconceded).

Thedressing-roomcelebrationsendedupwitheveryone in the swimmingpool.EarlierintheeveningHermannGerland,normallyaseriousmanoffewwords,toldGuardiola:‘Pep,youareagenius.’

By midnight, Estiarte was sporting a couple of stitches in his lip after Ribéryelbowedhimaccidentally as the teamdraggedhim into the swimmingpool.Theteam thenmoved on to the official party,where the festivities really took off. Inactualfact,theclubhadhadnothingtodowiththispartoftheevening,whichhadbeen masterminded by Schweinsteiger, the squad’s self-appointed party planner.Just eight days previously Schweini had thrown a fancy-dress party for his team-mates and theirpartners and tonighthewasplayinghost inBerlin’sKittyChengBar,intheMittedistrict.

At2am,PepGuardiolasteppedontothedancefloor,anovelspectacleforevenhisclosestfriends,whoweremoreusedtoseeinghimsittingsurroundedbyfriendsand colleagues chatting about amillion and one things,most of them related tofootball. InMarrakech after winning theClubWorldCup, for example, he hadcelebratedbyhavingaquietchatwithhismatesSalaiMartínandDavidTrueba.Infairness, almostnobodyhadbeen interested indancing thatnight– justCristina,Pep’s wife and Maria, his eldest daughter, as well as Cristina’s mum and Sala iMartín’swife.EventuallyDanteandRafinha,thefun-lovingBrazilianshad,rathershyly,joinedthethrong.

ButinBerlinthingsweretotakeaverydifferentturn.DavidAlabatookchargeofthemusic,actingbothasDJandleadvocalist.ThesheerexuberanceofhisplayersprovedsoinfectiousthatforthefirsttimeinhiscoachinglifeGuardioladecidedtogetupanddancewiththem.Justfortonighthewasoneofthelads,havingafewdrinksandreallylettinghishairdown.Sometimeduringthenight,Ribérygrabbedhimroundtheneckandannounced:‘IloveyouPep.Youareinmyheart,man.I’mjustastreetkidbutyouwillalwaysbeinmyheart.NeverinmylifedidIthinkIcouldlearnasmuchasIhavethisyear.’

Thefestivitiescontinuedwellintotheearlyhours,withPepcallingitanightjustbefore 5amwhilst several of his playersmade it all theway through to breakfasttime.On the flight home toMunich everyone was showing the effects, and thecaptains repeatedlybeggedPep tocancel the followingday’s training so that theycouldsleepitoff.Intheend,thecoachgavein.Theirbrilliantleaguecampaignandultimatetriumphhadearnedthemarest.

Iwaskeen toobserve the team in their first training sessionafter this triumph.

Thedayafteragreatvictorycanbehugelyilluminating.Wouldtheybecomplacentafterwinning?Wouldtheyseethisvictoryasacatalyst for futuretriumphsortheendofachapter?

Intheeventtheplayerswerestillinhighspirits,particularlySchweinsteiger,whoturnedupattrainingwearingthefacemaskbelongingtolocalskichampionFelixNeureuther.However,thehilarityceasedthesecondPepappearedandstartedthewarm-up.Hisplayers instantly switched intoworkmodeashedivided themintothreegroupsof seven for four five-minutegamesof ‘double area’plusnine speeddrillscentredonquickreactionsandsixdrillsforexplosivespeed.

Notoncedidtheyslowdownorrelaxand,atonepoint,Pepcameovertometosay,delightedly:‘Ribéry’shavinghisbestsessionoftheyear.Theguy’sabeast.Anabsolutebeast.’

SoIhadtheevidenceofthefirsttrainingsessionafteramajorvictoryanditwasclear that this was a team still hungry for success. A team in which every singleplayer was fighting hard for his place in the starting line-up. There were moremomentousChampionsLeaguefixturestocontestandnobodywantedtobeleftonthebench.AtthisstagenoonecouldhaveimaginedthethrashingtheywereabouttosufferatRealMadrid’shands.

WiththeleagueinthebagandtheChampionsLeagueloomingonthehorizon,itfeltlikeagoodtimetositdownwithPep.

‘Ourworst10minutes this seasonwere in theEmirates.Manu’s [Neuer]handsaved us that day,’ he reflected. ‘Our best? Probably the game against City inManchesterorthefirst40minutesoftheHerthamatchinBerlin.’

Imentionalltherecordstheyhavebroken.‘Tohellwithbreakingrecords!Ijusthopewecangetourmindsoffbreakingrecords.Itreallydoesn’tmatterfromnowon if we win or lose, if we concede goals or not. We’re thinking about theChampions League and the DFB-Pokal now. The league is done as far as we’reconcerned.’

Withonly fourdaysbefore theirquarter-final tiewithManchesterUnited,Pepwasclearaboutthesizeofthechallenge.‘Look,evenifateamappearsweakerthanus,theycouldstilldousdamageintheChampionsLeague.Beinnodoubt,Unitedwillputusunderpressure.

‘We’ll need to attackwith our full-backs high andwide because theirs close intight to theircentre-backs,andwe’ll alsohave tobeverycarefulof theircounter-attacksviaRooneyaroundtheedgeoftheboxandthewidepaceofValenciaandYoung.Theydon’tmindputtingtheballlongandIwanttohaveourbestplayersin themiddle of the pitch in order to have and hold the ball and dominate the

midfield. But, watch out – you say OLD TRAFFORD in capital letters. MrFergusonwillbetherewatchingandthatcarriesacertainweight.’

Bayernweregoingintothequarter-finalasclearfavourites,butPepwasstickingtohisposition.‘Iknowallthat,’hetoldme,‘butwhereisitwrittenthatBayernareaguaranteedsemi-finalist,man?TheonlythingIknowforsureisthatwehavetwoChampions League games ahead of us and we have to win them on the pitch.That’swhatI’llbetellingtheminthepre-matchtalkinManchester–wehavetwogamestoplayandwehavetowinthemifwewanttoplaythetwoafterthat.’

Ashespeaks,herememberssomethingandscribblesareminderinhisnotebook:‘I’vegottospeaktoBoatengbecausetheotherdayagainstMainzhemadeamiracletackle to stop the striker getting away from him, but it was almost a red-cardintervention. If he had mistimed it by a second then he’d have been off. Ifsomething like that happens in the Champions League I’d rather we let theopponentsscorethanbeleftwith10men.’

IdecidetotakeadvantageofthismomentofrelaxedreflectiontoaskGuardiolaforhisassessmentoftheteam’sprogress.

‘They’vecomeoninleapsandboundsinpositionalplay.Atthebeginningtheystruggledwith it because it’s a tough thing tomaster and they had to start fromscratch, but they’ve donebrilliantly and are total experts now.Nowadays I neverneedtotellthemwhentopressorwhentoholdtheirposition.’

Althoughthepositionalplaydrills, like therondos, are fundamentalelementsofPep’swork,theyarenonethelessjustapartofhismethodology.‘There’sstillalottoworkonandwe’ll starton thatnext season. Ihave taughtenough for this seasonandwejustneedtoapplyitincompetition.Nextseasonwe’llcovermoreconcepts.Wemightevenlosemorematchesbutouroverallgamewillimprove.Theplayerswillhaveoneyearofthisnewlanguagebehindthemandtheywillbemuchmoresolidfromtheoutset.We’lltryoutawidervarietyofapproaches:onedaywe’llplaywiththreedefenders,thenextwiththewingerspeggedtothetouchlinesandwe’llreallycirculatetheballinthemiddleofthepitchviatheNo.10andtheattackingmidfielders.OverallIthinkwe’llgrownextseason.’

Hetalksabouttheballasthekeytoeverything.‘Infootball,it’stheballthatgivesyouspeed,yourpassing.Inbasketballifyouaredribblingtheballallthetime,thedefencehasaneasiertimeofit.Butifinsteadyoupassitrapidlyfromoneplayertoanother you create huge problems for your opponents. It’s exactly the same infootball:toyou,backtome,tac-tacandyougettheotherguychasinghistail,evenifitdoesn’tseemlikeyou’redoingverymuchatall.That’swhyI’mcommittedtomakingsurethatwepasstheballsooften,soquicklyintheopponents’half.Iwant

my two strikers tooccupy the four rivaldefenders.Better still, I’d like to achievethatwithonlyonestrikereventhoughhe’dhavetobeabsolutelyexperttoachieveit,leavingtherestoftheattackingplayerstomovetheball,tocreateopeningsinthemiddle of the pitch.Pass andpass –not simply to retain the ball but to kill theopponent.Movingtheball likethatgivesusorderandleavestherival indisarray.CoacheslikeJuanmaLillo[theitinerantSpanishcoachwhoisamentortoPep]andRaúlCaneda[whoworkedcloselywithLilloinMexicoandSpain]havealwayssaidthis.Itmaynotseemlikemuch,butrapid-firepassingnotonlymaintainsyourownorganisation,butitalsoreallymessesuptheotherteam.’

However, noneof this is possible if yourplayers don’t trust the system. ‘Eccoloqua! [a favourite Italian expression of Pep’s – ‘that’s exactly it’]. That’s the keyquestion.Howdoyouseduceyourplayersintolisteningtoyouandacceptingnewconcepts?AndImean‘seduce’not‘motivate’.WhathappenedatBarçawasnotthatI failed tomotivate them– theyarewonderful footballersandmarvellouspeople.No, I failed to seduce them! I had introduced amillion tiny tactical innovationsover the fouryearsandthenext stepwasn’tgoingtobeeasy.You look intoyourplayers’ eyes and it’s a bit like looking at a lover. Either you see passion and awillingness tobeseducedoryouwatchas thepassionebbsaway.ThesamethingwillhappenhereatBayern.AfterafewyearsI’llnolongerknowhowtoseducemyplayersandthatwillbethetimetoleave.It’sallintheeyes.It’sallaboutseduction.’

PARTFIVE

FALLINGDOWNANDGETTINGBACKUPAGAIN

‘Youcan’tmeasuresuccessifyouhaveneverfailed.’STEFFIGRAF

54

‘ITHURTS–ITMAKESYOUFEELLIKEYOURSKINISBURNING.’

Munich,March29,2014

IFMARCHWASmagicalforBayern,Aprilisatragicmonth.Withtheleagueinthe bag, Pep makes copious changes against Hoffenheim. Thiago needs to playbecauseoverthelasttwoweekshehasplayedverylittle,duetoabadlybruisedleg.He urgently needs to recover the sharpness whichmade him the fulcrum of theteamfromJanuaryonwards.Thus,he’sastarter intheAllianzbecausePepwantshimalsotobeintheline-upforthegameinManchester,againstUnited,afewdayslater.But10minutesintothegamehetearshisligaments.TherefereeblowsforafoulandasplayunwindsThiagojustrelaxeshisrightleginachallengewithKevinVolland.Agraveerror.Hislegturns180degreesandproducesan80%tearinthemedialcollateralligament.

ThepreviousdayPephad turneddowntwooffers.The firstwas thechance tobuy a verywell-known central defender, but theCatalanwas unconvinced of histacticalrigourandsorejectedtheidea.Thesecondwastheofferofablankchequeforhissalaryifhe’dmoveandtakeoveratanotherEuropeangiantattheendoftheseason.Naturally,hesaidnotothat,too.

Thiswasthedayhechosetoclosethefileonaleaguewellwon.‘I’mverycontenttohavewonthis titlealready,’heannounced. ‘Outofprofessional respect for theBundesligawe’llkeepfightinghardineverygame,butonTuesdaywe’vea‘final’inManchester.Yesit’sonlycalledaquarter-finalbutitreallyisafinalbecausewe’veonlygotthreemoreguaranteedcompetitivegames–thesetwoagainstUnitedandtheDFB-Pokal semi-finalagainstKaiserslautern.Settingrecordsdoesn’tmatter tomenow,onlywinningthesethreegames.’

WiththesewordsPephopedtocloseonechapterandopenanother–withtheobjectiveoftheBundesligacomplete,hewantedtotalfocusonwinningtheDFB-Pokal and the Champions League. He didn’t want the minds of his players onperipheralthingslikesettingrecords.

This very idea ended up provoking a substantial dropping away in his players’

general performance. Itwas the seed forwhat flowered into a disastrous ‘de-mobhappy’atmosphere.

Hoffenheimplay ahighpressinggameand ithurts aBayern team full of subs:Starke, Van Buyten, Contento, Pizarro, Shaqiri. In previous weeks teams likeNuremberg, Mainz and Wolfsburg had applied identical pressure on the Bayerndefenders,highupthepitch,withtheideaofpinningthembackastheyplayedoutfromtheback,butPep’s teamhadwonall thosematches.Still,winningcouldn’thide the fact that some German coaches – like Markus Weinzierl of Augsburg,Mainz05’sThomasTuchelandWolfsburg’sDieterHecking–hadbeguntofindsolutions toGuardiola’s strategy andwere findingout thatpressinghigh, if donewell,wasaveryinterestingantidotetoBayern’splayingstyle.

HoffenheimpresssomuchthatBayernhavetochangetheirgameplanandplayon the counter-attack – something which is just about as shocking as the finalresult,a3-3draw.For the firstandonly time in thisBundesliga season,Bayern’sopponents have more shots on goal – 20 against 11 from Pep’s team. It’s anuncomfortableexperienceforthehometeam,whoserunof19straightwinssinceOctobercomestoanend.Itisthefirsthomedrawintheleaguefor15longmonthsand the first time in two years that Bayern have conceded three goals in aBundesliga match. Thiago is injured on 21 minutes and just as Pep’s plans forManchesterarethrownintodisarray,thebattalionsofhisfortressarealsobeginningtocrack.Thiagoisthecrucialman.Notjustforthequalityofhispassingbutforthewayinwhichheholdstogetherandbringsmoreoutofalltheotherplayersinthemiddleofthepitch.Heisamagnet.PepadmitsthatitispossiblethatThiago’sabsencemightmakeallthedifferencetotheirchancesofwinningtheChampionsLeague.Duringtheplayers’dinnerLorenzoBuenaventurafindsaTwitterpictureofthemoment atwhichThiago’s injury occurred.He comments toArjenRobben:‘You’vealwaysgottogoinfullyengagedtowintheball,neverrelaxyourchallenge.Takecarebetweennowandtheendoftheseasonthatyoudon’tletthesamethinghappentoyou.’

MinuteslaterThiagophonesBuenaventurafromthehospitalwiththediagnosis.‘Nearlyatotalruptureoftheligaments,minimumeightweeksout.ByebyeWorldCup.’

The fitness coach passes the news to Javi Martínez and they head directly toThiago’shometoconsolehim.Meanwhilethere’samisunderstandingwhich,evenatthisdarkhour,causesafewsmiles.Thiagocallshisdad,Mazinho,aWorldCupwinnerwithBrazilin1994,andtellshimthediagnosis,butMazinhodoesn’tquitegrasp themessage and then phonesBuenaventura,withwhomhe’s great friends,

and says in a tearful voice: ‘Loren, I’m in pieces! Thiago’s injury is really, reallyserious–sixtoeightmonthsout!’

Mazinhohadunderstood the injury tobe cruciate ligamentdamage, somethingwhichwouldtakeoversixmonthstoheal.SomehowitallmakesBuenaventuraandThiagolaughatthemix-upandtheycalmMazinhodown,explainingthatit’snotsix months, but about six weeks. It is the only upbeat moment of a pretty direevening.OnthemorningofSunday,March30,thoseplayerswhodrew3-3withHoffenheimdivideintotwogroupsintraining.Onestaysonthepitch, includingPizarro,whohas sleptbadly. Itwashis first full90minutesof the seasonandhesuffered bad cramps as a result.Others like Ribéry, VanBuyten, Schweinsteiger,GötzeandShaqirigetontheirbikesandheadroundthecity’scycletracksforhalfanhour.

Thiago and PepmeetwithDoctorMüller-Wohlfhart to talk about the correctrehabfortheinjury.ThedoctorsetsThiago’sleginacastbuttheplayerinsiststhathistreatmentmustbewithhisoldsurgeon,RamonCugatinBarcelona.Therewillbegrowthfactorinjecteddirectlyintotheligament.

‘Iknowthatithurtswhenthishappensbecauseitmakesyoufeellikeyourskinisburning,’Thiagosays.‘ButI’lljusthavetoputupwiththepain.’

Onleavingthedressingroomhisteam-mateswishhimaspeedyrecovery.‘Don’tbelongThiago,weneedyou,’Neuertellshim.

‘It’sbeenarealbummer,’saysThiago.‘Iwascompletelydowninthedumpslastnight.ButIfoundmystrengthagainthismorning.I’vebeenhereforbreakfastwiththerestof theteamandmyattitude is:“that’soneday lessuntilI’mback.”Yourmental attitude makes a big difference in how quickly you recuperate fromsomethinglikethisandnowmyheadisintherightplace.Theytellmesix-to-eightweeks,butIwanttomakeitbackinfive.’

PepmakesThiago a promise that he’llmake sure the team does everything tomake it to the finals of theDFB-Pokal and theChampions League for him andThiagopromisesthathe’ll trytobebackandreadyforbothdates.Ofcourse, it’snotgoingtobeeasyforeithertofulfilhispromise.

55

‘ALWAYSPICKTHEGOODONES.ALWAYS.’

Munich,March29,2014

THISISGUARDIOLAathisfascinating,volcanicbest–post-matchPep.Immediatelyafterdealingwiththemediahegoestotheplayers’restaurantinthe

Allianz, takes a glass of champagne, spears a few cubes of parmesan cheese andspendsthenexthalfhourtalkingaboutthematch.

Usuallyhe stays onhis feet or occasionally sits downat oneof the tables.But,althoughhewon’thaveeatenallday,he’snowherenearreadytoeatyet.Oncethegamefinisheshe’svoraciouslyhungrybuthe’sstillnotintherightframeofmindtorelaxandeatthedishofmarinatedsalmonhelovessomuch.Firstheneedsatleast30minutes toburnoff the adrenalin accumulatednot justduring thematchbutover the previous couple of days. So he gets right down to it. He talks almostincessantly about everything thathashappenedduring thematch.Everythinghasstuckinhismemory.‘DidyouseewhatRafinhadidinthe18thminute?Hemovedtwometresinsideandclosedoffthechannelwheretheywerequeuinguptoattackus.’

No, I hadn’t noticed any of that. Pep is blessed with an almost photographicmemorywhichallowshimtorememberandanalyseeverythingthathashappenedin thematch. In this he resembles RafaNadal, a tennis star capable of recallingeveryshotandeverypointofhismatches,hislevelofdominanceortheerrorheorhis opponent made and which moment was most significant. And all of thisremains with him long after the match is over. Similarly, Guardiola rememberseverymove:howitdeveloped,whathappened,whichplayersgotinvolvedandwhattheconsequenceswere.Ontheotherhand,hepaysnoattentiontostats.

‘Youdidn’thavenearlyasmuchpossession–only63%,’Isaytohim.‘Yeah,really?Wow.’‘But Starke had more touches on the ball than any one of the Hoffenheim

players!’‘Wow.Noway.That’sreallygood.’Statisticsdon’t turnhimon.Whatgetshimpassionate is theplay itselfandhis

post-matchanalysisofit.‘Have you seenhow smartPhilipp [Lahm] is?How the guy turns andprotects

possessionandalsosplitstheopposition?’Or:‘I’llhavetospeaktoKroosbecauseagainst[Manchester]Unitedhedefinitely

won’t be able to try thatmovewherehe controls and turns to the right, becausethey’llanticipate,robhimandstartacounter-attack.’

HecallsPlanchartovertothetable:‘Carles,tomorrowmorninggetmeavideoofthe36thminute–thethingyoumentionedtome.Iwanttoshowthecentre-halfhowbettertopositionhimself.’

During this pretty amazing half hour, standing in his corner of the restaurant,gesturingwildly as if he’s stillmid-match, Pep reproducesmost of the precedinggame.Hebreaksitdownandit’s likehe’sperforminganautopsy.Theskeletonisstrippedofeverymuscleandtendon.He’llanalysehisplayers,theopposition,eachphaseofthegame,everyimportantmove.Hegoesoverhowthegoalshappened–this involves him recalling exactly how themove started anddeveloped and thentrackingitrightuptothepointtheballactuallywentin.

Thenhisthoughtswillturntoothermatches.Whilehe’sstilldoinghisreplayofthismatch,he’ll starttoexplainwhatthenextonewillbe like,howhe’sgoingtocoachtheteamduringtheweek,whoisgoingtoberested–thenhe’llspoolbackabit, still eating chunksof cheesebutwith the champagne almostuntouched, andhe’llagreewithTorrentthatbeforethenextgamethey’llhavetopractiseaspecificfree-kick.There’s ahug forRobben,whohas comeover to saygoodbyewithhisthreelovelyblondekids.PepremindstheDutchmanofthesharplittlemovementheproducedwithhisright foot10minutesbeforetheendandtellshimto ‘do itmoreoftenplease’.

Seconds later he’s praising the work of the Red Bull Salzburg coach RogerSchmidtandbreakingdownthewayinwhichtheAustrianchampionsplay.Howthe forwards press, how the full-backs push on and the positions the attackingmidfielderstakeup.

All the while he’s explaining this in such detail that you’d think his team isplayingSalzburgtomorrowandI’mwonderingwhyonearthhehasgoneoffonthistangent.

ButthisisPep,andtwominuteslaterhe’schangedtackandistalkingaboutthelittleforwardchipIniestausedtoputtheballoverthetwocentre-halvesandmakethemturnduringtheBarça-Espanyolgameearlierthisevening.

‘Butwhendidyouseethatmove?’Iaskhim.‘WhenIwaswaitinginthehall.WhatamarvelAndrésis.He’sagenius.’

ThisisPepathismostpassionate,anditisajoytobearoundhim.Thishalfhourof champagne and cheese is themanifestationofhis passion for football but it isalsoalessoninforesightandpragmatism.

Onenight I’maccompaniedbyPatriciaGonzález, the very young coachof theAzerbaijanUnder-19women’steam.DuringthedinnerPepgazesatherandsays:‘Patricia,I’llgiveyousomeadvice:alwayspickthegoodones.Always!’

Theyoungcoachthenaskshimareallygoodquestion. ‘Pep,whoare thegoodones?Isitthemostfamousplayers?’

‘No. The really good players are the ones who never lose the ball. Thosewhoknowhowtopassitandwhoneverloseit.Theyarethegoodones.Andthat’swhoyoumustalwaysuse,eveniftheyarelower-profilethantherest.’

56

‘THEESSENCEOFFOOTBALLISWORKINGOUTTHEBESTWAYTOATTACKYOUROPPONENTS.’

Manchester,April1,2014

THIS IS THE third time this season Bayern have travelled to England onChampions League duty. In Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium they put on anexhibition of football,winning 3-1, and inArsenal’s Emirates Stadium, althoughtheyhadstruggledforthefirstsevenminutes,theyfoundtheirrhythmandwon2-0.

Bayern also dominate at Old Trafford, but victory eludes them. ManchesterUnitedhavehad adifficult seasonbut today theydefendwith courage andprideandholdtheGermanteamtoa1-1draw.

BayernhavegotUnitedholed-upintheirownpenaltyareawithsixmenbehindtheball,whichleavesthemalmostnochanceofmountingcounter-attacks.Inoneofthefewtheydoachieve,DannyWelbeckgetsachancetorunatBoateng,whoisthelastman.Boatenghesitates,perhapsconsciousoftheinstructionGuardiolahasgiven him about red-card tackles, and Welbeck is one-on-one with Neuer.Crucially,theGermancomesoutontop.

WithLahmincentralmidfieldandwithKroosandSchweinsteigereithersideofhim,Bayerntaketotalcontrolofthegame.Buttheyshowsomerecognisablybadhabits:thedominationoftheballtranslatesintotoofewclearchances;andBayern’scapacity to finish those chances is far too low, a season-long tendency which isencouragedbythefactthatsomanyofBayern’sopponentspacktheirdefenceandleave precious little space. Ribéry is going through a quiet spell, leaving all theemphasisontherightsideandRobben.Meanwhile,Schweinsteigerismuchmoreimportant for his goals (another heremarks his fourth in six games) than for hismidfieldplay,whichsometimesslowsdownBayern’sgame.

ThesearesmallindicationsthatallisnotwellandoverallBayernstormthroughthegameonlyconceding, somewhat surprisingly,aNemanjaVidicheader fromacorner. ‘Surprisingly’ because up till nowBayern have lost only three goals fromcorner kicks all season: to Hertha striker Adrián Ramos, to Niklas Süle,Hoffenheim’s defender who puts away a rebound after a Neuer mistake, and

Rafinha’sown-goal againstSchalke.Threegoals lost to corners in45 competitivematchesusingoneofPep’sdefiningfootballprinciples,thezonalmarkingdefence.‘Itmakesyourdefencemuchstrongerbecauseeachplayerjusthastotakecareofhisownzoneandwatchthebackoftheteam-mateinfrontofhim,’saysthecoach.

Bayern are now accustomed to facing corners eitherwith a 4-3-2-1 or 5-3-1-1formation,dependingontherival.Lahmwillusuallypushouttostoptheopponenttakingashortcorner.Thefirstdefensivezonewillalwaysbeoccupiedbythosewhoare best aerially – normally Martínez and Mandžukić. Next the two centraldefendersandfinally,atthebackpost,Alaba,whoisthebestatfollowingtheballifhehastorunbackwardsbecausethecorneristakenlong.Ofcourse,thisapproachtodefendingisnotfoolproofandhasitsflaws,butPepbelievesinitandcertainlyprefersittomanmarking.‘Ifyouareman-marking,fouropponentscanmakerunstodragyourdefence to thebackpost thentheysneaksomeone in toscoreat thefrontpost–orvice-versa.Ifyoudefendzonallythiswon’thappentoyou.’

For Guardiola, this concept extends to the team’s entire playing style. ‘Zonaldefending ismuchmore effective thanmanmarking. It’s somuch simpler for aplayer to stick tohisownzone.Heknowshe’s responsible for that area and thatsenseofindividualresponsibilitythenbecomescollectiveresponsibilityandinturnstrengthensteamsolidarity.’

ForPep,defendingwell isbaseduponabouthalf-a-dozengoodhabitswhich, iftrainedrepetitively,becomeautomatic.

‘The essence of football consists of working out the best way to attack youropponent. You have to start the play, building from the back, with crystal clearunderstandingofhowyourrivallikestodefendandattack.

‘Youhavetogooverandoverthemostimportantideas.Like,forexample,howtodefendagainstaparticularopponent.Wespend20minutesonthisbeforeeveryimportant game and tell the players how the other team will attack as well asinstructing themonhow to find spaces andwherewecando somedamage.Theplayerstrustthetechnicalteamcompletelybecausewe’reusuallyabsolutelycorrectinourpredictions.’

Inreality,Vidic’sgoalistheculminationofaseriesoftinymistakesonthepartoftheBayernplayersandoneplayer inparticular fails to stick to thezonalmarkingsystem.It’sasymptomoftheoccasionallapsesinattentioncreepingintoBayern’sgamewhich, within weeks, will culminate in a catastrophic encounter with RealMadrid. United, however, concede a goal nine minutes later scored bySchweinsteiger, who finishes after Rafinha’s cross is knocked down for him byMandžukićinthepenaltyarea.

SoBayernleaveOldTraffordwitharesultwhichbearslittleresemblancetotheonewhich had been on offer to them.They firmly dominate thematch but putaway only one of the 15 chances they create. All the same, the game shows twointeresting defensive innovations: for United’s throw-ins Lahm becomes a thirdcentre-halfwhilethefull-backontheoppositesidetucksinverytight,sothatthehalfofthepitchnearestthethrow-inispackedwithBayernplayers.Secondly,whenUnitedtrytoorganiseanattackBayernpushthemtowardsoneofthetouchlinestoshut them in via a pressing move which consists of players in the shape of animaginary triangle, with Robben at the tip. Pep is willing to mob United’s ballcarrierandleavetheremainderofthepitchemptybecausehedoesn’tthinkthereisanydangerofUnitedexploitingit.

Andso,theconquerorsoftheEtihadandtheEmirates leaveOldTraffordoncemoreunbeatenand,with the league secured, inevitablybegin to envisageanothertreble-winningseason.Butcantheypulloffthisdream,thisunprecedentedutopia?No team in history has achieved two treble-winning seasons. Only Celtic, Ajax,PSVEindhoven,ManchesterUnited,Barcelona, InterandBayernhave succeededin winning the league, their domestic cup and the European Cup in the sameseason.Andnoneofthemhavedoneitmorethanonce.Neither,acrosstwodecadesof competition, has any club managed to win the Champions League two yearsrunning.

Consideringallthis,whatjustificationisthereforanyoneatBayerndreamingofwinning a second treble? I put this question to no less an expert than JuppHeynckes,who sizes up their chances. ‘Historically there have been a number ofsuperb Bayern sides. Mythical players like Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer and GerdMüller. And yet, even those guys didn’t manage it. At the moment the club isfightingforthetrebleandPephasalreadywontheleague,butit’sstillaverytoughtask,very,verytough.’

I catch up with Heynckes shortly after the Manchester game and ask him toevaluateGuardiola’sfirstyearatBayern:‘I’veknownPepsinceheplayedforBarça.Hewasdevastatinginthemidfieldandhadagreattouchandasuperbvisionofthegame.He’salsosomeoneIadmireonapersonallevelandI’venotbeensurprisedatallbyallhehasachieved.IwasinSpainforanumberofyearsandamfamiliarwithbothhisandBarça’splayingphilosophy.Iknowhowhisteamsplay.WeallknewthekindofchangeshewouldmakeatBayern, forexamplemaking the full-backsplayinside,ashe’sdoing.TheGermanshavedifficultyunderstandingthisidea[hesmiles]becauseitleavesthetwocentre-halvesisolatedandputsthefull-backsrightup alongside players likeKroos. It’s amovewhichGerman football has found a

littleshocking.‘WhenwewereupagainstBarça in theChampionsLeague semi-finals lastyear

peopleaskedmeifIwasgoingtocontactPepforsomeadvice,butIdidn’tneedto.IalreadyknewBarça’sstylewellandhavethereforenotbeensurprisedbywhatPepisdoing inMunich.HeunderstandswhatsetsBayernapart: theorganisation, thestatureof the cluband thequalityof its staff.He fits theBayernmodelperfectlybecausehe,too,isapersonofquality.’

IaskhimifhebelievesthatGuardiola’sinnovationshavebeenasteptoofarforGerman football culture. ‘Everyone has his own playing philosophy, his ownapproachtomanagingateam.PeplearnedhistradefromJohanCruyff,followingtheAjaxandLaMasiamodels.I,ontheotherhand,wasborninMönchengladbachandmymentorwasHennesWeisweiler.It’sprobablytruethatmyownjourneyhasbeenverydifferent fromPep’sbut Ihave to say that I’ve really enjoyedwatchingBayern’s football this year.These guysweremyplayers last year andwewon thetreble, the firstGermanclub todoso in50yearsofBundesligahistory.This isateamwith real character,with playerswhowork brilliantly together andPep is afirst-class coach who established his pedigree at Barcelona. That’s why I lovewatchingthisBayernside.’

Unfortunately just about now Bayern’s game starts to head into a downwardspiral. There are three principal reasons for this: Thiago’s absence, the squadrelaxingafterwinningtheirsixthtrophyin12monthsandPep’sdecisiontoresthisregular starters.Thedeterioration ismarkedbyBayern’s first leaguedefeatof theseason,whichtakesplace inAugsburg,alwaysdifficult territoryfortheteam.ThecoachleavesLahm,RobbenandRibéryathomeandputsRafinha,Dante,Boateng,Alaba,GötzeandMülleronthebench.Starkeisalsoabsent,duetoaproblemwithtornelbowligaments.

Bayern’s unstoppable progress through the league comes to a halt. They haveplayed53consecutivegamesunbeaten, fromOctober28,2012 toApril5,2014,withHeynckes incharge for the first25andPep for the last28.This is the firsttimein66gamestheyhavefailedtoscore.Initself,ofcourse,it’snobigdeal.It’sjust one defeat. But the signs of the team’s decompression are there. After theirphenomenal league campaign they are now entirely focused on the ChampionsLeague, but it becomes increasingly difficult for Bayern to adjust precisely andcorrectlybetweenwhentocompeteatfulltiltandwhennotto.

57

‘I’VENEVERPLAYEDLIKETHIS…NOTEVENINMYBOLDESTDAYSATBARÇA.’

Munich,April8,2014

‘NOWIT’SOVERtothem.Theyholdtheirownfateintheirhands.IhavegiventhemeverysingletacticaltoolIcanandit’sallonthemnow.I’mnotevengoingtobotherwithapre-matchtalktomorrow.It’snotnecessarybecausetheyknowitallalready.AllI’mgoingtodoissay“hi”andgivethemahug.Thisistheirmoment.’

The last training session before their game against Manchester United is over.Within 24 hours the Allianz will play host to another great European tie – thereturn legof theChampionsLeaguequarter-finalsagainstWayneRooneyandhismen.PephasspentthelasttwodaystakinghismenthroughhisblueprintfortheirassaultonthegreatEnglishside.Currently,Guardiola’ssoleobjectiveisthedefenceoftheirtitleasEuropeanchampionsandhehasmadegoodhispromisetodiscardanythoughtofbreakingrecords.AlthoughhehaddiscussedthismanytimeswithDomènec Torrent, I wasn’t convinced that he would manage to carry thiscommitmentthroughtohisteam’sperformanceonthepitch.Buthehasdonejustthat,despite the fact that ithasmeantdrawingagainstHoffenheimand losing inAugsburg.

Focus on theChampions League has been to the detriment of their remainingleaguefixturesandPephasalreadyreceivedsomeflakforhisapproach.Thecriticsclaimed that choosing to field a significantlyweakerBayern sidewasnothing lessthan a betrayal of the Bundesliga. ‘I completely understand how they feel,’ heconfessedtomeacoupleofdaysbeforetheUnitedtie, ‘butwe’vewontheleagueandrightnowmydutyistothinkabouttheChampionsLeague.’

Severalnewspaperssuggestedthatintakingthisstance,PepwasputtingBayern’spossible trebleat risk,but thecoachwasn’tparticularlybotheredby thecriticism.‘Criticalfeedbackisveryhealthy.Infactit’svitalforagreatclublikeours.Ireckonthatpeoplethinkitoffendsmebutitreallydoesn’t.Criticismmeansthatyouhavetostayalert.That’swhyI’mcriticalofmyselfandmyplayers.’

Pephadleftthreeofhiskeyplayers,Lahm,RibéryandRobben,athomeforthe

Augsburg game on Saturday and gave the whole team a day off on Sunday.Hewanted the squad fresh for theirdouble sessiononMonday.Hewanted to spendtimegoingoverhisplanswithhismenandneededthemasalertaspossible.Thiswouldnot,however,beanordinarygameplan.

Pep,Torrent,PlanchartandtheotheranalystshadexaminedManchesterUnitedfrom every possible angle. They had produced an exhaustive analysis of theiropponents which had then been perfected by the coach himself and by 9am onMondaythegameplanandtheline-uphadbeenagreed.Pepusedthemorningandafternoon sessions to share thesewithhismen.First theyworkedon theway theEnglish team functions at both attacking and defensive dead-ball situations,watching these on video and then playing them out on the training pitch. Pepemphasisedonethingagainandagain:atOldTrafford,Unitedhadmanagedonlytwogenuinelydangerousmoments–theone-on-onebetweenWelbeckandNeuer,and the Vidic goal. Bayern’s objectives had been fixed from the outset of thepreparation for this game: better awareness at set-plays and conceding even fewerchancesathomethaninManchester.

ByMondaymorning theplayersalreadyhadagood ideaas to the line-up. JaviMartínezandSchweinsteigerwerebannedandThiagowasinjured(theplayerhadleft for Barcelona to receive treatment for his injured knee fromDoctorCugat).WhatdidtaketheplayersbysurprisewasthegameplanPeplaidoutforthemonTuesday,justafterlunch.‘We’regoingtousea2-3-3-2.’

The team were delighted. Pep then read out the team sheet. Neuer; Boateng,Dante;Lahm,Kroos,Alaba;Robben,Götze,Ribéry;MüllerandMandžukić.NotonlydidhegivethemthestartingXIfaraheadofnormal,buthadalsoshownthemanewwayofattackingthisgameviafourseparate,quitedistinct,lines.GiventhatBayernwouldprobablybeattacking for75%of thematchand in theoppositionhalf,Pepwantedtopopulatethebacklinewiththetwocentre-halvesandhavethetwofull-backspushrightupnexttoKroos.

Hehad spokenwithLahmanddetailedwhat heneeded.Although the line-upmadehim look like a full-back, thatwasnotwhatPepwanted from the captain.Instead,hewas toplayasamidfielder in the lineof threewithKroosandAlaba.Moreover,givenKroos’tendencytomovetotheleft,Lahmwouldneedtosqueezeinandoccupythemiddleoftheline,asifhewerethepivote.IfKroosmovedleft,Alabawastopushonhigher,onthelefttouchline.Ofcourse,ifUnitedweretogettheball in anattacking situationandBayernweredefending correctly, thenbothLahm and Rafinha would need to double back and occupy normal full-backpositionsinadefensivelineoffour.Infrontofthesethreemidfielders,Götzewould

havetotallibertyofmovement.IntheconstructionofattackingplayheshouldfindhimselfatthetipofadiamondshapelinkingwithAlaba,KroosandLahm.Whentheballmovedhighupthepitchhewouldbefreetotakeontheroleofanother,anarchic striker. It meant that Pep had unified his most reliable passers in themiddle of the pitch. Robben and Ribéry were to play on the wings. In theoppositionhalf,theywouldbethesoleoccupantsofthewidespace–notLahmorAlaba. ‘ArjenandFranck:you’llhavetobewing-backs inthismatch.You’lldropback to the middle of the pitch to pick the ball up and bring it up the wing.Tomorrowthat’sgoingtobeyourresponsibilityexclusivelybecause the full-backsareplayingasmidfielders.’

Hours later Pep would confess: ‘I’ve never played like this, with the wingersplayingasfull-backs.NoteveninmyboldestdaysatBarça.It’scompletelynewforme,too,butitjustseemsright.Andthey’regoingtodoitperfectly.IseeitinArjenandFranck’seyes.Icanfeelitandseeitinthewaytheyhandlethemselves.Müller’sgoingtodobrilliantlytoo.Youcanjustseeit.’

MülleristobeinthefrontlinewithMandžukić.Twocentre-forwardswhosejobistogetinbetweentheUnitedcentre-backsandthefull-backs.It’sanideaPephasoften discussed with his backroom staff. ‘Two guys occupying four defenders.MüllerandMandžukićneedtotieuptheentireUnitedbackfour.Iftheymanageit,thinkofthespacethatRobbenandRibérywillhavetoreceivetheballwide.’

Rafinha,however,willloseoutintheprocessandtheBrazilianwillnotbeinthestartingline-uponadaywhentheBrazilnationalcoach,LuizFelipeScolari,willbeinattendance.

Forthefirsttimethisseason,Pepannouncestheline-upandthegameplantheday before thematch.They then run through the relevantmoves in the trainingsession. The starters wear green bibs and line up in a 2-3-3-2 formation, whilstPizarrocopiesRooney’slikelymovesandJaviMartínezandVanBuytentakeontherolesofVidicandFerdinand.Theclosed session is takingplaceon trainingpitchNo.1,farfrompryingeyesandPeptakesthetimetorunoverwhathewantsonemoretime.

TheballneedstoreachRibéryorRobbenquicklyanddirectly,rightoutonthetouchline,whilethetwostrikersoccupythebackfour.Ifthewingershaveonlyonemarkerthentheyaretogoathimandtrytoreachthebyeline.Iftheyaredoublemarkedwhen theballgets to them, they’ve to return it to thenearestmidfielder,LahmorAlaba,orlooktohitGötzeorthetwostrikerswithapass.

AftereachofPep’srepeatedexplanations,theplayersplayoutthescenario,atfulltilt,on the trainingpitch.They try topin the surrogateManchesterUnitedback

line into their penalty area.Guardiola reckons thatUnited will come out at theAllianz with the idea of closed-ranks defending, looking to use Rooney in asuccessfulcounter-attack.

As the afternoonwears on, the players practise again and againwith the coachsuggesting multiple variants for each situation. One of his technical teamcomments: ‘He’sexplainedasmuchasit’spossibletoexplain.Theyunderstanditallandnowalltheyhavetodoisputitintopractice.’

Somepositional-playdrillsclosethetrainingsession,althoughPepbansRobbenfrom takingpart– theplayerhad taken akick tohis leg thedaybefore andPepdoesn’twanttotakeanyrisks.Just theweekbefore, thesecond-choicegoalkeeperTomStarkehadbeenbadlyhurt. Inaddition,bothThiagoandShaqiri,whowasinjured in Augsburg, are absent. ‘It’s such a shame not to have Thiago on thebench.He’stheguytogetusoutoftroublewhenthingsgettricky,’saysGuardiola.

Thenervesarebeginningtosetin.‘My stomach’s in knots,’ Estiarte tellsme. ‘I can’t eat anything the day before

thesekindsofmatches.We’veworkedhardallyearforexactlythiskindofgame.’ManuelNeuerisalsokeentoshare.‘Bringiton.Matchdayisalwaysbetterthan

thedaybefore.Youspendsometimeattheteamhotelandthenyou’reonthebus,yougettothestadium,warmupand,beforeyouknowit,thegamehasstarted.Butthedaybeforejustdragsby.’

NeuerdeputisesforRobbeninthepositional-playexercises.Asalwaysonthedaybefore a Champions League game, Lorenzo Buenaventura orders only tworepetitionsoffiveminutesinthedrills–notthenormalthreereps.Thisistoavoidover-tiringtheplayersjustincasethenextday’sgamegoestoextratime.TheydotheexercisesbrilliantlyanditallendswithanunexpectedshoutfromPep:‘That’sit!Ifweplaylikethistomorrow,we’rethrough!’

NeuerhasjustdemonstratedhismasteryoftheballathisfeetandItellPepaboutthe recentTwitter story thatNeuer had asked to play in themidfield in light ofThiago,Schweinsteiger and Javi’s absences.Pep laughs. ‘It’snot sucha ridiculousidea,notatall.Manuiscapableofanything.’

WeareleftalonetogetheronthetrainingpitchandIaskhimifheisfeelingthenervesaswell.

‘Yesofcourse,butnottoomuch.Ifweplaythe2-3-3-2well,we’llwin.Weneedtoscorefromthesecond-ballactions.RememberwhatItoldyouinAugustaboutwhatIlearnedfromtheBarcelona-Chelseamatchin2012?Well,thisisthedaywehavetodowhatIdidn’tmanagethatdayforBarça.Seekoutthereboundsintheboxandpunish the secondballwherever it lands in thepenaltyarea.Theyknow

everythingtheyneedtoknowandarecapableofdoingthis.I’mnotdoingapre-match talk.Theyknow it all already.Allweneed is for themtogooutandplaywithcourageanddowhattheydobest.Iftheydothat,thenwe’rethrough.Thisistheplayers’moment.’

58

‘ARJEN’SABEAST.’

Munich,April9,2014

IF YOU WANT to fully understand the essence of Pep Guardiola the coach, afootball man through and through, it would be helpful to consider what ishappening inhisoffice at11.15 thisWednesdaynight. It’s just45minutes sinceBayernhavesecuredtheirplaceinthesemi-finalsoftheChampionsLeagueforthefourth time in five years. It is also the fifth time in five seasons that Guardiolahimself has made it to that stage. This has been an enormous achievement andeveryone is euphoric: players, supporters, directors, everyone is celebrating.Guardiolamost of all.He’s given every one of his players a hug in the dressingroom,hadachatwithUliHoeness,whohascomedowntocongratulatehimandisjust about to speak to the press. But first he does something rather bizarre forsomeonewhohasjustwonsuchanimportantgame.Inthemidstofthedressing-roomfestivities,PepturnstoManelEstiarteandaskshimtogetholdofacertainvisitor.

TwominuteslaterPepisshutupinhisofficewithhisguestandfor15minutesthepairofthemdiscussoneofBayern’sthreepossibleopponentsinthesemi-finals,goingover thekeyelementsof theirplaying style.Beforehecanallowhimself tofully savour this victoryhewants toprepare for thenextbattle and if he cangetsomefirst-handpointers,somuchthebetter.ThisistherealPepinaction:amanincapable of savouring his success because he’s too busy thinking about the nextmove.

Andthishasnotbeenaneasyvictorydespite the fact thateverythinghappenedexactlyasPeppredicted.Bayernhavegoneoutwiththe2-3-3-2formation,thefull-backsnexttoKroos,whotriestoclosedownRooney.Bayerncontroltheballandthefirsthalf,shootingatgoal13timestoUnited’sone.ButUniteddefendwell.Athalf-timetheBayerntechnicalanalysisisjustthis:totaldominationbutnotenoughofthefreespacewithwhichtoputthegametobed.

With the scoreboard at0-0 athalf-timeBayern are alreadyon theirway to thesemi-finals except theminute things start lookinggood,Pep’splayers easeup the

pressure.Ithashappenedbefore,intheChampionsLeagueagainstCityandintheleagueagainstMönchengladbachandHoffenheim.This same senseof superiorityassailsthemagainstUnitedand,withthescoreat0-0,withtheGermansidepoisedto go through, the players sit back and concentrate only onmaintaining control.Pepkeepswavinghisarmsabout.Hewantsmoreintensity,morepressure.Hetellshismen toplaydeeper,but it takesPatriceEvra’s thunderous shotpastNeuer todeliver the sucker punch they need. In that instant, 56minutes into thematch,Bayernarefacingelimination.

Suddenly they’re wide awake. Sixty-nine seconds later Ribéry andGötze causehavocdowntheleftandMüllerdrawsbothUnitedcentre-halvesoutofposition,soMandžukićonlyhastobeatEvraintheairtoequalise.

RightatthismomentPepmodifieshisplan,introducingRafinhaforGötzeandputting Lahm andGötze in as double pivotes.Within about 10minutes Bayern,withthebrakesoff,havecompletelyoverwhelmedUnitedwithgoals fromMüllerandRobben.It’ssoimpressivethatPepturnstothefansintheAllianztodemandanovationforhisplayers.

It’smidnightbeforehefinallymakesittotheteamrestaurant,wherehehugshisthreechildrenandgiveshiswifealong,lingeringkiss.He’sstarving,ashealwaysisafteragame.Tonighthegoesforhisfavouritemeal,marinatedsalmon,andassoonashe’sfinishedhisfirstservinghe’supforanother.‘Extrapepperplease,’hetellsthecook.Insteadofhisusualglassofchampagne,heasksfortwo.‘No,bringmefourglasses.Orthewholebottle.’

Post-match Pep. But tonight is special. He’s through to his fifth ChampionsLeague semi-final. Five out of five.Hehasnever gone out before this stage.Thedinnerbecomesadetailedmatchreplay.Hepointsoutwhattheydidwellandthemistakestheymade,theguyswhoplayedbrilliantlyandthosethatweresomewhatbelowpar.

‘Arjen’s a beast.Abeast.Rafinhawas first class, hewas completely focused thesecondheleftthebench.That’sthemarkofanoutstandingplayer.AndwhataboutKroos?TremendousToni.AyearagohewasplayinglikeasecondstrikerandtodayhemarkedRooneyoutofthegameplayingasaholdingmidfielder.Rooney!I’msoproudofmymen.’

IremindhimhowdifficultitwasforBayerntobreakdowntheEnglishdefence.‘Of course it was. What else did you expect? They’re a brilliant team. I was

pleased with our 2-3-3-2, but it was definitely rough finding spaces. We onlymanageditinthefirsthalfthankstoRobbenandthenitcamemuchmoreeasilyinthesecondhalf.’

I also point out that Bayern had had the brakes on right up until Evra’s goal.‘You’reright,completelyrightandIdon’treallyunderstandwhy.We’vehadachatwithLahmandhecan’texplainiteither.Sometimesthingsjusthappenandthere’snorealexplanation.’

Pepisinfullflow.He’sinideasmode,analysingthegamewhilstatthesametimedescribinghowthey’lldealwithwhoevertheyfacenext.He’dpreferAtlético.

‘Andifyoumakeittothefinal?’‘Itwon’tmatter,aslongaswemakeit.AndIhopewedo–forThiago.’In theearlyhoursof themorningPepwill leave the stadiumwithhisdaughter

Valentina asleep in his arms. He’ll struggle to get to sleep, but will be up andworkinginhisofficeby8.30am,reviewinghisplansforhisnextleagueopponents,thegreatBorussiaDortmund.

Training will be held on Pitch No.2 and will be a relaxed and playful affairalthough, as always, Pep will draw a halt to the jokes early on. This is an opensession, although the men who played against United are out of sight on PitchNo.1,doingrondodrills.InoneofthemDanteisnutmeggedandisroundlyteased,athighvolume. It’sall laughsand jokes.Thehigh jinksgetoutofhandhoweverand Pep, annoyed by all the hilarity, comes straight over and demands that theplayerscalmdownandshowsomerespectforthesupporterswhohavecomealongtoSäbenerStrasse.Thestartersthencompletethesession,whichconsistsofadozen60-metre runs, done at a light tempo, in front of the watching public and incompletesilence.

59

‘IDON’TCONSIDERMYSELFAGOODCOACH.’

Munich,April12,2014

GUARDIOLA STARTEDWITH a defeat inDortmund, in theGerman SuperCuponJuly27,2013,andtoday,eight-and-a-halfmonthslater,histeamslipsuponcemoreagainstthesameopponents.Thistimeit’saleaguegameinMunich.It’sfitting that it should be Jürgen Klopp to bring his great rival down to earth,althoughtheGermancoachisatpainstopointoutthat:‘Pepisn’tmyrival.I’mupagainstanother16teams,soinrealityeachofushas17rivals,notjustone.’

KloppverykindlydelayshisdeparturefromtheAllianzArenatospendsometimeevaluatingGuardiola’sstyle:‘Hehasanincredibleabilityfordevelopinghisteams.His style of play is very complex, really very complex. It’s unique and extremelydifficulttocombat.HediditinBarcelonaandhe’sdoingithereinMunich.’

ButtheDortmundcoachseesPep’sgreatstrength,aboveandbeyondhisstyleofplay,ashisabilitytomaintainhisteams’competitivespiritataconsistentlevel.‘Hedoessomethingthatisvery,verydifficult.It’sphenomenallyhardtobeconsistentlyenthusiastic about and focused on your next game, particularly when you are sosuccessful.It’sstruckmeonseveraloccasionsthisyear.Themostimportantthingthat Pep has achieved, quite apart from playing brilliant football, has been tomaintainthisconsistent,high-temporhythm,onegameafteranother,goingfromone day to the next. That’s what’s so hard. But he’s done it, and I don’t thinkthey’regoingtostop.’

Kloppisdelighted.Dortmundhavewon3-0attheAllianzArena,matchingPep’sresult inDortmundat the endofNovember2013.Ofcourse itdoesn’thave thesamesignificance.InDortmundtheywerestillbattlingfortheleagueandnowinMunichthereisnothinglefttosalvage,savesomepride.ButforBayernitisablow.Justonemoresetbackinamonthfullofmomentsofweakness.

ThereseemslittlewrongwithPep’smatchplan.Heputsouta2-3-2-3formationin which Rafinha, Lahm and Alaba are the first line of midfielders withSchweinsteigerandGötzetheinside-forwardsinfrontofthem.IfDortmundcloseLahmwhenheattemptstobringtheballoutitisRafinhawhotakesover,anddoes

so very well. It’s all going swimmingly until Bayern fail to defend a throw-in.Dortmundproduceoneoftheirlightning-fastmoveswhichendsupwithMjitaryánscoring.ThegoalseemstocloudthevisionofPep’splayersevenbeforeNeuergoesoffwithatightcalfmuscleinthesecondhalf.Withinafewminutes,onecounter-attackandonelongballaddtwomoregoals,thusroundingoffabitterexperiencewhichhasthrownupanumberofweaknesses.

Weare talking aboutmuchmore thanoneor twodetails.Thedecline ismoreserious than that.Bayern are in freefallwith only aweek-and-a-half to go beforetheyfaceRealMadridintheChampionsLeaguesemi-finals.Thereareplayersoutthroughinjury(Thiago,NeuerandShaqiri),RibéryandGötzearehavingproblemsandSchweinsteiger andMandžukić are a bit off form, too.Team spirit has beenaffectedandtheplayersfeellikethey’velostcontrol.Theprocessofdecompressionafterwinningtheleaguehasledtoalossofidentityatthemostdecisivestageoftheseason.Themomentumhasgone, that stateofgrace teamsexperiencewhen theyareonpeakform.

Formeit’s fascinatingtoseehowPepbehaves inthefaceofdefeat.This isnotsomething he hasmuch experience of. In his 303 games as a first-division coach(fouryearsatBarcelonaandoneatBayern),hehasonlylost27games.Onaverage,onedefeatevery11games.

ThesedefeatsadddimensiontothevictoriesanditisnoaccidentthatoneofhisbedsidebooksisSaberperder (Knowinghowto lose)byhis friend, the filmmakerDavidTrueba.Forhimdefeatisalsoacatharsis,arevelation.AsthejournalistIsaacLluchexplainedtomeoneevening,referringtoBayern’sdefeatintheSuperCup,itisanecessity.‘StartingoffwithadefeatgivesPeptherightelementofepicdrama,exactlywhatanyheroneedsasheembarksonhisquest.’

There’salwaysafallsimplybecause,amongstotherreasons,everysuccessisbuiltfromtheashesofpreviousdefeat,aslongasthereasonsforthedefeatareproperlyandclearlyassimilated.

Bayernhavelostinmonumentalfashion.The3-0trouncingintheAllianzArenahasbeenparticularlyhardtotakebecausethistimeGuardiolachosenottofieldaweaker team.Unlike the recent defeat inAugsburgwhen theBayern line-upwasmainlysubstitutesandyouthteamplayers,thistimeheusedhiskeymen.Andhehad also worked hard on his own analysis of the opposition. All for nothing.Klopp’sDortmundhasbeenthebetterteam.

In the post-matchpress conferencePep ismuchmore forthcoming thanusual.He gets onwell withKlopp and is happy to publicly congratulate him.He alsoacceptstheerrorsheandhisteamhavemadeandrecognisesthatitisvitalforthem

to regain the competitive form they displayed before winning the league. As hemakeshiswaythroughtheAllianzArena’scorridorshestopsforeveryfanwhoasksforanautographoraphoto.He smiles, apparentlycompletelyuntroubledby thedefeat.

Once inside thePlayers’Loungehegreetshisplayers and their familieswarmlybutIpickupononeprincipaldifferencetonight:heeatswithhiswifeCristina.ItmayjustbecoincidencebutIsuspectitismoresignificantthanthat.UsuallyPepgetstotherestaurantandimmediatelyhugshiskids,Valentina,MàriusandMaria.He kisses and cuddles thembefore embracingCristina and spending a couple ofminuteswithher.Thenhe’sofftalkingtofriendsandacquaintancesortheplayers’familieswhowantaphotowithhim.Itisonlymuchlaterthathewillspendtimewithhisfamily.

But today things are different. He sits down beside Cristina and, instead ofchampagne, orders a glass of red wine. I’m sitting at the next table but get theimpression that Pep needs some time alonewith his partner to processwhat hashappened. Before he can pick himself up he needs time to mourn his loss, towithdraw for a while and share his private feelings, rather than his professionalthoughts.

Andso,forabout30minutes,nobodygoesnearhistable,asifthewholeroomisaware that Pep needs some quiet time. In the end it is his own children whointerrupthisintrospectionbyannouncingthatBarçahavelostinGranadaandmaywell have missed out on winning the Spanish league. By now the restaurant isalmostempty.AfrustratedArjenRobbengiveshisowntakeonthedefeat:theteamneeds to regain their hunger if they are to have any chance ofmaking it to theChampionsLeaguefinal.

Pep’s quiet time is over and Cristina has obviously helped him recharge hisbatteries.Glassinhand,hemovestoanothertableandisoncemoretheenthusiasticPepweknowsowell,fullofenergyandchat.

‘Imessedup.’Initially I assume that he’s referring to a tactical error but I’m wrong. He’s

actuallytalkingabouthismanagementoftheteam’ssuccess.‘You are nobody if you’re only giving 95%.That includesme. This isn’t false

modesty.IamacompletenobodyifI’mnotperformingatmyvery,verybest.AndI’lltellyouanotherthing.Idon’tconsidermyselfagoodcoach.Iknowyouwon’tbelieveme and that people will think it’s false modesty but it’s honestly what Ibelieve. I have so many doubts, I worry about everything and am secure aboutnothing.ButthereisonethingIamsureof.Imessedup.Wethoughtwewerethe

greatestandourdeclinestartedthatdayinBerlin[whentheywontheBundesliga].Ithasn’tbeenagentledecline,no,we’vegonerightofftherails.’

MàriusandMariacomeovertolistentotheirfather,interruptingoccasionallytoaskaquestion,butPeppresseson.‘Praiseactuallymakesyouweaker.Ithappenstousall.IwentsoftafterBerlin.TheyaskedmetocanceltrainingthenextdayandIagreed. I wanted to avoid injuries so we stopped doing full on 11-against-11matchesintraining.Andwefuckeditup.Iwastryingtostopthemgettinginjuredandwhat I actually didwas turnmyplayers soft.Andwe’renobodies ifwe turnsoft.That’snotatacticalproblem.Thisteamplayed53gameswithoutaloss,underJuppandme,usingathousanddifferenttactics.53matches,withinjuries,withkeyplayersmissing,usingdifferenttacticsandwedidn’tloseagame.Whatwedidwasrun. We ran ourselves into the ground. And then we stopped running. It’s gotnothingtodowithtactics!’

Cristinanowjoinsus,obviouslyanxioustosupportherhusbandinrecoveringhisequilibrium.Shesuggeststhatperhapssomelevelofrelaxationis inevitableafteragreatsuccess.

‘ButPep,ithappenstousall.WhenIgottothestadiumthiseveningIwasreallyrelaxed compared to other matches. All I could think was that we were playingDortmundwiththeleaguetitlealreadyinthebag.’

‘Iknow,Iknow,you’rerightofcourse.Iwasthesametoday.Ievenmanagedtoeatsomethingbeforethegame.Canyoubelieveit?’

Hehadhadaplateofprawnsforlunchatthehotelandobviouslywasn’tfeelinghisusualnerves.

‘It’strue,’hecontinues.‘ButIalsopreparedforthismatchwithexactlythesameattentiontodetailasInormallydo.Iwenthomeatnineo’clocklastnight.Iwouldhave liked to have spent the evening with the kids but stayed on at the officeanalysingDortmund and looking for ways to beat them. Carles Planchart and Iwere the last to leave Säbener Strasse.We had to lock up. Iwork very hard andtodayhasbeenatotalfuck-up.’

I stillwant toknowwhether therewere some tactical reasons for today’sheavydefeat.

‘We played well to begin with and I was thinking: this is a good start, eventhough we’re finding it hard to find Götze with the ball between the lines. IfDortmund’stwopivotesaremarkingourtwothenit’sclearthatGötzeisfree,butwejustweren’taccurateenoughinfindinghim.Still,I’mnotmoaningtoomuchabout the first half.WithRafinha andAlaba playing inside, howmany counter-attacksdidDortmundhituswithinthefirsthalf?Notone.

‘InthesecondhalfImovedthetwofull-backswide,changingit,sothatwecouldhavefourattackers,andDortmunddestroyedus.Okay,so,it’sinterestingbecausewe’llbeplaying them in the finalof theDFB-Pokal.But itwashard toproperlyanalyse and assimilate what was going on during the game because I was so, sopissedoff.’

HiskidsaskaboutparticularplayersbutPepinsiststhattherehasbeenachangein thewhole team’sattitude. ‘Weshouldn’tmake themistakeofbelievingweareinfallible.Wearenotsuper-humanandneedtokeeprunning.Evenwhenateamison top form, it is still only hanging from a thread. All it takes is for us to stoprunningforthethreadtobreakandeverythingtocollapseontopofus.’

Whilsthetalks,Guardiolaisalreadyforminghisplanofactionforthenextfewdays. ‘S´ha acabat el bròquil.’ It is aCatalan sayingmeaning ‘things are going tochangearoundhere’.

‘Therewillbenorotations inBraunschweig[nextSaturdaytheyareathometothe team in last place in the league] and if anyone gets injured, tough luck, theywon’t get to play at the Bernabéu. We won the Bundesliga with half the teammissingafterallandmanagedtowinindifficultgroundswithmostofourkeymenout,likeinDortmund.Noonecouldscoreagainstusandnowinjustthreedays,suddenlywe’refullofholes.Well,itstopshere.’

Màrius,whois11,askshisdadifheintendstosayallthistohisplayers.‘Ofcourse!Mondaymorning.Attraining.AndthenonTuesday,duringtheteam

talk. I’ll tell them I messed up. Big time. But they need to run and run. Theymustn’t fall into the trapofbelieving theyhave some sortof special status. Ifwewant to be good, to go on being good, we have to run. I’m paid to coach andthey’re paid to run. We’re not paid to play beautiful football but to run. Theminuteplayersstoprunning,they’renobodies.Ifwereallywanttobeinthosetwofinals[theDFB-PokalandtheChampionsLeague]wehavetodemandeverythingofourselves.’

ImakethesamepointasCristina:it’snormaltorelaxalittleaftergreatsuccess.‘Ofcourse, it’s logicalbut Idon’tneed toaccept it.The samethinghappenedatBarça.Everytimewewontheleagueourperformancedipped.ButI’mnotgoingtoacceptit.I’mrebelling.Iamnotgoingoffonholidaythinkingaboutthisshit,this3-0,withouthavingdoneeverythingIcantoturnthingsaround.HaveIeverbeenbeaten3-0before?’

It’sarhetoricalquestion.Pepknowsonlytoowellthathehasneversufferedsuchabaddefeatathome(althoughhehasyettoexperienceanevenworseresult).

Bayern’s next step is tomake it to theDFB-Pokal final. ‘Let’s hope the game

againstKaiserslautern[theSecondDivisionteamwhowillvisittheAllianzArenaonWednesdayforthesemi-final]makesupfortoday’smess.Whoknows,perhapsthisdefeatwillendupdoingussomegood.IfwehadbeatenDortmundwewouldhavebeeneven fullerofourselves.Nowat least ifwemake it to the finalwewon’tbefavourites. Ifwe’reupagainstDortmund,obviously they’llbe favourites.AndthesameappliestoRealMadridintheChampionsLeague.’

His thoughts are already turning to Tuesday’s team talk and the upcomingmatchesagainstKaiserslauternandRealMadrid.

‘Rightnowweneedtogetbacktotrainingashardaswecan,withoutstopping.And against Madrid our two strikers need to tie-up their entire back four, ourwingershavetodoubleupasfull-backs,justastheydidagainstUnited,andinthemidfieldwe need the best playerswho keep andmove the ball for long spells ofproductive possession. I won’t be wasting a lot of words on our strategy againstMadrid, just twomain tactical ideasplus a few specificdirections to someof theplayersandthenI’lltellthemalltorunthemselvesintotheground.Wejustneedtwoideastowin:controlthecounter-attacksandholdontopossession.Andlaufen,alotoflaufen.Runlikebastards…’

It’s now three hours since the end of the Dortmund game. The Allianz ispracticallydesertedand,asalways,PepcarriesasleepingValentinainhisarms.It’sthesamescenematchaftermatch,excepttodayhe’sbeendefeated.Inthesethreehourshehasdealtwiththeimpactofthedefeat.Hehasacceptedit,broodedonitinprivate,verbalisedhis feelingsand identifiedhisownmistakesandthoseofhisplayers.Hehasthenstartedthehealingprocessbysettingouthisapproachforthenextfewdays.Intheendthishasbeenatransformativeprocessandhehasfoundthepositiveinthesituation;hehasendedtheeveningrevitalised.

Ashegoesdowninthelift,hestartstalkingaboutnextseason.‘Lewandowskiandonemore.We needmore competition within the team.Nobody should get toocomfortable.Iwantthemtoworklikebastardstoearntheirplace.Ineverysingletrainingsession.Ifwedon’tdothatthenwe’llenduplikesomeotherteams.Weneed to use this success to reinvent ourselves. Otherwise there’s a real risk ofDortmundovertakingusnextseason.’

And,beforeheleaves,Pepcannotresistmentioningsomethingthathasbeenonhis mind for a while: the fact that his football philosophy is alien to Germanfootballculture.Hedoesn’tsayitdisparaginglyorinanaggressiveway.Forhimitisjustafactoflife,anotheropportunitytobroadenhishorizons.

60

‘WEHAVETOREMEMBERTHATIFWEDON’TRUN,WE’RENOTHING.’

Madrid,April23,2014

BAYERNSHOWTHEkindofpersonality in theBernabéu that very few teamsmanage to summon upwhen they play here. They encloseRealMadrid in theirownpenaltyboxandholdontotheball,maintainingsuchtightcontrolthat,afteronly nineminutes, theMadrid fans begin towhistle in protest at themanner inwhichthehomesideareallowingthemselvestobepummelledintosubmission.

Guardiola’s tactical talkhadbeenbriefandto thepoint: ‘Youaregreatplayers.Goout into this great, historical stadiumand show it.Goout andplay like youknowhow.Thisisfootball.Youarefootballers.Befootballers.’

AweekagoRealMadridwon theCopadelReyagainstBarcelonabyplayingadefensive, deep 4-4-2 formation, a strategy which allowed them to control theiropponents and deliver their own counter-attacks. Himself a first-rate-tactician,coachCarloAncelottihasdecidedtoapproachtheBayerngameinthesameway.Heishappytosacrificecontrolofthegameandtheball,optingfordeepdefendingin the third of the pitch in front ofMadrid’s own goal, where Pepe and SergioRamoshavebeenoutstanding.

Bayern start strongly and the players do everything the coachhas asked:Kroosmoves the ball from wing to wing, driving Bayern’s attacks down either side.Robbendrivesforwardfromacentralarea,thefull-backshitMandžukićwiththeircrossesandBayern’spositionalplayallowsthemtoavoidMadrid’scounter-attacks.

However,Madridwon’tevenneedagenuinecounter-attackinordertowin.TheonlygoalofthegamecomesfromaKarimBenzematap-ininthe19thminute.It’sa terrible blow for a teamwhich has run out of steam over the last threeweeks,managingtoholdononlybecauseofmenlikeLahm,KroosandRobben.Evenagoalkeeper as dependable asNeuer has come back full of doubts and errors afterbeinginjured11daysagoagainstBorussiaDortmund.

Guardiola had tried to revitalise his men during the 10 days between theDortmunddefeatandtheMadrid tie.OnTuesday,April15,hecalled the squad

together. Standing in the Säbener Strasse lecture theatre, with the lights off, Pepstartedbyaskingforhismen’sforgivenessforhispoorGerman, ‘althoughIthinkyou can all understand me’. He then explained that when he gets home aftertraininghealwaysopensabottleofwine todrinkwithhiswifeoverdinner.Theplayers laughed as he mimed opening an enormous bottle of wine. ‘Whilst I’mdoingthatI’malwaysthinkingofyouguys,thinkingabouthowtohelpyou,whatIcandotohelpyouplayevenbetter,howIcanmakeyoumoresecure.IreflectonallthethingsIcandotosupportyou.’

Buttheonethinghecannotdo,hetoldthem,is‘runforyou’.Hethenshowedthemashortvideowhichdemonstratedveryclearlythedifferenceintherhythmoftheir gamebeforewinning the league and after.Theyhadobviously just stoppedrunningfull-out.

‘It’scompletelynormalandithappenstoeveryoneafterabitofsuccess.Butwehavetorememberthatifwedon’trun,we’renothing.Ifwestartaskingteam-matestosendtheballtoourfeetinsteadofintothespaceinfrontofus,thenwe’ll losemuchofourexcellenceandwe’llbeaweakeropponent.’

Hethenturnedthe lightsonandsetupawhiteboardonwhichhehadwrittenthefollowingfigures:

27games=13goals3games=7goalsThiswasthebalanceofgoalsconcededintheleaguethusfar:only13inthefirst

27gamesbeforewinningthetitle,andthenseveninthreematches.Theteamhadcollapsed.

In their twomatchespreceding the first leg inMadridhisplayersmadeahugeefforttoaddresstheproblem.TheybeatKaiserslautern5-1inthesemi-finalsoftheDFB-Pokal and then emerged with a 2-0 away win at Eintracht Braunschweig.Neitherofthesewasastraightforwardgame.Theymayhavebeenaseconddivisionteam, butKaiserslautern battled hard at theAllianzArena,where Pep fielded hisbest team,minusNeuer. There weremixed feelings after the game.On the onehand, theyweredelightedtobegoingtothe final inBerlinagainstno lessarivalthanBorussiaDortmund.Ontheother,theBayernplayershadappearedsluggishandlackedfluidity.

It was also sadly lacking in Braunschweig, where the team fighting relegationfoughttoothandnailforonelastchancetosavethemselves.ThisgamewaspossiblyBayern’s worst performance of the entire season, with some players misdirectingmorethanhalfoftheirpasses,andtheteamachievingamediocrepassaccuracyof78%.Moreover,with just fivedays to gobefore facingRealMadrid, itwas clear

that the best player of 2013 was still blocked. Franck Ribéry was struggling toregain his form, although not through lack of effort or desire. He was pushinghimselftothelimitbutnotmanagingtogetbacktothatstateofgracewhichhadallowed him to take on all-comers. The causes may well have been partlypsychological,buthisbackproblems–hehadaproceduretodrainbadbruisingonFebruary 6 –were badly hampering his performance.These same back problemswouldeventuallypreventhimfromplayingintheWorldCup.

Pizarro’sgoalinthe75thminutesealedthewininBraunschweigandhewastheteam’smosteffectiveforwardatthispointintheseason,averagingagoalevery68minutes.Pepinsistedthathiscontractberenewedforanotherseason.

In Madrid, the eventual successor to Bayern as European champions awaitedthem.Guardiolawasn’tsurewhetherornottoincludeRibéryinhisline-up,givenhisstateoffitness.Hewasnotfeelingpositive:justbeforeleavingMunichthecoachlearned that Højbjerg’s father had passed away. In the group that travelled toMadrid,Alabahadacold,Neuerwasjustbackfrominjury,andGötzehadn’tyetreached his best.To add to theirwoes, JaviMartínez –who should have been astarter–wassufferingfromaboutofgastroenteritiswhichhadcausedhimtolosealmostfourkilosinoneweekend.

TheplayershadundoubtedlyrunmuchmoreinthetwomatchessinceApril14but, apparently, the guardian angel of the previous months had deserted them.Despite all of this,Bayernwere exactlywhere theyhadaimed tobe at this stage:withthreetitleswon,thefinaloftheDFB-Pokaltocontestandjust180minutesawayfromtheChampionsLeaguefinal.

Pepdecided to confrontMadridwith courage anddaring.Hehad experiencedmomentous victorieswithBarcelona in this stadium and, out of respect forRealMadrid, had been irritated by people in Munich talking about the bête noire(Bayern)whichwas about todescendon theBernabéu.Madridhadbeen a greatrival forPep,asaplayerandcoachand,regardlessoftheircurrentdifficulties,histeamweredeterminedtofacethemwithvalourandpride.

‘We’veworkedvery,veryhardtogethere,’hetoldme,‘andwehavedoneitbytheskinofourteethattimes.Ihaveonlyhadmyentiresquadfitforthreeweeksthis season. Just three weeks. And we’ve worked like dogs to get where we are.We’renotgoingtogiveupnow.Weneedtogooutthereandenjoythis.I’mreallylookingforwardtoit.We’regoingtotrytotaketheballoffthem,bringtheballoutfromthebackanddominatetheBernabéu.’

And,asitturnsout,theballdoesindeedbelongtoBayern.Inthefirst15minutestheyhave80%ofpossession,mostofitintheopposition’shalf.

Schweinsteiger gets aheaderon target froma corner, but IkerCasillasmakes astraightforwardsave.Robbenhitsadeflectedshotfromoutsidethearea.

Then Kroos hits a shot which comes off Pepe and bounces to Benzema. NoBayernplayerdefendsthemovewelland19secondslatertheballisbeyondNeuerand in the net – scored at close range byBenzema,who started themove, fromFábioCoentrão’scentre.

Thisisatiredteamwhichhasdugdeepawayfromhome.Theyhavedominatedtheball,shownbravery,butconcedefromwhatispracticallythehomeside’sfirstchance.

Bayerngothroughadipwhichlastssixminutes,duringwhichMadridgeneratetwomoderatechancesongoalaswellasaCristianoRonaldonearmiss.

TheGermanteamrallyandsubdueMadriduntil, inthelastminuteofthefirsthalf,AngeldiMariagoesface-to-facewithNeuer,andshootsover.

Madrid have conceded nine corners in that first half, but stillmanage to limitBayern’s efforts on target. Pep’s team has dominated the play, but rarely putthemselvesinapositiontobeatCasillas.

After thebreakMadridcontrol theball completely for the first sixminutesbutthegamethenchangesandBayernbegintodominate.Guardiola’s teamhasbeenslightly stronger inattackandhasmanaged to reduceMadrid’scounter-attacks tojustone,fromGarethBaleinthe88thminute.

Müller and Götze come on for Ribéry and Mandžukić and Bayern surrendersome of their control in exchange for creatingmore chances, culminating in the84thminutewithashotongoalbyGötze–it’saclearchance,butCasillasdeflectsit.

Bayern are sterile in attack. Fifteen corners, 31 crosses into the box, 94%passaccuracyand18shotsontarget(doubleMadrid’snumber)–tonoeffect.Götze’smissistypical.ItcouldhavebeenthegoalKalleRummeniggehadaskedforthedaythattheyweredrawnagainstMadrid. ‘Ifwescore intheBernabéuwe’llbe inthefinalforsure.’ButGötzefluffsit,CasillassavesandthemenfromMunichleavethegamelookingdowninthedumps.

OnceagaincriticismisheapedonPep,justasithadbeenafterthedefeatsagainstAugsburg and Dortmund. A few papers even started predicting the demise of acertain playing style. Franz Beckenbauer had this to say on Sky Germany:‘Possession is meaningless if you give away chances. We should be happy thatMadridonlymanagedtoscoreonegoal.’

ButPepalsoreceivedmessagesof support,oneofwhich,anSMSfromaBarçaplayer,reads:‘Pep,youcanbeveryproudofyourteam.Veryfewteamscouldhave

donewhatyoumanagedtodoattheBernabéu.’Bayernhadplayedwell,buttheyhadn’tachievedenoughaccuracyorefficacyin

theirfinishing.However,intheheatofthemoment,theknee-jerkreactionseemedto offer a totally different analysis and left players, press and supporters feelingdepressed and pessimistic. This negativity would play a decisive role in thedisastrousmistakesGuardiolawouldmakeinhisstrategyforthereturnleg.

In reality, Bayern had played extraordinarily well although their finishing hadbeenverypoor.Despitethevisitors’shortcomingsonthenight,allthecommentaryfocusedonBenzema’sgoal,aswellasRonaldoandDiMaría’stwochances.Therewas very little appreciation of the domination and character shownbyBayern inone of the greatest sporting theatres in the world. This was a serious error ofjudgment.

Simultaneously, the culture shock between Pep’s game and traditionalGermanfootballwasbecomingapparent.

‘Iunderstandthat this styleofgame isnotpartofGermanfootballculture,’heexplainedatdinnerafterthematch.‘PeopleshouldknowthatIdounderstand.InGermanyclubsliketoplayastyleoffootballthat’sverydifferentfrommyownandnodoubtpeoplepreferMadridorDortmund’sgame.Butguys,Bayernchoseme.IammakingcompromisesbetweenmyideasandGermanfootballbutattheendofthedayit’stheplayerswhomatter.AndI’lltellyousomething:theplayerssupportmyideas.’

Youcaninterpretthisclashofculturenegativelyorpositively,butitisareality.Ifthe Bundesliga is characterised by excellent counter-attacking and direct, fast,verticalfootball,thenGuardiola’smodelisindeedacompletecontradictionofthat.His positional play is based on unified forward movement and winning zonalsuperiority furtherupthepitch, liketwoAlpineclimbers, ropedtogether,movingup amountain stageby stage andwith complete co-ordination. It’s a philosophywhich allows you to re-start from the back again if one route forward, onemovement,endsupblocked.Itdoesn’tmatterhowmanyconsecutivepassesittakestomake the rival disorganised – you have to keep passing. It was inevitable andnaturalthatcomparisonswerebeingmadebetweenthisandthetraditionalGermanmodel.

After dinner at Madrid’s Intercontinental Hotel, Rummenigge and MatthiasSammer join the technical team at their table and try to raise the coach’s spirits.Theyareworriedthatheseemssolowandurgehimnottoabandonhisideas.Theyhavefullconfidenceinhimandhisplayers,andinthegameplanwhichhastakenthem this far.They reiterate that the club isdetermined to supporthis ideas and

wantstodevelopthemevenfurtheroverthenextfewyears.Pep,DomènecTorrentandCarlesPlanchartspendthenextfewhoursdissecting

the match and discussing the best way to approach the return leg. The coachreckonsitmightbeagoodideatostartwiththreecentraldefendersatthebackandpopulate themiddleof thepitch inorder todominateand reduce thechancesofMadridscoringakillerawaygoal.Theyworkuntil3.48amandintheendPepasksTorrent toensure thathedoesn’tchangehismind,nomatterwhathappens.Pepknowsexactlyhowhewantstoplayanddoesn’twanttochangehisplans.

Guardiola is not downbecause of the score or as a result of the criticism.Thetruth is that he has just received a call from a doctor informing him of theprecariousstateofTitoVilanova’shealth.

61

‘ACOMPLETEFUCK-UP.’

Munich,April29,2014

‘IGOTITwrongman.Igotittotallywrong.It’samonumentalfuck-up.Atotalmess.Thebiggestfuck-upofmylifeasacoach.’

Pep comes into his office in the Allianz having just done the press conferenceduringwhichhehaspubliclyassumedtotalresponsibilityforthecatastrophe.RealMadridhavewiped the floorwithBayern in theChampionsLeague semi-final, agamewhichwillstaywithGuardiolafortherestofhiscareer.The4-0homedefeatis the worst of his professional life and the biggest trouncing Bayern have everreceivedinaEuropeancompetition.Histeamhasbeenpummelledintosubmissionand totally humiliated in their own stadium by the team who will take theEuropeantitlefromthemafewweeksfromnow.

Bayern had conceded only two goals direct from corner kicks all season: todaySergioRamosmakesitthree,risingmajesticallyabovetheBavariandefenceinthe16thminute.Pep’steamareontheropes.It’sthestartofadebacle.

ThisseasonBayernhaven’tconcededasinglegoalfromanindirectfree-kick.Notone.Butinthe20thminuteDiMariadelivers,PepeflicksitonwithhisheadandRamos, again, beats Neuer, taking advantage of the fact that Dante is badlypositioned. Fifteen minutes later Ronaldo adds another from a counter-attackwhichbeginswhenRibéry losestheball.Andthen, justtoroundoffadark,darknightfortheholders,theyconcedeonlytheirsecondgoalallseasonfromadirectfree-kick. Again, it is Ronaldo who shoots hard and low whilst the Bayern walljumps.Abittermoment.Humiliationcomplete.

The fact thatMadridhave scored threeof their fourgoals fromsetplays couldgive a false impression.Certainly, this is completely unexpected.Until this pointBayern have been the most reliable defenders of set plays anywhere in Europe,statisticswhichleavenoroomfordoubtabouttheexcellenceoftheirorganisationandpreparation.Forcontext, themightyJuventushaverunawaywiththeItaliantitlewith aSerieA recordof 102points butonly after conceding10 times fromcornersandfree-kicks.

However, getting bogged down in an analysis of the goals fails to give a fullpictureofthereasonsforadefeatprimarilycausedbyseriouserrorsofjudgmentonGuardiola’s part. And we need to go back one week, to the previous Thursdaymorning,togettotherootoftheproblem.ThesceneisaprivateroominMadrid’sHotel Intercontinental, where Bayern have enjoyed their traditional post-matchdinner. Themeal has finished and all but three tables lie empty. The remainingdiners include members of the club’s press department, a group of Bayern’ssponsorsand,atthethirdtable,Pepandhisassistants.

Thegrouphasalreadydiagnosedtheproblemsattherootoftheir1-0defeatattheBernabéuandareproudofthewaytheplayershaveimposedthemselvesinthisarenabystickingtothegameplan.Theyarealso,however,wellawareofthefactthattheirmenarebelowparandhavestruggledagainstadefensiveline-upmadeupofwell-organised,super-talentedplayerswhodefendasaunitalmosttoperfection.Right now,Guardiola is facing one of themost commondilemmas in a footballcoach’slife:howdoyouattackeffectivelyinsuchtightspace?

Oftenthesuggestedsolutioninthissituationwillbetoshootpowerfullyatgoal.Bayern shot at goal 18 times at the Bernabéu – twice asmany times asMadrid.Another will be to get crosses into a centre-forward in the box. Bayern put 31crossesintothebox–threetimesMadrid’stally.

Therealityof football is thatusingGuardiola’s typeofpositionalplayagainstateamwhichdefendsdeepandwell,demandsnotonlyhigh-qualitypreparationbutalso a touch of individual creativity. In other words, in this kind of difficult,frustrating situation, it is usually down to the talent of a top player tomake thebreakthrough.Unfortunately,duringthegame,ofallBayern’sforwards,onlyArjenRobbenhasbeenonhis game.Either theyhaven’tmanaged todribblepast theirmarkersorhavefailedtogettherightshotaway,becausetheyareblockedbythecentre-halves.

At3amonThursday,April24,PepisconsideringtheobviousfactthatMadridwillshutupshopwhentheyvisittheAllianzforthesecondlegandthathewillbecountingonallthesameweaponsasinthefirstgame.TheseincludeRobben,whois in fine form,Ribéry,who ismentally blocked and pained by his loss of form,Mandžukić,whohadmanagedtogetontheendofonlyoneofBayern’s15cornerkicksintheBernabéu,andMüller,withhisanarchicmovement.ThecoachalsohasGarryKasparov’swordsringinginhisears:‘Remember,Pep,youdon’twingamesjustbecauseyou’vemovedyourpiecestothefront.’

Itisduringthisearly-hoursreflectiononwhathehasjustseenthatPepdecidestoplaythereturnlegwitha3-4-3formation.Withthreecentraldefenders,twofull-

backspushedupintothemidfieldnexttothecreativemidfieldersandGötzeasoneofthetwostrikers,sothathecanaddsuperiorityinmidfieldbydroppingbacktohelpinthemiddleofthepitch.It’sa3-4-3whichcanbechangedtoabasic3-5-2with minimal alteration. Theoretically good for defending against the counter-attacks which, Pep is convinced, will feature heavily in Madrid’s game. But itshouldalsoallowBayerntodominatethemiddleofthepitch,tokeeptheballandnottogetlog-jammedinandaroundtheMadridpenaltyarea.

It’s thenthatIoverhearGuardiola tellingTorrent: ‘Domè,don’t letmechangemymind.Thisistheonlywaytogo.’

Then,ontheflightbacktoMunich,Pepchangedhismind.Reflectingonthefactthat the team had last practised a three-man defence in December, the coachrealised that there was very little time to prepare his players. Added to this, JaviMartínezhadnot only just recovered fromabadbout of gastroenteritis, butwasalso suffering from tendinitis in both knees. There was no way he was going tomakeitthrough90minutesagainstMadrid.Thecoachdecidedtoleavethe3-4-3for next season and by the time the plane touched down in Munich Pep hadswitched to a4-2-3-1.This formationhadworkedwell inBundesliga games andwouldgivehismensuperiorityinthemidfield.What’smore,itwasasystemtheywerecompletelyfamiliarwithandwouldallowhimtousebothRibéryandGötze.IfonlyhecoulddosomethingtogetRibérybacktohisbest.

OnFriday,April25,Pepaddressedhissquadbriefly.‘I’llbeeternallygratefulforallyoudidintheBernabéu.YoushowedenormouscourageandplayedthekindoffootballIwanttosee.I’mproudofyouall.’

Thiswas also the dayTitoVilanova passed away, a desperately sad day for hisfamily, FC Barcelona, their supporters and all his friends. The world of footballsharedtheirgriefandforPep,Torrent,Planchart,EstiarteandBuenaventura,whohadbeenpartofTito’slifeoversomanyyears,itwasadevastatingblow.

The home game against Werder Bremen on Saturday was tough. Bayernresponded to the tragic news by taking steps to protect their coach. Releasing astatement of condolence in both German and Catalan, the club organised aminute’ssilenceinthestadiumwherealltheplayerswerewearingblackarmbands.Pepstruggledtofocusonthegameandjumpedtohisfeetonlyinthe70thminutetohugRibéry,andtellhimhowwellhehaddoneinthecentre-forwardposition.

AlthoughWerderBremenmanagedtopullaheadontwooccasionsthroughwell-executed counter-attacks, Bayern finished the game with a 5-2 victory and thehappynews thatRibéry seemed tobe rediscoveringhis form.Robbenhadplayedforonly15minutes,butputawaythefifthgoalwithhisfirsttouch,causingPepto

make a mental note to continue to edge the Dutch striker towards the centre-forwardpositionandawayfromhisnormalroleonthewing.

Thatnight thecoachdinedoutwith friendsbuthismindwaselsewhere.FromtimetotimehepulledoutphotosshowinghimselfandTitotogether,hisfavouritehaving been taken in Atlético Madrid’s Vicente Calderón dressing room. In thepicture the two men are discussing their plans for the game. All in all it was astrangeevening,duringwhichtheytoastedTitoanddiscussedalmosteverysubjectunderthesunexceptfootball.Pephadotherthingsonhismind.

ByMondaytheplayersarefiredupandeagerlyanticipatingtheirchancetotakerevenge on Madrid. There is a sense that this will be an encounter of epicproportions,butthereislittleevidenceofcool,tacticalanalysis.Pepallowshimselftobecarriedawayandevenhisperformanceat thepressconference seemsoutofcharacter. It’s thenhemakesabigmistake.Heaskshismenhowtheyare feelingandtheytalktohimabouttheGermantalentforgloriouscomebacks,aswellasthepassiontheyhaveallfeltonsimilarlyepicnightsintheAllianzArena.Alltheywantistobeallowedtoplaywiththeirheartsandsouls.Theyneedtogooutandattackhardfromthefirstsecondofthegame.Pepchangeshismindagain.The3-4-3hadbecome a 4-2-3-1, but now he opts for a 4-2-4 formation. Just as he did inDortmund in July 2013, in his debut match, he swithers between patience andpassion and ends up going for passion. But it didn’t work inDortmund, and itwon’tworknow.

Monday’strainingconsistsofrondos,ashortsessionlookingforexplosivestrengthand two 11 v 11 matches of 10 minutes each. It all draws to an end with 20minutesofcrossesandfinishes,withaviewtowhat’slikelytohappenthefollowingnight in thematch. Alaba and Ribéry have slightly raised temperatures and sorethroats, and Javi’sknees arebotheringhim.The line-up is finally agreedandPeppullsRibérytoonesideandtellshimhe’llbestarting.

Thepre-matchteamtalk, inthePresidentialSuiteoftheCharlesHotel,reflectstheoptimismeveryoneinMunichisfeeling:‘Lads,thisisnotaboutgoingoutandhavingagoodtime.Youaregoingouttheretodosomedamage.Goforthejugular.YouareGerman,sobeGermanandattack.’

Intheend,theirepicstoryendsindisaster.Notonlybecauseofthewayinwhichtheyconcede thegoalsbutmostofallbecause thisBayern side isunrecognisable.These arenot themastersofpossessionwhohavedominated at theBernabéu, inManchester,Londonandinsomanyotherarenas.No,thisisateamwhichappearstohavebeenstrippedoftheirprincipalasset:superiorityinthecentreofthefield.

It’s all too reminiscent of what happened in the German Super Cup, when

BayernputoutamidfieldofThiago,KroosandMüllerandthenchangedtoa4-2-4inaninfamousgameoftwohalves.

And yet the Allianz Arena is the perfect setting for Bayern’s comeback – abreathtakingatmosphereandafiredup,emotionalandveryvocalhomecrowd.Theplayersrunontothepitchinhighspirits.Theyareraringtogoandforthefirstandonlytimethisseasonhuddletogetherinacircle,lookingforthatlast-minuteboostthatwillpropelthemintothefinal.Beforetherefereehasevenblownhiswhistletostartthegamethestadiumisechoingtotheirsupporters’warcry:‘Aufgeht’sBayern,schießteinTor!’ComeonBayern,giveusagoal!

TheBayernplayersarerunningonpureadrenalin,butthefirsttwomovesareaforetasteofwhatistocome.Twentysecondsin,RibérytakestheballdowntheleftwingandtriestoshakeoffCarvajal,butGarethBale joins inandhelpstheright-back.BetweenthemtheysnuffouttheFrenchman’smove.Allnightitremains3v2infavourofMadridwheneverBayerntrytoopenupthewings.

Pepwillconfesslaterthatevenatthisearlystageofthegamehealreadyknewthattheteamwasmessingup.Andyoucanseeitrightfromthekickoff.Therefblows,Madridmovetheballbackthroughtheir teamwhileMandžukićandMüllerhareofflikemadmentotrytowinitfromthem.Itiscourageous,ambitious,butalsothefirst clear indication thatBayern’smidfield is going tobe left gaping allnight, attheirrival’smercy.PephaskeptRafinhaonthebenchandreturnedLahmtoright-back.It isacrucialerror.Onthis, thebiggestnightofhisBayerncareer,Pephasstrippedhismidfieldof theguywhohas locked all the components together andbeenhisbestmidfielderall season; themanwhohas imposedorderon the team.Kroos,on the right, andSchweinsteiger, to the left, formthedoublepivote, eachplayingonhismorenatural side,but, lacking thepassing finesseofLahm,GötzeandThiago, they come off second best to their opponents.Defensively, they areoutnumberedbyMadridplayers.

Madridplaymoreintelligently,albeittheydon’tattempttoowntheball.Bayernbringtheballoutfromtheback,butdosobadly.Theyoftenresorttoalongball,leavingtheirmidfieldersisolatedandoutnumbered.Theteamisn’tmovingforwardin unison. In every zone they look and feel inferior and have failed to establishsuperiority.EverytimetheylosetheballtheyhandMadridahugeopportunityandLukaModricisperformingmajesticallyfortheSpanishside.Bayernabandontheirusual patient, intelligent approach and end up completely dislocated. Their poordefendingaswellasanapparentlackoftacticalandemotionalcontrolresultinthefirsttwogoals.

Bayernnevergivein,however,notevenwhenRonaldoputsawaythethirdgoal

duringaquickcounter-attack,whichRibéryinadvertentlystartsbypassingtoBale.Fourpasseslaterit’sagoal.BythenMartíneziswarmingup.TheGermansidemayhave lost the game but their pride is still intact. Repeatedly they try to breakthrough,evennow,4-0downonaggregate.Robben’sattacksdownthemiddlehelpwinthemfourcornersinthespaceofsevenminutes,butnothingcomesofanyofthem. In the first leg Bayern had 15 corners and put seven of them on target,tonight, of the nine corners they take, only one is on target. Madrid defendsplendidlyandthereisalwaysabodyinthewayofanyBavarianshot.

Guardiola uses the break to make some changes. Martínez comes on forMandžukić and the teammoves to a 4-3-3, with Schweinsteiger at the top of atriangleaheadofKroosandMartínez.Thisfunctionswell;ithelps.Butit’salreadytoolate.NowBayernareplayingtheballoutfromthebackprettywell,theybeginto control the game and their team lines arebetterpositionally. It is tempting toreflectonhowdifferent theoutcomemighthavebeenhad JaviMartínezbeen fitenoughfortheentiretyofbothhomeandawaygames.OrifThiagohadbeenabletoplay.ButintheendBayernhavetofacethetruth.TheyaregoingtomissoutontheChampionsLeaguefinal–byalongway.

TheBayern supporterswhistle their disapproval asGötze comes on forRibéry,despitethefactthattheFrenchmanisclearlyonhislastlegsbecauseofhislumbago.Inthecomingweekshewilldiscoverjusthowhighapricehewillpayfortoday’sefforts.Butthere isworsetocome.ThestadiumroundsonPepwhenhereplacesMüller with Pizarro, the fans’ jeers and shouts making their preference for theBavarianstrikercrystalclear.TheBayernsupportaredeeplyunhappywithPep.

Laterthecoachassumesalltheblameforthedisaster.Hemakesnoreferencetohisplayers’requestsandgoesoutofhiswaytoprotectthem,makingsurethattheyareleftoutofthepost-matchdebate.Hehadabandonedthecentreofthefieldontheverydayhismenwereupagainstapackoflions.

They’ve faced a formidable side in which Modric and Alonso, overall, havecontrolledthedirectionoftheball.Benzemahasbroughtasuperbsenseoftimingto his ball control whilst Bale and Ronaldo have performed brilliantly in openspace, getting the ball and running at Bayern. Instead of putting a premium onsuperiority in themiddle of the pitchwithmoremidfielders and fewer forwards,Bayern have put the emphasis on ‘up and at ’em’, often resulting in positionalinferiority.

Throughout the season Pep had often commented on the clash of culturesbetweenhisownstyleandtheGermangame.Afterwinning3-0inDortmund,hesaid: ‘Ifwebombard thepenalty areawith shots, sure,we’ll scorebutwe’llnever

dominatethegame.’Buttonighteventhatstatementdoesn’tringtrue.Theyhaveput the ball into IkerCasillas’ penalty area 74 times across the 180minutes andbarelyscrapedhalfadozenverymoderateeffortsongoal.

Pephadbeenmorethanclear.‘Wedominatetheplaywhenallthegoodplayersare together in themiddle. And if I end up losing itwon’tmatter. I’ll go homehappy tohavedone itmyway.’Andyet,on this, themost importantdayof theseason so far, he has betrayed his own belief system. He has failed to play thefootball he believes in andhas not even attempted to build the kind of gameheconsidersvitaltoattackandwin.It’struethathewasperhapsmissingthemenbestqualifiedtodeliverhisstyleofhigh-riskfootball,agamethatmustbeexecutedwiththeutmostprecision.Evenso,itisevidentthatPep’sowndecisionwasthecatalystforthiscatastrophe.Today,Pepbetrayedhisownprinciples.

Severalweeksbefore,thecoachcomparedafootballteamtoaglassbottlehangingby a thread.Today, the thread has broken andBayern has come crashing down.TherehavebeenveryfewteamswhohaveimplodedsodramaticallyinsuchashortspaceoftimeandthisdefeatwillmarkaturningpointforGuardiola.Nothingwillbe thesameagain inGermanyand, if thepresscoverage is tobebelieved, inonenighttheCatalanhasgonefromnationalherotoafigureofscorn.

All great sportsmen have experienced monumental disasters and humiliatingdefeats. But the evening of April 29 is Pep’s first bitter taste of such devastatingfailureandthescarswillbealongtimehealing.Therearethosewhowouldarguethat such suffering isnecessary for the renewal of energy in the life of any sportsprofessional.Greatvictoryalwaysemergesfromdevastatingdefeat,afterall.

Pep is still shut up in his office withDomènec Torrent, Carles Planchart andManelEstiartewellpastmidnight.Ostensibly, theyare there to reviewthematchtogether,butinrealityhisassistantsaretryingtoboosttheboss’smorale.TheycanseethattonightPepisabrokenman.

Buttheyneedtoknowhowthey’regoingtogetoutofthishole.Aretheygoingtokeepmovingforwardorenduptakingabackwardstep?

‘Ispendthewholeseasonrefusingtousea4-2-4.Thewholeseason.AndIdecidetodoittonight,themostimportantnightoftheyear.Acompletefuck-up.’

62

‘ISAWPEPUTTERLYBEATENFORTHEFIRSTTIME.’

Munich,May1,2014

ASSHELEFTthestadium,Rummenigge’swifetoldBayern’smostseniordirectorhow concerned she was for Pep. The coach was obviously devastated anddemoralised. Kalle was equally worried. Although obviously shaken by theirdisastrous defeat atRealMadrid’s hands,Rummeniggewas just as concerned forPep, whom he still considered a crucial part of the club’s future. For him, therelationship is not just about supporting Pep; he is also passionate about Pep’sfootballphilosophy,despiteallitsdifficultiesandfragility,andacceptsthattheyarebreakingwiththetraditionofdirectattackatBayern.

Justaweekearlier,hehadbeentakenabackbythereducedfrequencyofBayern’spassingintheBraunschweiggamebut,atthetime,Guardiolaexplainedthathehadchangedtacticsafterseeingthestateofthepitch.Rummenigge,asanexecutive,hadbeenanxioustoavoidexternalcriticismunderminingPeporcausinghimtodoubttheclub’sbackingforhim.Ofcourse,thatwasbeforetheirdeadlyencounterwithMadrid.

Thiswasthemomentthattheclub’ssupportinPepwouldbeputtothetest.Notlong after the fateful game, Imet with Rummenigge in his office and asked theobviousquestion: ‘WillBayerncontinue to supportGuardiola’s styleofplayafterthis elimination from theChampions League and despite the fact that it is so atoddswithGermanfootball?’

KHR:‘Look,whenwesignedPepupweknewexactlywhattoexpectfromhim.Ilikepeoplewho areprepared to take responsibility andPep is responsible for thetactical decisions. He is absolutely clear about those tactics, which are based onpossession of the ball. So nothing that has happened has been a big surprise. Inpersonal terms Pep has another great advantage – he’s not a complicated man.Whenhepreparesformatchesheneverforgetshe’sinGermanyandhealwaystakesaccountofourculturalnorms.Ofcourse,weGermansareusedtoamorephysical

game.Fast,directfootballismorecommonhere,butwehaveaddedsomanymorestrings to our bow this year. We’ve achieved high levels of possession and haveperformedstronglyinattack.We’vedefendedwellandmaintainedthespeedofourgame.Foronereasonoranother,ourconcentrationhasdippedoverthelastthreeweeks.Perhapswinningtheleaguesoearlyderailedthewholeteamoratleastafewof our players. But I believe that Pep’s credibility and his ability to fulfil hisresponsibilitiesbothdependonouradherencetohisphilosophy.Wemustnotaskhimtobeanythingotherthanheis.’

MP: ‘Surely the second leg defeat by RealMadrid was a disaster of catastrophicproportions?’

KHR: ‘Idon’tdeny itandonTuesdayI sawPeputterlybeaten for the first timeever. Essentially it happened because he changed some aspects of his approachwithoutbeing100%sure.Hemadesomechoicesthatwerenotreallyhisandwasfuriouswithhimself for failing to stick tohisown ideas.Hewasveryclearaboutthat.Hedesertedthemiddleofthepitchandoptedformuchmoredirectfootball.He had allowed himself to be influenced by the result of the away game in theBernabéu [as opposed to Bayern’s performance that day]. And I’ll tell yousomething,thecriticismhereceivedforhistacticsthatdaywerecompletelyunfair.Heplayedthegamethesamewayhehasdoneallseason,lookingfortheball.Wejustdidn’tmanagetoscoreandthat’swhypeopleweresoquicktocondemn.IfwehadplayedthesamewayandscoredinMadrid,everyonewouldhavebeencallingPepagenius.Butit’strue;thoseofuswhohavebeenaroundthisgameforalongtimecan’tafford tobe influenced toomuchbyagoalhereor there.Youhave toanalyse the game as well. If Götze had scored in the Bernabéu, Bayern and Pepwouldhavebeenpraisedtothehilt.Buthemissedandsuddenlyitwasalladisaster.WehaveaproblemhereinGermanyinthatwedon’tfocusenoughontactics.Weare content to play fast, physical, direct football. But this game can be somuchmore than that. There’s a reason for us winning the league with such anextraordinarylead.AndthatreasonisPep.’

MP: ‘Pephastwomoreyearsonhiscontract.Whatdoyouexpectofhimduringthistime?’

KHR:‘IbelievethathecanhelpchangeGermanfootballculture,regardlessofthelastthreeweeksandthefactthatpeoplehavebeguntotrytodevaluewhathehas

achieved.Publicopinion,whichhasalwaysbeenbehindhim,issuddenlydragginghimdownamid claims thathisphilosophy is justnot good enough.Forme, theoppositeistrue.I’vespokentoourlongest-servingplayers,theguyswhohavehadbetween five and sevencoaches inasmanyyears and theyall say the same thing:Pepstandsout–inapositiveway.Hehasbroughtarichvarietyofnewideas.Thiscoachhascompletecredibilityintheeyesofhisplayers.’

MP:‘Giventhecultureclashwe’vetalkedabout,isn’titstrangethatithasbeentheGerman players who have adapted best to Pep’s ideas? I’m thinking of Lahm,Kroos,Boateng,NeuerandGötze.

KHR:‘PephasalreadychangedGermanfootballphilosophyalittle.Iwouldhavelovedhimtowineverythingthisyearforonereason–itwouldhaveconvincedthepublic thathis isawinningphilosophy.ItmaybethatGermanfootballhasbeentoo simple until now and football certainly can’t only be judged in terms oftrophies.Thatapproachcanonlybeharmful.Twoyearsagowewererunners-upinthree competitions– theBundesliga, theDFB-Pokal and theChampionsLeague,despitethefactthatweplayedthefinalathome.Weendedupwithnothing,butevenbackthenIwasnotpreparedtosaythatHeynckeshaddoneabadjob.Andthen,ofcourse, Juppwentontowinthe lot theverynext season.Only thendidpeople say that he’d done a good job, because he had won everything. So whatabouttheyearbefore?Youknow,IwasluckyenoughtoliveandplayinItalyforfiveyearsandIlearnedacompletelydifferentkindoffootballthere.’

MP:‘AreBayernsatisfiedwithGuardiola’sfirstyear?’

KHR:‘WhenIlookbackatthewholeyear,IamverypleasedwiththeassociationbetweenPepandBayern.FirstandforemostbecauseIbelievehe isagreatcoach.Hehasclearideas,adefiniteplan,hisownphilosophyandarangeoftactics.Andallthosethingshavemeantthathehasachievedsomethingwewouldnotnormallyexpecttheyearafterwinningthetreble.Theyearafterasuccessfulseasonisalwaystoughbecausetheplayersareabitwearyandalotlessmotivated.In2001,afterwehadwon theChampionsLeaguebybeatingValencia theprevious year,we reallystruggled. We ended up in third place in the league, were kicked out of theChampionsLeagueinthequarter-finalsanddidn’tevenmakeittotheCupfinal.ThatwassuchadisappointingseasonandPephasmadesurethatwehaveavoidedthesamefate thisyear.Usuallyplayers’motivationanddesiredipafterperiodsof

great successbut thanks toPepwe remainedashungryas ever.Of course, at thedifficulttimes,likelastTuesdaywhenwelostagainstRealMadrid,peoplearesorelydisappointedandthepress starts tocriticise.ButIdon’t thinkweshouldpay toomuchattentiontoallofthat.It’simportanttomaintainaglobalperspectiveonthewholeseason.Let’snotforgetthatjustfourweeksagowhenwewontheleaguetitleinBerlin,thesamejournalistswerewritingthattheleaguehadbecomeboringsinceBayern had been playing so well and were out of reach as opponents. And nowsuddenlywe’renogoodatall.Wehavecertainlydippedinpsychologicaltermsandthathasresultedindefeats.ObviouslyTuesday’sresultwaspainfulbutthesethingshappenandtheyareunderstandable.’

MP:‘Doesthatdefeatinevitablyaffectyourviewofthewholeseason?’

KHR: ‘There’s a law in football which says that whoever won the ChampionsLeaguelastseasoncannotwinitthisyear.Nobodyknowswhybutthatisthewayithasbeenfor22yearsnow.Wehadhopedtochangeallthatandrewritethehistorybooksbutitwasnottobe.Tomymindtheextentofateam’sstabilityisseenintheirgame,althoughobviouslytheirsuccesses–howfartheygointhecompetition–are also important.Barcelona,duringPep’s era, and evenbefore,were always abenchmark forme.Theymade it to the semis of theChampions League almosteveryyear.Andtheytendedtobeinthefinalsofalltheothercompetitions.That’swhat really matters. And there’s something else. At the moment there are manyteams performing at more or less the same level and there’s a fine line betweensuccessandfailure.Itcanbeasnarrowasamissedcallonapenaltybythereferee,thetiniestmistakeorthefactthatakeyplayerisinjured.Soreally,aslongasateamconsistentlymakes it to the semi-finalsof the competitions, thenyouknow it’s agreatteam.Statisticallyspeakingwe’veplayed38ChampionsLeaguegamesinthelastthreeyears.WeareNo.1.NeitherRealMadrid,norBarcelona,norManchesterUnitednorChelseahaveplayedmoregamesthanus.’

MP:‘Duringthelastthreeyearstheactualstatsare:Bayern38games,RealMadrid37,Barcelona34,Chelsea29andUnited24.IfwelookatthelastfiveyearsweseethatBayernandBarcelonaaredrawnon59gamesagainst57forRealMadridand47eachforChelseaandUnited.’

KHR:‘Thenumberofgamesisagoodindicatoroftheteam’ssolidity.Andwehavedonewellthisseason,too,despitetheawfuldefeat.ObviouslytheMadridgameis

going to affect our judgment, but it’s also important forme to look at howweplayedagainstCity andUnited inManchester, againstArsenal inLondonand intheBernabéuagainstMadrid.Allof that is important, too.Weneed tobemuchmore rational about these things. I’m delighted to have Pep as coach. He isenormously talented. I completely understand why he was so down after theMadridgame,butheisstillagreat,greatcoach.’

MP:‘The2015ChampionsLeaguefinalwillbeplayedinGermany[inBerlin].Doyousee2014-15’smainobjectiveastheBundesliga?’

KHR: ‘Definitely. The most important trophy in any season is the league title,whetherit’sinGermany,Spain,Italy,Englandoranywhereelse.Youhavetoplay34gamesintheBundesliga,sowinningitprovesyourtrueworth.Withthequalityoffootballnowadays,all ittakesisonebaddayandyou’reoutoftheChampionsLeague.That’swhathashappenedhere.Inthe leagueyoucould loseagame4-0,but ifyou’re ingoodshapeyoucanthengoontowinthenext10games.IntheChampionsLeague, it’smuchmorecut-throat. It’scertainly thebiggestandmostglamoroustitle,butthemostrelevantchampionshipwillalwaysbetheleague.’

MP: ‘Bayern will have to take a decision: either maintain the team which hasalreadywoneverythingandhasgoneonwinningorbringinfreshblood.’

KHR:‘Weneedtobesubtleaboutanychangeswemake.Itwilltakesensitivityandintelligence.Sammer,oursportsdirector,thecoachandIhavealwaystriedtoreacha consensus. We need to bear in mind the club’s financial responsibilities andproceedwithcaution.Itwouldbefoolishtoallowourjudgmenttobeaffectedbythis latestdefeat. If youhadaskedme thatquestion fiveweeks ago Iwouldhavetold you that there was very little we needed to change because the team wasworkingwell.Wehadwontheleagueinrecord-breakingstyle;weweredefendingourChampionsLeaguetitleandwereintheDFB-Pokalfinal.Nowafterthisdefeatthequestionhaschangedslightly,but Ihavealwaysbelieved thatwhenthingsgowrong,it’sbettertogohome,sleeponitandthencomebacktosolvetheproblemquietlyandcalmlytogether.’

MP: ‘It’s clear that signing Robert Lewandowski will not be enough. You needanother top-level player, a signing which will reinforce Bayern’s status as abehemothnobodyelsecanchallenge–particularlywithinGermany.’

KHR: ‘Over the last 10 years Bayern have won half of the league titles andobviously there have been other champions. Dortmund have won it twice,Wolfsburg have won it, as has Stuttgart, a team who this year flirted with therelegationpositions.Bayernareapowerfulclubandweworkhardtomaintainthatstrengthandpowerineverythingwedo.Wehaveasolidfinancialbasisfromwhichto develop and will therefore be able tomake significant signings. But if a cluballowsaplayertoleavethankstoapreviously-agreedclause,that’snotourproblem.Weare abitunusual inGermany, it’s true. Ifwe sign aDortmundor aSchalkeplayer or, in years gone by, a Bremen player, everyone writes the same thing:Bayern’s signing policy isn’t about reinforcement, it’s an attempt to weaken theopposition.Butthat’sjustnottrue.WhereelseareyoulikelytofindgoodplayersinGermany?Well,at themoment, inDortmundandSchalke, intheteamsthatarestrongenoughto fight for the league title. It’sonly logicalandI’msure the samethinghappensinothercountries.Ithappenseveryyear,butI’mnotgoingtokeepjustifyingit.IfaplayerlikeLewandowskibecomesfree,itwouldbemadnessnottosignhim.OtherwisehewouldhaveleftDortmundforEngland,Spainorelsewhere.WemanagedtoconvincehimthatBayernwasthebestplaceforhim.ItwouldhavebeenstupidnottoapproachLewandowski.’

MP:‘IsittruethatRealMadridtriedtosignLewandowski?’

KHR:‘Yes,theytriedtomakeadealattheendofDecember2013.Weheardaboutitandimmediatelymovedtocloseourdeal.Heisa talentedstrikerandwillbeagreatadditiontothesquad.’

MP: ‘If Bayern are shopping in the transfermarket, does thatmean your youthacademylacksqualityplayers?’

KHR: ‘We likeouryouth-developmentplayers inGermanyandwehaveour fairsharehere–Lahm,Schweinsteiger,Müller,Badstuber–homegrownplayerswhomthefansadore.Pepwillalways lookfor in-houseyoungsters inordertorealisehisphilosophyofthegame,butourproblemisthatatthemomentwedon’thavesixyouth teamplayerswhoaregoodenough tomake themoveup. In fact,weonlyhavetworightnow.Weneedtoimprovewhatwe’redoingsothatthosekindsofplayersemerge.Thatwouldbegreatfortheteam–infinancialterms,too.’

AlthoughGuardiolawouldexplainlaterthatnextseason’splanningwillstartafter

theDFB-Pokal final, he andRummeniggemet five days later, onMay 6. AlongwithMatthias Sammer and financial director, Jan-ChristianDreesen, theywoulddecidewhich playerswould be leaving andwho theywanted to sign to continuetheircampaigntowinasmanytrophiesaspossible.

63

MEACULPA

Munich,May1,2014

VALENTINAISPLAYINGwithaballoutonthegrassatSäbenerStrasse.Itistheonly light note of this Thursday afternoon. The team is back together after thedisaster and, as is tobeexpected, all the faces aremuchmore solemn thanusual.The session is conducted with the same level of intensity as always. It’s aboutworking tobuild strength in reactivemovementsandagameof the tiringdoublearea drill which, after what has felt like an endless recovery process, HolgerBadstuber joins. Thiago trains separately, doing sprints and turns over a shortdistancetostrengthenhisknee.Fromadistanceyoucouldbefooledintothinkingthatthisisjustanotherday.

Pep’smoment of fragility is over.Tuesday’s demoralised coachhas disappearedandhe isobviously feelingmuchbetter. ‘Thereareonlytwowaystoreact tothiskind of situation. Either you let it throw you off your stride and are effectivelyfinished,oryoupickyourselfupandmakeyourselfevenstrongerthanbefore.I’mgoing to go forward with more energy and conviction. I believe in this style offootballevenmorenow.’

He then spends thenext fewminutesdeliveringhismeaculpa. Ihave toldhimthat Tuesday’s game plan was a betrayal of his own philosophy, and, throwingcautiontothewind,addedthattheresultingcriticismshadbeenspot-on.Hehadleftthekeycentre-of-the-pitchzonetooemptyandplayedinamannerwhichwascontradictorytohisfirmlyheldideas.

‘You’re absolutely right,’he agrees. ‘That’swhathappenedand itwasmy fault.Insteadofgoingwithmyowngameplan,Iwentwiththeplayers’suggestion,andIwaswrong.It’sthesecondtimeI’vedonesomethinglikethis.Ididitin2010fortheBarça-Intergame.Iputastarplayerbeforemyowngameplan,thinkingaboutthe€60millionhehadcostusinsteadoffollowingthroughonmyownideas.Wewouldprobablyhave lost toMadridanywaybecause theyare inpeak format themoment,butat leastwewouldhaveplayedaccording toourphilosophyandnotproducedsuchamess.’

The coach takes all the responsibility and refuses toblamehis players. It’s truethatatleastsevenoreighthadsuggestedthattheyapproachthetaskofoverturningthefirstleg1-0deficitbyplayinganall-guns-blazingattack.Peprecognisesthathismistakewastoagreewiththeirsuggestion:hehadbetrayedhisownphilosophy.Onthemostimportantdayoftheyearhehadusedagameplanhedidn’tbelievein.‘Ican’t coachanyotherway,’he insists. ‘Thesearemybeliefs andalthough Idon’tclaim that they’re thebest, at least they’remine.And it’smy job toconvincemyplayersthatwecanachievemoreusingtheseideas,aswehavedonethisyearintheleagueandelsewhere.’

However,aswellasimposinghisideas,acoachhastotakethedecisionsandcan’taffordtoworryaboutpoliticalcorrectness.Pep,attimes, is toopoliticallycorrect.AsPhilippLahm’sagent,RomanGrillsaid,youhavetobepreparedtoshakeuptheestablishedhierarchyinateam.Youneedtopicktheguyswhoimprovethewholeteam’sperformance,asopposedtothebig-namestars.Pepneedstomakechangesnow,notnextyear,regardlessofwhatpeopleoutsidetheclubmightsay.Tobringhispropositionofpositional play to fruition and to achievemaximumbenefit heneeds his midfielders to control and pass the ball still more rapidly and avoidholdingonto it.Healsoneedshis strikers to scoremore regularlywhentheplaytakesthemintotheopponents’penaltybox.

And if the club doesn’t support him in achieving these specific aims then thefuturewon’tbeasglitteringasithadpromisedtobe.‘Nextseason,notonlyarewenotgoingtotakeastepbackfromthedemandsofpositionalplay,there’llbeevenmoreofit,’Bayern’scoachpromises.

The defeat has been a disaster but it does not necessarily cast doubt on theefficacy ofPep’s playing style.Theydidn’t play like theyhad inManchester andLeverkusen, nor like they had in February and March. Pep betrayed his ownphilosophy.HeremembershowontheplanebackfromMadridhehadbeenhappywith Bayern’s excellent performance (although they had been dreadful in theopponents’penaltybox).Atthatstagetheplanforthereturnlegwastoplaywiththreecentraldefendersandfourinmidfield.The3-4-3.Then,oncehehadarrivedinMunich,hebeganto think thata4-2-3-1,whichhadworkedwelluntilApril,wouldbebetter.Andfinally,ontheMondaybeforethematch,hehadbeencarriedawaybyallthepositiveenergyattheclubandagreedthesuicidal4-2-4formation.Thecoachscribbleseachplanonapieceofpaperwhichhethenripsintopiecesasifhe’dlikeitalltohavebeenabaddream.

‘Neveragain.Fromnowon,ifImessupIwillatleasthavestayedtruetomyownideas.’

Cristinaandthekidsareat the trainingsession. It’saholidayandshewants togiveherhusbandsomesupport.Theireldestdaughter,Marialeavesanaffectionatemessage for her dad on the whiteboard in his office, writing underneath it, inEnglish: Do not wipe off. The players are trying to put it all behind them butRobben,amongstothers,isobviouslystillverydown.

Noteveryonereactedthesamewaytothedefeat,althoughthemajorityofplayerswerecompletelybehindthecoachandappreciatedhiswillingnesstotaketheblameaftersuchatoughnight.Rafinha,whohadn’tactuallyplayed,burstintotearsinthedressing room when the coach, breaking with tradition, came down to comfortthem and accept the blame. Javi gave Pep a hug and almost all the playerswereclearlyconcernedfortheboss.

Aftertoday’strainingsessionPepandLahmhavetheirlongestconversationofthewhole year on Pitch No.2. Over 60 minutes, Pep apologises to his captain andexplainswhyhechangedhismindaboutplayingwith threeat theback.HethentellsLahmthatheisconvincedtheyneedtoreinforceanddeveloptheplayingstylethathasdominatedthisyear.Lahmlistensanddoesn’tsaymuch,butwhenhedoesrespondit’swithadefinite:‘We’rebehindyouallthewayPep.Alltheway.’

Thecaptainisspeakingforthevastmajorityofhisteam-mates.Theybelieve inPepandareequallyconvincedthathisplayingstylewillbringthemmoresuccessinthefuture.Therestoftheconversationremainsprivate,butLahm’swordsstaywithPep:‘We’rebehindyoualltheway.’

WhenhehasdoneplayingwithValentinaandMàrius,wholovekickingballsataminiaturegoal,Guardiolareflects:‘I’mnotheretochangeGermanfootballculture,nor even Bayern’s culture. That’s not my objective. But neither can I teach myplayerssomethingIdon’tbelievein.I’msorrybutIhavemyownideasandthat’swhatI’mgoingtousenextseason.Iunderstandandacceptthecriticismforwhathappened with Madrid, but I am not some kind of Taliban, I’m not totallyinflexible.Iliketolistenandwatch.Iamhappytoevolve,butpleasedon’taskmetodosomethingIdon’tbelievein.OtherwiseBayernwouldsufferandtheplayerswould stop trustingme. I know that this isGermany and I amadapting.Whilsthere I’ve played with one, sometimes even two out-and-out strikers. I’ve donethingsIwouldneverhavedoneatBarcelonaandI’venever tried tomakeBayernplay likeBarça.Theplayers are just toodifferent, as you know.But I can’t planaccording to the players’ ideas, because every one of themwould be asking for adifferentthing.’

‘Willtheclubsupportyou?’‘Look, we have had a magnificent league campaign using my ideas. And we

playedwell in theBernabéu, despite losing. Iwant the best for this club and itsplayers. I amproud tobepartofBayernandamdoing thebest job I can. Iwillcontinuetogivethisjob100%untilmyverylastdayhere,butwithmyownideas.Thedirectors?Allfootballcoacheseverywherearedependentontheirresults.Andit’snotreallyaboutwhethertheyareconvincedornot.Ican’tgetboggeddowninlookingforreassurancefromthedirectorsortheplayers.Youhavetostarteachdayafresh,particularlyafteradefeat.Suchadreadfuldefeatwill staywithmeforever,mentallyandemotionallybut,atthesametime,ithasalsoreinforcedmybeliefinmyown ideas and instincts. Ithasn’tknockedmeoff course,quite the reverse infact. There’s only oneway towin and that’s to play the kind of good football Iunderstandbest – over-run themiddle of the pitch andpass the ball evenmore.Wheneverwe’veplayedthatwayanddoneitwell,we’vealmostalwayswon.’

OnTuesdayhewillmeetwithRummenigge,SammerandDreesen.They’llworkoutwhoisdefinitelyleaving,theroleoftheestablishedplayersandthenewsigningsrequired.He’llfindouttheniftheclubisbackinghiminwordanddeed.Pephascometoawatershedmomentinhiscareer.Thepoliticalcorrectnesshastogo.

64

‘ALLTEAMSGOTHROUGHDIFFERENTPHASES’

Munich,May15,2014

THEYPLAYBORUSSIADortmundintheDFB-PokalfinalonSaturday,thelastmatchofaseasonwhichfatehasdictatedshouldstartandendwithGuardiolaandJürgenKloppcontestingafinal.And,justasinlastJuly,Dortmundarecurrentlyinbetter shape thanBayern, althoughPep’smenhave rallied since theRealMadriddebacle. There has been a positive shift in the group dynamic over the last twoweeks and themajorityofPep’smenhaveunitedevenmore closely aroundhim,formingasolidblockofmutualsupport.

Whenever I comment on this to any of the players, they all say similar things.‘We’rerightbehindPep.’

‘We’llfighttothedeathwiththeboss.’‘We’velearnedourlesson.’‘Wehaveourgameplanandwe’renotgoingtodeviatefromit.’Butit’samajority,notthewholesquad.Oneplayerisfeelingoverlookedandhas

becomemoreofadetachedobserver.AnotherisnotconvincedbyPepandhisideasandisalsowaitingandwatching.Yetanothermakesnoattempttohidethetensionthathasbeensimmeringbetweenhimselfandthecoachallyear.Butthemajorityare behind him, to the death.They understand that there is no going back. Butmorethanthat,theybelievethattheycangofarplayingthiskindoffootball.Theyseeinfrontofthemnotonlytriumphsandtrophiesbutstability,consistencyandthepotentialtoremainattheelitelevelofworldfootballforalongtimetocome.Arough count on the training pitch yields at least 15 players who I know arecompletely committed to this football. Eleven of them will start the DFB-Pokalfinal.

BorussiaDortmundare in theirbest formof theentire season.Since theywerebeaten3-0byRealMadridintheBernabéuonApril2,theyhavenotlostasinglematch and are playing mesmerisingly fast, direct football. They’ve played eightgames in the last five weeks, winning seven and drawing one – 22 goals scored,sevenconceded.Spectacularresults.They’vebeatenMadrid2-0inDortmundand

trouncedBayern3-0attheAllianzArena.TheyhavetwicedefeatedWolfsburg(intheleagueandtheDFB-Pokal)andputinsuperbperformancesagainstMainz(4-2)andHerthainBerlin(4-0).DortmundcomeintothisCupfinalinpeakformandasout-and-outfavourites.

Pep, however, has other ideas. The hammer blow delivered by Madrid hasactually made him stronger. He talks with even more conviction, as if it hasconvincedhimtodoubthimself lessandbelievemore inhisownideas.Fivedaysbeforethefinal,onMondaymorning,healreadyhashisteamlist.Robbenwillplaydown the middle, there will be three at the back, a diamond formation in themiddleof thepitch andyoungHøjbjergwillbe in the startingXI.Mandžukić isdroppedaltogether.

Pep has had a look at allDortmund’s recentmatches and his analysis is clear:‘Whentheybeatus3-0intheAllianztheywononlytwocorners.OnSaturdaytheybeatHerthaaway,4-0,andtookonlyonecorner.That’snofluke.’

ItispossibletoconcludethatthismeansDortmundaren’tlookingtoopenteamsupdownthewingandcrossintothebox.Insteadtheyappeartobehuntingfortheball,waitingforthebreakdownandthenpilingforwarddowntheinsidechannelsincounter-attacks.What’smore,theyalwaysseemtofinishamovewithanefforton goal. This seems to account for the fact that Dortmund are winning so fewcorners.Insidechannelsandshotsongoal.Dortmundhavetrainedrepeatedlyandwellonthis.Theycloseranksdefensively,trytobottletherivalupinthemiddleofthepitch,robpossessionviaclustersofpressingandtheneruptintoafastcounter-attackandashotongoal.

Guardiolahasthoughtupaverycleargameplanforthisfinal:threeattheback,tighttogethertoclosetheinsidechannelsandthefull-backshigherup,eithersideofLahmatpivote.Kroos,HøjbjergandGötzewillformadiamondshapeaheadofthose three with the latter asked to work hard flitting between the wing and aNo.10position.

Robbenwillbecentre-forward. ‘Arjenmustbesharp–very,verysharp.Idon’twant him chasing the ball and pressing and running out of energy. And I don’twant any of this asking for the ball to feet – I want us running into space anddemandingtheballthere.’

OnMonday,withhisplayersfullyrecoveredfromtheirleaguetitlecelebrations,Pepstartstorehearsethegameplanwithhismen.Pizarro’sgoalinthelastsecondoftheBayern-StuttgartmatchendedtheBundesligacampaignwithafinalvictorytoaddtotheirrecord-breakingtotalof29,withthreedrawsandtwodefeats.Theyscored94goalsandconceded23foratotalof90points,19morethanrunners-up

Dortmundand26morethanthird-placedSchalke.TheycelebratedthetitlewininMunichonMay10,althoughithadbeenwonin

Berlinsevenweeksearlier.SomuchhashappenedsincethenthattheHerthaBerlingamefeelslikeadistantmemorybutnothingcandampentheplayers’euphoriaastheycelebratewiththeirtraditional‘beershower’.Guardiolaistheprincipalvictimandhehasputonhisfavouriteredtopfortheoccasion.JerômeBoatengisthefirstto sprayhimwithbeer andPep isonly toohappy tobedrenched in the stuff: ‘Iwantedustocelebratebigtime.Wedeservedit.Ilovedeveryminuteofthatshowerbecauseofwhatitsymbolised:wearethechampions.Nomeanfeat!ThisismyfirstBundesligaandIamoverthemoon!’

Afewminuteslater,holdingthetrophy(justbeforeitslipsoutofhishandsontothe grass) Pep is drenched again, this time by Van Buyten, who has no qualmsaboutchuckingthebeerathimfromovertwometresaway.

Pepandallhisplayersaresoakedthrough,althoughDomènecTorrentsomehowescapestheworstofit.ManelEstiartemanagestoavoidthe‘beershower’altogetherbysneakilyattachinghimselftoPep’sthreekids.DavidAlabacomestowardshim,beer in hand, but has to stop himself for the sake of the children. Estiarte hasescapedhisfatetoday,butifBayernwintheDFB-Pokal,itwillbeawholedifferentstory.

Bayernpartyonandthousandsoffansaretreatedtothespectacleoftheirplayersat their most jubilant. Pep speaks briefly from the balcony of the new rathaus(councilbuildings):‘Ichliebeeuch.IchbineinMünchener.’Iloveyou.I’maMunichmannow.

He is followingnopre-arranged script.This cityhaswelcomedGuardiolawithopenarmsandheisspeakingfromtheheart.

By Monday the beer has all been washed away and it is business as usual –preparing for the final.Thiago joins the squadand instantly looksbrilliant in thepositional drills. The technical team are planning a fewminutes’match time forhim.

Pep’sdreamticketisthisdiamondcomposedofLahm,Kroos,ThiagoandGötze.InFebruaryandMarchthelattertwoincombinationhadmadetheteamsoar.But,in the last move of the last training exercise, Thiago collapses. It’s his kneeligaments,whichhadseemedcompletelyrestoredafter fourweeksoftreatment inBarcelona followedby twoweekswith thephysiosatSäbenerStrasse.Thingshadbeenlookingupfortheplayer–hehadbeenpre-selectedbySpainfortheWorldCupanditlookedlikehecouldmanagethelasthalfhouroftheDFB-Pokalfinal.ButnowtherewillbenoCupfinal,noWorldCupforThiago.Allhehastolook

forward to is another operation. Behind him lies a year which had been full ofpossibilities, ruined by serious ankle and knee injuries caused by clashes withopponents. We have not seen the best of Thiago (he started 19 games) but thewholeteamhaswitnessedhisdeterminationnottogiveupandhiscommitmenttohelptheteamregardlessofthepersonalconsequences.

WithneitherThiagonorSchweinsteiger(whohasadamagedtendoninhisknee),the coachpicksHøjbjerg to start the game againstDortmund.Tenmonthshavepassedsincethepre-seasontrainingcampinTrentino,wherePepfirstspottedtheyoungDane’spotential.

Hehasworkedintensivelywiththeplayerthroughouttheyearandnowhistimehas come.During the last 10monthsHøjbjerg had not disappointed him once.Somedayshehadeventurnedupunannouncedatthefirstteam’sdressingroom,pretending that he’d wandered over absent-mindedly. On those occasions Pepalways gave him a hug and sent him out to train anyway. Fiercely loyal anddesperatetolearn,Højbjerg’srespectandpassionforthecoachisobvious.

‘Pep thinks about training in the now and for the future,’ says Højbjerg. ‘Hewants to win today but he wants to keep winning tomorrow and that’s why heshowssomuchinterestinusyoungplayers.It’slikehe’sinjectinghisowntacticalideasintheteam’sbloodstream.It’snotjustaboutthisweekbutforthefutureaswell.InthatrespecthehasgonemuchfurtherthanHeynckes.Pepdoesn’treducehis planning to mere preparation for the next game. Everything he does isunderpinnedbyhispassionandhisphilosophy.Heynckeswasall aboutwinning.Pep,too,wantstowintoday,buthewantstheclubtostillbewinninginyearstocome.Andtheteamknowsthatwecanbesureofgreatsuccessoverthenextfiveyears.Wehavetherightmentality,therightcharacterandwejustneedtolearntobemoreemotionalifwewanttoplayevenbetter.’

InthelastfewweeksHøjbjerghasbeenperformingbrilliantlyandhasbeencalleduptoplayforDenmarkintwofriendlies,againstHungaryandSweden.

‘Canyoubelieveit?PlayingagainstZlatan[Ibrahimovic]!Andinmyhomecity,Copenhagen!Ican’twait!Andyouknow,there’salittlechapelIusedtogotowithmydad[hisfatherpassedawayonemonthago]justbehindthestadium.Mymumisdelighted.Andshe’scomingtowatchtheCupfinalinBerlin.’

AtthispointHøjbjergstilldidn’tknowthatPephaddecidedtoputhiminhisstarting line-up againstDortmund, although itwas pretty evident in the trainingsessions. Lorenzo Buenaventura had recently introduced strength-resistanceexercises,butthetrainingsessionswerefocusedontacticsasthefinaldrewnear.

‘Pep is thebest thingthatcouldhavehappenedtoBayern,’Højbjergsays. ‘Last

yeartheteamwasamazingandIwaswonderinghowBayerncouldgetanybetter.YetPephastaughtusnewandbettertacticsineverytrainingsession,everyday,ineveryvideoandteamtalk.Weallknewthattheteamcouldplayfootball,butifyouimprove tactically then your control of the ball gets even better. Bayern were at99%ofourfullpotentialandPephasaddedthatcrucial1%.’

Pephasput lots of emphasis ondefensivework,withMartínez convertedbackintohisthirdcentre-half,betweenBoatengandDante–theSpaniardwillhavethespecificmissionofkeepingLewandowskiinhispocketonSaturday.

Over and over he explains Dortmund’s system of attack so that his menunderstandhowtostop it. Javi is in top formandI say toPepat theend: ‘Javi’ssuperb.He’sworkedbackuptotheleveloffitnessheneeds.’

All teams experience different phases, none of which lasts an entire year. Thatwouldn’t be possible. Bayern enjoyed a particularly fertile phase in February andMarch, then theywent into a downturn in April but they seem to have enteredanotherproductivephaserightnow.Therearestillmissingplayers,foronereasonor another (Ribéry is out of form; Thiago and Schweinsteiger are injured andMandžukić’s only interest is his next club), but thewheels are beginning to turnsmoothlyagain,drivenbyLahmandKroos.ThecaptainstandswithPep,analysingthebestwayofdealingwithDortmund’smidfielders.Theyboththrowtheirarmsabout, discussing how their opponents will move. Lahm is a clear leader in thisteam,theheadofoperations.TacticallyheisanextensionofPeponthefield.

ToniKroosistheotherbrainoftheoutfitandthecoachseekshisopiniononhisgameplanforSaturday.It’saprivateconversationbutIoverhearsomeofit.‘That’sgreatPep.I’mveryhappywiththat.It’stherightapproachforthefinal.’

KroosisanotherPepmanthroughandthrough.Hebelievesutterlyinthecoach’splayingstyleandwoulddieforhimoutonthepitch.Evenintrainingsessionsheworkshimself tothepointofexhaustion.He’sdone it today,runninghis legsoffeven for those exercises where it’s not really necessary. For his part, Pep hascompletefaithinKroosandtellshimthatRobbenneedstostayfreshandtobefedtheballashe’smovingintospace–nottohisfeetwhenhe’sstationary.

Suddenly Pep introduces a whole new topic: ‘I was reading something thismorningthatyourdaughterpostedonTwitter[itwasaquotefromdistinguishedPortuguesewriterJoséSaramago:“Defeatcanhavepositiveoutcomesanditneverlastsforever.Conversely,victorycanhavenegativeoutcomes,althoughittooneverlastsforever”].Ilikeditalotandit’scertainlytrue.Everythingistemporary.’

Everyteamgoesthroughdifferentphasesandnoneofthemlastsforever.Goingbytheirperformanceintraining,Bayernseemtobeonanupwardtrajectoryonce

more,althoughtheymuststillproveitonSaturdayinafinalwhichtheywillstartasunderdogs.

He has already completed his basic game plan by Tuesday. On Wednesdaymorningheisworkingonhisteam’sdefensivestrategyandthenafterlunchworkswithhisdefendersagainshowingthemDortmund’slikelyattackingmoves.

HesaysgoodbyetoMandžukićonThursday,highlightingoneoftheothervisiblechangesinhisapproach.HewantstotieupallthelooseendsandthereforecallstheCroat into his office before training, tells himhewon’t be playing inBerlin andwisheshimgoodluckathisnewclub.

Traininghasalightemphasisonexplosiveforceandtwoexhaustingtacticaldrillswhicharerepeatedoverandagain.Firstthestrikersandmidfielderspractisehowtopressurisetheotherteamastheyplaytheballfromtheback.Thesevenplayerswhoare charged with carrying out this task in the final work on it time after time,withoutpause.When, finally, it’sperfect,Pep takes thedefenders andgoalkeeperand works on precisely the opposite, with the same detail: bringing the ball outfromtheback,startingwithNeuer.

Themaindifference,withrespecttotherestoftheseason,isthatthey’replayingthreeattheback.Underpressurefromstrikers,Boateng,MartínezandDantemovethe ball from one side to another with Lahm’s help as he drops back from hisprincipal position of pivote to help. Lahm’s got a hard task in front of him thisweekend. Martínez is choosing all the smart moves as he practises and Pepemphasises tohim thathewantshispasses to curve just in frontofBoateng andDantetohelpthemmoveforwardontheball,orhitafirst-timeforwardpass,notstoptoreceivepossession.

Robben’sinstructionsaresubtle.‘Arjen,justwalkabit.Wanderfromonesideofthepitchtotheother.Don’tburnyourselfoutrunningaround.Ineedyoufresh.Walk…butwhenyouseethatyoucanpickuptheballontherunthen–bam!–offyougo…’

ThisisaverydifferentPepfromthemanwesawinApril,whenhesensedthathisteamhadlosttheirwayandwastryingtogetthemmovingagain.Heismorelaidback,andtheplayers’bodylanguagesuggestshismessageisunderstoodquicklyandeasily.

Thiagoisgoingintotheoperatingtheatrejustashisteam-matesfinishthemostimportantpartoftheirpreparationsforthefinal.Thisistheirlasttrainingsessionofthe season here at Säbener Strasse. First, it’s about defending corners – zonaldefending. Then it’s attacking corners – to be taken short. Finally, they practiseattackingthrow-insintheoppositionmidfield.

‘Lads,’warnsPep,‘it’sallinthestrategicplayforafinallikethis.Wehavetogetthisright.’

Theirworkisover.Thishasbeenanintense,detailed,targetedsession.Thecoachhas used all his analytical skill to ensure that hismen have asmany weapons aspossibleattheirdisposal.Hehasn’ttoldthemtheline-up,buteveryoneknowswhowill be playing. This week they have worked with intensity and focus, keen tounderstandandtryouteverymovehehassuggested.TheyareofftoBerlintofinishtheirseason,thesceneoftheirleaguetriumph.

This time however, faced once more with the dilemma between passion andpatience,Guardiolahasgoneforpatience,controlandtheorthodoxapproach.Thistimehe’sstickingwiththeplan.

65

‘JAVIANDROBBEN,INDEFENCEANDATTACK’

Munich,May16,2014

ASTHEIRFANSgatheroutsidetheRegentHotel,justbesideUntenderLinden,the capital’s famous Linden tree-lined boulevard, the players inside are enjoyingsome peace and quiet.On this, the eve of theDFB-Pokal final, they are feelingquietlyconfidentandIgrabthischancetochatabouttheseasonwiththetwomenwhotomorrowwillbethetheaxisofthedefenceandtheattack,respectively.

JaviMartínezhashadaninjury-plaguedyear.Hehashadtwooperations(onhisgroinandmouth),hastwistedhisankleandsufferedtendonitisinhisknees,aswellas twoor three bouts of gastroenteritis.Hehas started only 19matches, andhascomeoffthebenchinafurther14.Hestarted34timesinhisfirstseasonatBayernand53 inhis last seasonatAthleticdeBilbao.Despite suchanarduousyear, theSpaniardhasbeenhappyworkingunderPep.

JM: ‘He’s such a talentedman, and it shows. Look at us now.Bayern is a teamwhereyoucanseehowmuchworkhasgoneintoeachlineoftheunit.Allofthecoacheswhohavecomealongtowatchthegamesorourtrainingsessionscommenton that – how everyone’s following the same script, from defenders to forwards,fromthegoalie to thecentre-forward.Andhealsoknowsexactlyhow tomanagethedressingroom–howtodealwiththeguyswhoareplayingandthosewhoarenot.Heknowsexactlywhentolightenthetone.Hedoesallofthatperfectly.’

MP:‘Buthehasabitofatemperattimes,doesn’the?’

JM:‘No,he’snotabad-temperedguy.Obviouslytherearetimeswhenheneedstobehardonus,butonly if there’s a good reason.Youknow,Heynckeswasmorethan capable of that, too.Whenever Pep sees thatwe’re shifting down a gear orwhatever,he’llletushaveitandhehasnohesitationincomingdownhardoneventhemostseniorandrespectedofplayers,ifheneedsto.He’sthebossandhe’stheonethatlaysdownthelaw.’

MP:‘WhenyoucamebackfromholidaylastJulyandPepwasincharge,didyouimaginethatyouwouldendupincentraldefence?’

JM:‘Notatall.IhadnoideawhatPepexpected.IknewfromthepressthatwhenhewasatBarça,hewasinterestedinsigningmeforthedefence,butIdidn’tknowwhathewantedmetodohere.Peptoldmestraightawaythathewantedmetoplayasacentraldefender,butalsoaspivotetoo.HereckonedthatIwouldmakeagoodcentre-halfandsaidthatheexpectedmetoworkhardtounderstandhis ideas.InGuardiola’s football the positions of central midfielder and central defender areactuallyverysimilar.Infactthepivoteactsasthethirdcentre-half,particularlywhenwearebringingtheballoutfromtheback.Ilikeplayingcentre-halfbecauseIthinkthatoneofmybestqualities isdefensiveconcentration.It’sakeycharacteristicofmineandit’simperativeifyouplayinthatposition.’

MP:‘Guardiolahasmademanytacticalchangessincearriving.’

JM:‘Yes,we’vebeenonasteeplearningcurveintermsofourplayingstyle,aswellas theroleIandotherplayers fulfil intheteam.All thechangeshavebeenprettysignificant.Andthegreatthingisthatwehaven’tyetreachedourpeak.There’sstillsomuchtoimprove.Pepworkseverydaytohelpusperformevenbetterwhenwecompete.’

MP:‘You’vewonthreetitlessofarbutalsofellflatonyourfacesintheChampionsLeague. Had the team become too conceited and complacent after so muchsuccess?’

JM:‘It’suptoeachofustokeeppushingourselves,andstayhungry.We’reyoungguyswhowanttomakeourmarkonfootballhistoryandneedtorememberthatit’sall about thepresent,not thepast.Weneed to stayhungry.Bayernneed tokeepfightingfornewtitles.Theminutewestartthinkinghowwonderfulweare,that’swhenwe’llstopwinning.’

I now turn to Arjen Robben, who will play as the central striker tomorrow.Robben’s experience has been the opposite of Javi’s – he’s never played somanygames inanyone seasonbefore.Recurrent injurywashis singlegreatesthandicapthroughouthis timeatRealMadrid,Chelsea,PSVEindhovenand,untilnow, atBayern. But all of that is behind him now and he has appeared as a starter for

Bayernon37occasionsthisseason,andplayedatotalof45games,inwhichhehasscored21goalsandgiven14assists.Thebeststatsofhisprofessionallife.

‘That’scertainlytrue,’agreesRobben,‘althoughmyfirstyearhere[2009/10]andlast year’s treble win were also good years. Working with Pep has been brilliantbecausehe’shelpedmeimprovesomuch.Andeverythinghasgonewellintermsoffitness, too. I have been injury-free since January 2013 and that has helped memaintainconsistentlevelsofperformance.ButwithoutadoubtthehighpointhasbeenworkingwithPep.Ilovehisvisionoffootball,thewayhethinks.’

MP:‘Whathaveyouchangedintermsofinjuryprevention?’

AR:‘Ifyoulookback,you’llseethatthingsstartedimprovingassoonasIgothereand things have continued progressively from there. I started to work with anosteopath,whoactuallystartedhelpingmeinmylastyearwithRealMadrid.I’mstillworkingwithhim.IthinkthatinmyfiveyearsinMunich,Ihaveonlyhadtwoserious injuries, everything else was just little niggles. Usually players have fewerinjurieswhenthey’reyoungerbutithasbeenthereverseformeandmaturityandexperience have helpedme a lot. I am getting better and better atmanaging thephysicalsideofthingsandamfeelinggreat.’

MP:‘PeoplethoughtthatyouandGuardiolawouldn’tgeton.’

AR:‘Yes,IwasaskedthatalothereinGermanyandinHolland.EveryonesaidthatIhadtoostrongacharacterandthatPeplikedtiquitacawhilstIprefertodribble.People claimed we’d be incompatible but I knew that we would work togetherbrilliantly.Ihadnodoubtatall.’

MP: ‘You were the star of the Champions League final which Bayern won atWembley,butwhenyouarrivedinTrentinoforthepre-seasontraining,youdidn’tactlikeasuperstar.ItwasapleasantsurpriseforPep,Ithink.’

AR:‘Look,IwaslookingforwardtoworkingwithPepassoonastheyannouncedhissigningandmyexpectationsweremorethanconfirmedwhenImetnotjusthimbutDomè[Torrent]andLoren[Buenaventura]too.Iwastotallyupforhisbrandof football and I clearly remember our first conversation in Trentino. He said:“Enjoyyourfootball.YouscoredintheChampionsLeaguefinalandyouscoreinallthebiggames,sorelax,enjoyitandtakesometimewithyourfamily,behappy.”

Thosewerehisfirstwordstome,ontheveryfirstday.It’sawonderfulfeelingwhenyourcoachspeakstoyoulikethat.Itgivesyousuchaboost.Sowereallystartedoutonahigh.’

MP:‘SomeplayershavesaidthatalthoughHeynckescreatedafantasticBayernside,thingsneededtochangetoavoidstagnation.’

AR:‘Iagreewiththat.Thatcanbearealdangerwhenyouwineverything.Ifyoujustgoondoingthesamethings,followingthesameideas,itcanbedisastrousanditisonlytooeasytositbackandrelaxafterwinningthetreble.Bringinginanewcoachwithnew ideasprevented the rot setting in.Weneeded to focus fromdayone.’

MP:‘WerePep’sideasdifficulttograsp?’

AR: ‘The whole process has been a challenge. For the players and for Pep, too,becausehehadjustmovedtoanewcountry,hehadtolearnanewlanguage–hehad worked really hard to learn German before he even got here and we wereamazedbyhowgoodhewasatthestart.Thefirstfewmonthsarealwaysdifficult.It’s a process of adaptation for everyone, butwe’ve improved a little everyweek,everymonth and have put on some storming performances, like the one againstManchester City. I love this style of football because it remindsme a bit of thetraditional Dutch game, the football Van Gaal used to play. There’s somethingabout it, this attacking style, always playing high up the pitch without gettinghemmedindefensivelyattheback.Iloveditfromdayone.’

MP: ‘Attackingsomuchandsohighupthepitch isunusualnowadaysandmostteamspacktheirdefencesandwaitforyoutoattackthem.Itwillalwaysbedifficulttobreakdownthatkindofteamanditmustbetoughmentallytokeepgoing.’

AR:‘Obviouslyit’seasiertodefendthanattack,butifyouliketohavetheballthenyou have to keep looking for new routes to do that, and building something isalwaysharder thandestroying it. In fact theMísterwas sayingonly yesterday, “Ifyouareafootballer,itmustmeanthatyouenjoyplayingthisgameandourstyleofplay is a lotmore fulfilling”. Although I do accept that going up against a verydefensiveteamismuch,muchharder.’

MP:‘Areyousurprisedthatyouhavescoredthemostgoalsandprovidedthemostassiststhisseason?Hasthatgotsomethingtodowiththisnewstyleofgame?’

AR: ‘I think so,yes.Therewasa stageatwhichPep toldmenot toobsessaboutgetting goals. He said that if I just got on with playing the goals would comeanyway.Andthat’sexactlywhathappened.Ifyoujustfocusonplaying,lookingforspaces,holdingontotheballandworkingwithyourteam-matesthenyoualmostalwaysgetagoal intheend.Ithinkthat ineverysinglegameI’veendedupwithchancestoscore.Ifyouhavetheballalotandmakesurethatyou’reinthemidstoftheaction,thenyou’llalwaysgetchancestoscore.’

MP:‘TheteamplayedverywellinFebruaryandMarchbutstartedtomessupinApril.Wasit justoneofthosethingsorweretherespecificreasons?Waswinningtheleaguesoearlyaproblem?’

AR:‘Itwasn’tjustbecausewewontheleaguetooearly,butit’shardtoexplainwhatelsecausedit.Istillstruggletounderstandhowwecouldwintheleaguewithsuchstyle and then come a cropper here. It felt likewewere gettingworse andworseeveryweek. Itwas the combinationof lotsof factors.A football team is complexandat the same time,pretty fragile.Lookat the injurieswe suffered inApril, forexample.But itwill takeme a bit of time to reflect on everything andworkoutwhathappenedtocauseit.’

MP: ‘The team seems to be back in top form, from the evidence of this week’straining.’

AR:‘Yes,Ithinkthattoo.WehaveagoodchanceofwinningtheCuptomorrowdespitewhatpeoplethink.Gettingyourheadrightisthemostimportantthingandweareallcompletelyfocused.’

MP:‘PepsaysthatthisfootballrepresentsabitofacultureclashinGermany.Doyouthinkitwilleverreallycatchonhere?’

AR:‘Undoubtedly.EveryonerecognisedhowwellweplayedintheleagueandgavePepthecredithewasdue.Butfootballisaboutresultsandnomatterhowmuchweachievedthisyear, theminutewestarted losing, thepraisedriedupandsuddenlywewererubbish.Butofcoursethatwasn’tthecaseatall.Wehaveplayedsuperb

footballwiththissystemandhaveachievedgreatthings.Nextseasonwemust,andwe will, play even better. We’ve started down the right road and I’m lookingforwardtostartingitalloveragainnextseason.’

MP:‘Theteamwillbeevenbetterbecauseyouhaveadaptedtothisnewsystem.’

AR:‘Exactly.Thefirstyearunderanewcoachwithadifferentstyleisthetoughest.Andthisyearwe’vewonthreetrophies,brokenalltheBundesligarecords,madeittotheChampionsLeaguesemi-finalsandaregoingouttowintheCuptomorrow.That’sanincredibletallyforourfirstyear.Andweplayersknowthatwecanmakeeven more improvements next year because we understand everything so muchbetternow.’

66

BLOOMINTHEGLOWOFHAPPINESS

Berlin,May17,2014

ITWASTHElasttrainingsessionoftheseasoninBerlin’sOlympiastadionand,ashe jumped for theball,DavidAlaba clashedwithRibéry, injuringhimself in theabdomen.Alabawouldnotmakethefinal.Onemoremajorlossfortheteam.

Afterdinner,GuardiolacalledRafinhaandaskedhim:‘Rafa,canyouplayontheleft?’

TheBrazilian’sreplywasfirm.‘Pep,youknowI’llplayanywhereyoutellmeto.’ItmeantthecoachalreadyhadareplacementforAlaba,butthismovemeantthat

hewouldneedtoplaythefull-backsmoreopenthanhehadplannedto.NowallhehadtodowasfindareplacementforRafinhaontheright,buthedecidedtogivehischosenstand-inanuntroublednight’ssleep.

OnSaturdaymorningjustafterbreakfasthesharesthenewswithHøjbjerg.He’sgoing to start the game, not as a midfielder, but at right-back instead. Theyoungstertellsthecoachthathe’shappytoplaywherevertheteamneedshim.

Berlinistransformed.ThousandsofBorussershavefloodedthecapitalinaseaofyellowwithinwhichyoucandistinguishonlytheoddflashofred.Theoddsseemstacked in Dortmund’s favour, and media opinion firmly is behind the in-formteam.

Pephashisline-upandhisgameplanready.Theteamhewillfieldrepresentsadeclaration of intent for next season. He has picked the men who are mostcommittedtohisplayingphilosophy(injuredplayersaside)andtoday’sstrategywilltake them through one more stage in the constant tactical evolution which theCatalanhasinstitutedandwhichheisdeterminedwillbeanunassailablepartoftheDNAofhisera.

Pep hums a line from the German national anthem, ‘Blüh’im Glanze diesesGlückes(Bloomintheglowofhappiness)’.It’s8pm,it’sraininginBerlinandthereis so much more at stake right now than simply the DFB-Pokal. After theircataclysmic failure againstRealMadrid,Guardiolahasmadeonekey change thatgoeswaybeyondmeretactics.Itisastrategicdecisionthathehasbeenworkingon

foralongtime.Reflectingontheteam’sstrengths,Pephasconcludedthattheyareat their bestwhen they bring the ball outwith a three-man backline;when theyensurethatatleastonefull-backhastheathleticabilityandstaminatogetupanddown the line all game,but at the same timemonitor the inside channelnext tohim;whentheyuseacontrollingcentralmidfieldpivotewhosekeytaskistocontroloppositioncounter-attacksandwhocandropbacktoplaywiththecentre-halvesifneeds be; with a centre-forward capable of pushing the opposition back fourbackwards and a second striker/attacking midfielder who knows how to play inspacebutcanalsostaylinkedtothemovementsofthecentre-forwards.

Inpreparationforthematchhehadnotedthesefiveprinciplesonhiswhiteboardanddevelopedhisgamestrategyfromthere.Now,days later, theplanis inplace,recreatedoutonthegrassjustbeforekick-off:abasic3-6-1whichwillbecomea5-4-1whenthey’redefendinganda3-4-3fortheattack.

InthefinalHøjbjergplaysright-back,Rafinhaonthe left,LahmandKroosarethetwopivotes.Götzestartswideleft,Müllerwideright.MeanwhileRobbenisthehighestpointofthatforwardpressingtriangle.WhenBayernhavetheballhe’sfreetofollowhisinstincts.Withoutit,GötzeandMüllermusttrytochokeDortmund,withLahmandKroosinbehindthatfirstwaveofpressure.Mostunusuallyofall,Bayernwill playmore conservatively, theywillwait forDortmund, andwill playtheback line fardeeper thanhasbeennormalall season.Theydon’twant togiftKlopp’steamanyspace.

Yellow dominates the Olympiastadion, as do the songs and cheers of theDortmundsupport.ButfromthestartKloppandhismenaredisconcertedbythisall-newBayern.This isn’t the audacious sidewhichwould throw itself into boldattack,leavingitselfstrippeddowntobareessentialsattheback.Suddenlythere’sarole reversal. And even before anyone canmake sense of this change,Müller hasnearly scored, theballdeflectingoff the faceof thegoalkeeper,Weidenfeller, andRobbenhashadasecondchanceafteralongandaccurateballfromLahm.

Dortmundareataloss.Normally,theyareexpertatsettingtraps.Theyallowtheoppositiontobringtheballforwardquitehappily,likeacattemptingBayernwithatastychunkofcheeseinitspaws,butwhentheyreachacertainpointthepredatorwill react with lightning speed and tear its prey to pieces. Today, however, themouseseemstobeagooddealsmarter.Ithaschangeditsroutine.Guardiolastakesitallonmassivesuperiorityinthemiddleofthepitch.Heleavesthreefixedcentre-halvesatthebackandplacessixofhisteaminmidfield.InthefaceofthissurpriseDortmundcannotfindaresponse.Thepressuretheytrytoexertwiththeirstrikershasnoeffect,giventhehugenumericalsuperiorityBayernexerts inmidfield.The

consequence is that Pep’s team has fewer attacks than normal, but almost all ofthemarefarmoredangerous.

Pep opts for less attack but more control. Robben is alone up front but hemanages to tie up three defenders – both centre-halves and one full-back.WhenMüller is free tohelphimtheymakea formidableduo.When thathappens, twoBayern forwards tie up all four Dortmund defenders, meaning that Pep’s fivemidfieldersalwaysgetthebetterofDortmund’sfourinthecentreofthepitch.

Lahmisdesignedtobethekeyinthisfinal.HewillhelpthebackthreeplaytheballoutandwillputpressureonSahineverytimeWeidenfellerrollstheballtohimto re-startDortmund’s play.Those two tasks give theBayern captain a 70-metreareatocover–hisafternoonmustbefullofeffort.Buteightminutesinhetakesaheavyknockonhis leftcalf.Afterquarterofanhourheneedsmedicalattention.Fiveminutes later, he is noticeably limping and after 28minutes the calfmusclebetrays him. It’s a huge loss and looks decisive. No Lahm, no Thiago, noSchweinsteiger,noAlaba–andwithoutLahm,Pep’splantodominatemidfieldisinjeopardy.

ThereareveryfewoptionsonthebenchbutPepgoesforRibéry,whohasbeenstruggling for weeks with serious back problems which have also affected his legmuscles.

Pep’s next decision is surprising but it will, in the end, become the key towinning. Ribéry won’t play as a winger but, instead, in the double pivote withKroos. It’s an unheard of idea, improvised on the go, under the pressure of agrowinginjurycrisis.ButitwilldemolishDortmund,whotakeatleasthalfanhourtocometotermswithit.UntilthispointtheBayernplayhasn’tshonebrilliantly,butithasbeeneffective.NotonedangerousDortmundcounter-attack.

DespiteNeuerstilllookingalittleinsecurewhenhekickstheball,Bayernmanagetocontinue imposingtheirplanthanks to thecleverly spaced-outpositionswhichMartínez,KroosandRibéryalladoptwhentheybegintobringtheballout.Thethreeofthemformafulcrumtosupportthewideguys,withHøjbjerggrowinginconfidence minute by minute, and Bayern begin to operate with fluidity andsimplicity.Martínezshowsthetacticalintelligenceanddefensiveconcentrationheisfamousfor;Ribérygivesaformidabledisplayinthistotallynewposition–itseemscontradictorythatsuchananarchicwideplayercanoffercalm,intelligentdefensiveorganisationinmidfield.KroosaddsLahm’sworkloadtohisown.

Anhourin,afterMüllerhasanotherbigchancecreatedbyRobbenandRibéry,the Dortmund coach makes his first tactical change. Oliver Kirch comes on forMjitaryánand the two teamsarenowman-for-man inmidfield.Guardiola swaps

RibérywithGötze–meaning theGerman isnow side-by-sidewithKroos in thedoublepivote.PepwantsRibérynearertheDortmundgoal,butit’satthelossofthepositiveeffecttheFrenchmanwashavinginthemiddleoftheBayernmidfield.

Hummelsgetshisheadtoawidefree-kickandsendstheballbeyondNeuer. ItlooksinbythetimeDanteclearsit,buttherefereedoesn’tgivethegoal.Extratimearriveswithout agoal,butDortmundhavemanagedonly twoeffortson target–includingtheHummelsheader.Bayernhaveplayedwithintelligenceandhavehadfive efforts on goal, even while robbing Dortmund of their main weapon, thecounter.

Duringtheextra-timeteamtalk,outonthepitch,Pepmerelyremindshisplayersthey are entering a stage where their minds, not their legs, are in charge. Theemphasis is on concentration, confidence and determination. He just gives oneinstruction:‘LookforMario[Götze].Givehimtheballbetweenthelines.’

Ribéryisonhislastlegs.ThepaininhisbackisunbearableandPepandRobbendiscusstheiroptions.‘PepaskedmeifIcouldkeepgoing,’theDutchmantellsmethenextmorning,‘andIsaidyes.IcouldseethatFranck[Ribéry]couldn’tgoonanylongerandHøjbjerghadtakenakicktohiscalf.Wehadtokeepgoingasbestwecould.’

Extra timemaybe, asPep suggested, aquestionofmental strength rather thanphysicalstaminaandcertainly,onthisoccasion,manyofhismenhavenothingleftintheirlegs.Andthingsareabouttogetmuchworse.NosoonerhavetheytrottedontothepitchtofinishthisepicbattlethanKroosmakeshis firstmistakeofthenight,allowingAubameyangtogetawaya low,hardshot.Neuerslipsonthewetgrassanddislocateshisrightshoulder.Heremainsinthegame,butwillspendthenext30minuteshavingiceappliedforthepain.

Next,it’stheturnofKroostogetakickonhiscalf,whichleaveshimlimpingfortherestofthematch,MüllergetscrampinhishamstringsandHøjbjerghastobesubstitutedforVanBuyten.Despiteallthis,Bayernsomehowcontinuetobringtheball out from the back without too much difficulty thanks to the brilliantconnection between Martínez and Kroos, and Dortmund still don’t manage tomountagoodcounter-attack.

Pizarroiswaitingonthetouchline,abouttoreplaceRibéry,whenthegoalarrives.Boatengswitches flankswitha longball,Ribérygets it,holds itand lays itoff toRobben,whohassprintedtowardsthepenaltyspotandshoots.WeidenfellerpalmsitoutinthedirectionofGrosskreutz,butBoatenghaspushedupandquicklyrobstheDortmunddefender.Hecrossesandthere’sRobbenagain,aheadofeveryone,tolandthedefinitiveblow.

Guardiola’s euphoria lasts about two seconds and then his thoughts turn tomaking the Ribéry substitution, because he is now noticeably limping. The lastquarterofanhouristakenupbyincreasinglydesperateDortmundattacks,buttheymanageonlyonegoodeffort,byReus,andtwomoregoodchancesonthecounter.

Müller seals it in the 122nd minute thanks to a steal by Rafinha, Robben’sinsatiablerunning,acleverpassbyPizarroandMüller’sownshrewdmovementtoescapeSchmelzerandWeidenfellerbeforescoring.

Bayern havewon the double – the league andCup titles – becoming only thesecond team in history to have done so immediately after a treble-winning year(PSVEindhovendiditin1987/8and1988/9).ThemenfromMunichhavewontheirfourthpieceofsilverwareoftheseason,havingcontestedsixcompetitions,andforGuardiolait’shis18thtrophyoutofapossible25inhisfiveseasonsasatop-flightcoach(14outof19withBarcelonaandfouroutofsixwithBayern).

Bayern go wild. Boateng hoists Guardiola into the air as if his boss weighsnothing.ThenNeuer,despitehis injuredarm,does the same thing.Thecoach isenvelopedinthearmsofJavi,Rafinha,GötzeandKroos,andhasaspecialhugforRobben.Once they have the trophy,Dante andVanBuyten shower the boss inbeeronceagainandthistimeevenEstiartefailstoescapethesoaking.

During the post-match dinner the players talk about their coach in glowingterms.

‘He’sdesignedmyperfectposition.FinallyI’vegottherightpositionintherightsystemwhichallowsmetogivemyverybest,’saysMartínez.

Lahm:‘Wehaveshowntheworldourtruevalueandthishasbeenahugeboosttoourconfidence.’

YoucanseetheplayersarestillhurtingoverthedisasteragainstRealMadrid,buttheir total support forPep isclear,as is theirdeterminationtocontinueto followhisplayingphilosophy.

By2amRafinhadecidestodeliverhisend-of-seasonmessage:‘BeforethematchIsaid toDomè [Torrent]: “We’re going out there to die together.”Half the teamwereinpieces,butweshowedbigballs.Youhavetohavegutstoputakidof18outthereinthatposition[right-back].Ortoputmeatleft-back.

‘ForPepthisissuperimportant:ifanyonehasanydoubtsaboutwhathe’saskingthemtodo,theyjusthavetoswallowthemanddowhat’sneeded.’Robbensharessimilarsentiments:‘Thisvictoryisamazing,anditwillhavefar-reachingeffects.Ithasvindicatedusandourstyleofplay.Wearemoreandmorecommittedtotheseideaseveryday.Pep’sstrategyhasgivenusthisvictoryandnextyearisgoingtobeevenbetter.’

DuringthepartyPepspendssometimetuckedawaywithhisfamilyinacorner.He’sdelightedofcourse,butyoucanseehowangryhestilliswithhimselffortheMadriddebacle,forhavingfailedtoplaythatdaywiththisteam.

At3.30amhebidsthepartygoersgoodnightandwalksoffwithValentinaasleep,curledupinhisarmslikeababy.

Outsideinthestreetit’sstillraining.

67

THEKIDANDTHECAPTAIN

Berlin,May18,2014

BAYERNSETOFFforMunichwiththecuptheyhavewoninBerlin,thecapitalcitywhichhas become a talisman for Pep this year.Thousands of fans await theteam inMarienplatz, ready to celebrate their double-winning season and, on theway,IchattotwooftheplayerswhoaremostsymbolicofPep’sfirstyearincharge:HøjbjergandLahm.

Firstly,IaskHøjbjergwhathehaslearnedfromPep.‘Tobeabitbolderwiththeball.He’sshownmehowimportant it is toplaywithoutfear.Justtogetonwithplayingwhether you’reup againstXabiAlonsoor a complete amateur.Playwithcourage and without fear, and “show some balls”, as Pep puts it. When you’reyoungyoucanbeabithesitantaboutthings,butthatgetsyounowhere.Youhavetogive iteverything ifyouwant to improve.Pephas insisted that I letgoofanyanxietyorhesitancywhenIplay.He’salsotaughtmeahugeamountabouttacticsandaboutdefending.I’velearnedtostaywhenmyteam-matepushesforwardandtoattackashighupasIcanwhenit’smyturntopushon.He’staughtmeallabouttherighttacticsandshownmehowtoplaywithpassion,intelligenceandcourage.Ihad somedifficult times this seasonandPep reallyhelpedme.He toldme that Ionlyneededtodedicate90minutesadaytofootball,butthatthose90minuteshadtobefull-on.IfIdidthat,heassuredme,Icouldstopworryingaboutmygame.’

HøjbjergjoinedBayernin2012whenhewasjust16andinitiallystruggledwithafour-dayperweektrainingschedule.

‘Iwasprettysmallandmybodycouldn’tcopewithsomuchwork.Iwasbasicallysoreallover foranentireyear.AndthisyearwithPephasbeensimilar.At timesI’vehadrealproblemskeepingupwiththeolderguys’trainingschedule–sixtimesaweek.’

MP:‘Foryoutheseasonhasbeenmoreaboutlearningratherthancompeting.’

PH:‘Ofcourse.WhenIgetoutofmybedinthemorningIalwayssaytomyself,

“Todaywillbeevenbetterthanyesterday.TodayIwillbeabetterplayer.I’lllearnsomething new”. I like to learn something new every day and I want to keepimproving.IthinkPepseesallthatinmeandItrytotakeeverythingheteachesmeandincorporateitinmygame.Iliketofollowmyinstinctsandtrytodothethingsthatwillhelpmeprogress.I’mnotbig-headedbutIamveryself-confidentandcanbeabittooquicktoconcludethatmysolutionisthebestone.Ihavetolearnthatother people sometimes have better answers and with Pep that has certainlyhappened.Heshowsmemuchbettersolutions.Forexample,thisisthefirsttimeIhavereallyunderstoodthatyouneedtobeontopofdefensivetacticsandbesuper-disciplined ifyouwanttostayat theelite level. Inowknowhowimportantyourmentalattitudeistomaintaindefensiveorder;tobeawarethateverysprint,everytouchontheball,everyshotmustbegiven100%,everytime.

‘Ihavelearnedsomuchsincelastsummer,mentally,physicallyandtacticallyandamabetterplayer thanIwasbeforePeparrivedbecauseInowhaveknowledgeIdidn’t possess before. But I am still capable of doing five things well and thenmaybemessingup and losing the ball in the sixthmove.Rightnow I am in theprocessofmakingthejumpfromtheyouthcategoriestoprofessionalandit’sreallyimportant to get things rightmentally. Some ofmy team-mates, likeDante, forexample,remindmeeverydayhowimportantitistobetotallyfocused.’

MP:‘WhathasPepbeentoyou?’

PH:‘Heisamanwhoputsallhisemotion,allhispassion,intofootball.He’smycoachofcoursebuthe’ssomuchmorethanthat.He’sbeenlikeasecondfathertome.He’sagreatguywhospendshisdaysshowingushowwecanplayevenbetter.’

MP:‘Isthereadifferencethisyearintermsofthewaytheteamisfeeling?’

PH: ‘I think thatwewereabitmoreGermanic lastyear–weweren’texcessivelyemotional.InGermanwewouldcallthatgerade[stiffupperlip].Noweveryone’sabitmoreemotionalandIlikeitthisway.I’mveryemotionalmyself.Iliketoplaywith a bit of passion. But the Germans are less used to that approach than theBrazilians,theSpanishplayersandPizarroandme.I’mnotsayingthatit’sbetterorworsetobemoreemotional,it’sjustdifferentforthem.ButyoucanseethechangeintheteamandI like it.A littlebitofemotionwillkeepushungrytowineveryweek.AndPephimselfisveryemotional.’

MP:‘Thislackofemotionappliestodefeataswellasvictory.’

PH:‘ThisisaveryGermanicteamandwearenotusedtoexpressingouremotions,totheextentthatwecanappearcoldandarrogantattimes.Iprefertobeabitmoreemotionaland,afterall,wetrainandplayallyearsothatwecancut looseat theendoftheseasonatthecelebrations.’

MP:‘Areyougoingtobeakeypartofthisteam?’

PH:‘Sometimesitstillfeelslikeitwillbevery,verydifficulttomakeitatBayernandtherearealwayspeoplewhosayIwon’tdoit.It’scertainlyatoughplacetoplaywhenyou’reonly18andsometimesI thinkthat intwoyearsI’ll stillonlybe20,thenthereareotherdaysI tellmyself,“IhaveworkedunderPepGuardiola forayear,IplayforBayernMunich,thebestteamintheworldledbythebestcoachinthe world and this season I have learnt more than in the rest of my life puttogether”.AndthenIthink,“Yes,Icandevelopintoagoodplayer”.

‘IunderstandthatIcan’tplayeveryweekbecausetheteamneedstowinmatches.It’s almost like I’m at school.The school of Pep andBayern, and it’s just great.Obviously the day will come when I’ll be expected to play every week and thatwon’tbeeasy.Iknowthat,I’mnotanidiot.IunderstandthatImightgooffandplayforotherteamsintheBundesliga.ButIwillalwaysbeproudofmytimewithPep, of having learnt somuch fromhim and fromBayern.Right now I need tolearn asmuch as possible, everyhourof theday.Thenmaybe in10 years I’ll besayingtosomeyoungkid,“IcanteachyouwhatIknow”.RightnowIamreceivingalot.PerhapsinthefutureI’llgivealotback.’

MP: ‘Nobodycandoubtyour strengthofcharacter.At18youplayed inamajorfinal.’

PH:‘Ihaveabigheartandalwayscommitmyself100%towhatI’mdoing.Thatapproach can have its disadvantages but it’s also what makes me strong. I haveinheritedaverystrongcharacterfrommydadandothermembersofthefamily.Attimesitcanbetoostrong,butinthelongrunitwillhelpmesucceed.Ijustneedtofindthepaththat’scorrectformeandgetthebalanceright.’

Aftermy chatwith the youngestmember of the squad I turn to the captain, themanPephasdescribedas‘theguywhoputsallthepiecesinorder’,Lahm,thefull-

backwhoconverted toanorganisingmidfielder right in themiddleof theUEFASuperCuponAugust30.

MP:‘Philipp,whatwasitlikewhenyouchangedpositioninsucharadicalway?’PL:‘ThegoodthingwasthatIhadplayedinthemidfieldalotwithPepduringourpre-season training.He often putme there for our friendlies. I hadn’t played inmidfield foryearsbuthedecided itwas theright thingtodoandheknewthat Icouldcovertherequisitesofthejob.IlikethatpositionandplayinginthemidfieldfortheSuperCupwasreallyspecial.ThecoachtrustedmetodoitwelldespitethefactthatforsolongI’dbeenplayinginotherpositions.’

MP:‘Haveyouhadanyproblemsadjustingorareyoucompletelycomfortableasanumber6?’

PH:‘It’sbeengreatplayinginthispositionandIthinkPepsawhowcomfortableIwasthere.That’swhyhedecidedtogoforit.Ihadalmostalwaysbeenafull-backandithasbeengreatmakingthechangetopivote.Youneedtobe100%alertwhenyou first change to a new position. You have a lot of players around you in themidfield and I think my performance this year has shown Pep made the rightdecision.’

MP: ‘In the futuredo you see yourself playingmore in themidfieldor as a full-back?’

PL:‘IreckonI’veshownthisseasonthatIcanplayineitherposition.Iloveplayingin themidfield, it has been a real novelty after 10 years as a full-back, but thatdoesn’tmeanI’llneverbeadefenderagain.Attheendoftheday,it’sthecoach’sdecision.’

MP:‘WhatwerethebiggestchangesGuardiolamade?’

PL:‘He’schangedourpositionalplayaswellasmyownpositionandwealsogoformuchhigherlevelsofpossessionthanwedidunderJupp.Wedominatemore.Forexample, last seasonwe hung backmuchmore waiting for a chance to counter-attackinthebigmatches,liketheChampionsLeaguequarterandsemi-finals.Weplayedwithenergy,butdidn’thave theballasmuchordominatematches in theway we do now. The second thing which has changed dramatically is the space

everyplayerknowshemustoccupy.Andthat’srelatedtohowweimmediatelyallpress as a unit when we’ve lost the ball. Those are the two main areas we’veimprovedthisyearcomparedtolastseason.’

MP:‘AdaptingtoPep’sideashasn’tbeenquickoreasy.’

PL: ‘Ithasbeendifficult.Itwasall sonew.But itwasalsonecessaryafterwehadwoneverything.WehadwonthetrebleandPepwantedtoteachussomethingnew.Ithinkalotoftheguysfoundithardandafewoftheminitiallysaidthatouroldapproach had worked well. We’d won everything after all. I think Pep has alsoadaptedtoGermanfootballandithaschangedthewayhedoesthings.Theplayershaveneededtimetoadjustandthecoachhasalsohadtoadapttous.ButIreckonhe’sdoneaprettygoodjob.’

MP:‘GuardiolahasoftentalkedaboutthecultureclashbetweenhisideasandtheGermantradition.Doyouthinkthetwohaveclashedandwillcontinuetodoso?Willhebeabletobridgethegap?’

PL:‘Ithasbeenacultureclash,butit’saprocess.Pephasoftencommentedonthefact that somanyGerman teams like counter-attacking.A lot of opponents playvery defensively and then suddenly launch a lethal counter-attack. They’re notbothered about high possession. I think it’s the difference between Spanish andGermanfootball,butit’saprocessoflearningfromeachother.Weplayershavetolearn from the coach,butPephas alsohad to get toknowGerman football, ouropponentsandhowtheyplay.ButIthinkthatthelearningprocessiscomplete.’

MP:‘OnlyPSVEindhovenhaseverwonthedoubleafteratreble-winningseason.HasPepbeenanimportantpartofyoursuccessinthis?’PL:‘I’mprettysurethathedeservesalargepartofthecreditforensuringthatwedidn’tfallonourfaces.Usuallyafterwinningthetrebleplayersareexhaustedandit’svery,verytoughtowintheleagueagain,butIthinkthatPep,withhistechnicalteamandhisnewwaysofthinkinganddoingthings,keptusallonourtoes.Wehadtoconcentratehardtomakesurethateverythingworked.WestartedoutwiththerightrhythmandthenwentontowintheBundesligainfabulousstyle.’

MP:‘WhatarethebestandtheworstthingsaboutPep?’

PL: ‘His incredible tactical knowledge is a huge strength. He’s also meticulousabout everything he does and prepares us brilliantly for each opponent.He’s thebestandthat’sprobablyalsoaslightweaknessbecausehe’ssuchaperfectionist.Hewantseverything,downtothelastdetail,tobeperfect.That’sgreatasfarasitgoes,butat times itgoes too far andpreventshim frombeing totally satisfied.Hecanneverallowhimselftositbackandsay“thisisbrilliant”.’

MP:‘Doyouthinkhe’llstayalongtime?’

PL: ‘I’m certain hewill, although itwill depend on the players.When a team issuccessful it’s more likely the coach will stay for longer but if you don’t keepwinning in a prestigious club like Bayern, everyone starts to doubt the coach,includingtheplayers.ButIthinkit’sprettylikelythatwe’regoingtokeepwinningunderPep.Ireallyenjoyworkingwithhim.’

MP:‘Yourstyleofgamemeansthatyouropponentsplayverydefensivelyandwaittocounter-attack.Isn’t itexhaustingmentallytohavetokeepplayinglikethatallthetime?

PL:‘Icanonlytellyouwhatit’slikefromaplayer’spointofviewandit’ssomuchbetterwhenyouplaytheballratherthandefendingallthetime.Ifyoudefendlikethatyouendupwithjustfivesecondswiththeball,tryingtoscore,andthenyou’rebacktodefendingagain.It’sgreattohavetheballatyourfeet.Ok,you’relikelytobefacing11playersallpackeduptogetheratthebackandthat’shard,veryhard,butit’smuchbettertobetakingtheinitiativeratherthanstandingwaitingforyourchance.’

MP:‘Butwhenyourattacksendwithranksofbankeddefendersinfrontofthemandthegoalwon’tcome,whatshouldtheteamdo:shootmore,crossbetter?Whatarethesolutionswhenyouareblockedoff?’

PL:‘Wehavetobecompletelyfocusedbecauseeverypassmatters.Thequickertheballmoves,thelesstimetheoppositionhaveontheball,thebetteryourchanceofbreaking them down and of course your precision ofmovement is important toleavespaceforyourteam-matestohelpbreakdownthedefence.What’sdecisiveiswhen the team reaches the final third of the pitch, near the opposition goal. It’simportant how you organise and use the little space that’s available. You need

playerswhounderstand that,whoareextremelygood technicallyandwhoalwayswanttohavetheball.’

Andso, IgiveyouHøjbjergandLahm, the symbolsofPep’sphilosophy, the18-year-oldmidfielderwhohas played theDFB-Pokal final at full-back and the 30-year-oldfull-backwhohasbecometheundisputedmidfielderoftheseason.

EPILOGUE

ALASTWORDFROMPEP

Munich,May20,2014

BYTHETIMEyoureadthisbook,season2014-2015willbewellunderwayandBayernwillhavecompetedintheirfirstcompetitionofthenewfootballingyear–the German Super Cup. Once again the Westfalen Stadion will have been thesetting for the start of this new phase of the club’s endless cycle of competition;Guardiola battling the same opponentwithwhomhe started and ended his firstseason:JürgenKlopp’sBorussiaDortmund.

In Pep’s first seasonBayern played 56 officialmatches, resulting in 44wins, 6drawsand6defeats.Inotherwords,78.5%oftheirgamesendedinvictory,afigurewhichbecomes85.3%inBundesligafixtures.Theyscored150goals(anaverageof2.67pergame)andconceded44(0.78pergame).

Fromsetplays,Bayernscored28goals (14corners,nine indirect free-kicksandfive direct free-kicks). From the same situations they conceded eight (five fromcorners, including‘secondball’andown-goals,onefromanindirectfree-kickandtwodirect).Theyalsoplayed14friendliesaswellashavingcompleted279trainingsessions in the326daysbetween June26,2013andMay17,2014. In this timetheyhadhadtwoweeks’holiday,whicheffectivelymeantthattheycompletedtheir349sessions(70matchesplus279trainingsessions)in312days.

MostoftheplayershadalsoplayedanaverageofeightgameswiththeirnationalteamsinpreparationfortheWorldCup.Technicaldevelopmentandpracticewasacentral element in all 279 sessions and these were divided into: heavily tactical;demonstrably physically based and aimed at quantity [such as strength andresistance,orstamina];physicalbutaimedmoreatqualityofaspecificcomponent,like explosive force; preventative – focused on mobility and stretching; theremaining numberwere specific sessionswhere the squadwas broken down intoseparategroupsforavarietyofreasons.

Nine players stand out for their consistent appearances across the 39 weeks ofcompetition, ofwhich therewere only sixwithout amidweekmatch.The list ofplayerswhoexceeded4000minutes–orafigureclosetothat–andtookpartinat

least 90% of training, includes: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba, Kroos,Müller,Mandžukić andRobben.Müller is the playerwhomissed fewest sessionsthrough injury (just two days), followed by Alaba (three days) and Kroos (fourdays).

Statistics aside, several key developments epitomiseGuardiola’s first year: Pep’sprocessofadaptationtoGermanfootballandtheBayernplayers; theepidemicofinjuries;histeachingofthebasicconceptsrelatedtopositionalplay(Bayern’snewlanguage); outstandingly competitive performances in all tournaments and betterresultsthanexpected.

Attheendoftheseason,anewlistofprioritieswerebeingcompiled:theneedtoevolveintacticaltermssoastoavoidbecomingstuckwithout-of-dateformulae;theimportanceofnewplayerslearningtospeakthelanguageofthegamemorefluently;therenovationandmanagementofagroupoffootballerswhohadbeenattheelitelevels of European football for five years and the laying of the foundations foranothersuccessfulcampaign.

ButthelastwordsurelybelongstoGuardiolahimself,andwegettogetherforachatinhisofficeonTuesday,May20.Hisplayerspopinfromtimetotimetosaygoodbye.SomeofthemareofftotheWorldCupwhilstothers,likeThiago,Neuerand Lahm, are still working with the physios. Pep played golf with Cristina onMonday, but today he is right on time for our appointment. The report on theBorussiaDortmundgame is still lyingonhisdeskand thereon thewhiteboard Icanseethescribbledplansfortheir3-6-1inBerlin,Maria’ssweetmessageandtwophraseswritten in green.One is a quote from the film,Moneyball: ‘I know thatthey’re giving you a hard time. But the first one through the wall always getsbloody.Always.’

The other is a quote fromPephimself: ‘Ego is the source of themajority of ateam’sproblems.’

MP: ‘Pep, what is your analysis of your first year? You’ve experienced success,defeat,dramaandjoy.Areyouhappyhere?’

PG:‘I’llneedabitmoretimetobeabsolutelysurethattheteamismine[hesaysthisafterapausewhichatthetimeseemedtogoonforever,butwhichinfactlastedonly eight seconds].We’vewon a lot and everyone is delighted becausewinningtitlesbuysyouthetimeyouneedtostartbuildingthefuture.Butrealsatisfactioncomeswhenyoustarttofeelthattheteamisreallyyoursandisplayingthekindoffootballyouwant.That’swhyIneedmoretime.Theteamisn’tcompletelymine

yet.AmIgoingtogetthattime?Trulygreatteamsneedtokeepwinning,butifIget the time I need, we can really plan where we want to go. I’m trying toimplementsomethingthatfliesinthefaceoftheculturehere.I’mfromSantpedorand the players are fromMunich,Greifswald,Rosenheim orGelsenkirchen, so Ihave to convince them.And there has to be amix of give and take. I can’t andwouldn’twanttotrytopersuadeBeckenbauertomywayofthinkingandneitherwouldhebeabletoconvinceme.Sowehavetomeetsomewhereinthemiddle.Ithasbeen a clashof cultureswhichhas takenplace immediately afterwinning thetrebleandwiththesamebasicgroupofplayers.Ifyouwinatrebleandthensevennewguysjointheteam,it’seasiertochangethewayyouplay.Butthat’snotwhathappenedhere.WhenIjoinedBarçatherewereeightnewplayersintheteamandthe clubhad justhadadisastrous season.Bayernwere fresh fromanoutstandingseason and therewere only two new players [Thiago andGötze].That’s just therealityofthesituation,butithasn’tbeenaneasysituationtomanage.’

MP:‘Haveyoufeltdisorientatedattimes?’

PG:‘Ithascertainlybeenchallenging.AtBarçaIwasinchargeofrevitalisingateamwhich had lost the league by 18 points.Here I came in just after they won thetreble. That’s a huge difference. But each time I have managed to get the rightresultswhich,attheendoftheday,isthelitmustestforanypresidentordirectorgeneral.Inthatsensethisyearhasbeenasuccess–fouroutofsixpossibletrophies.WelosttheChampionsLeague,butitwasthewaywelostthatleftthebittertastein our mouths, not the fact that we went out in the semi-finals, which wascompletely logical.There isno justification for thewaywe lost toMadrid. I justneedtoholdupmyhandsandacceptit.ButIdidwellotherwise.Ihadcometoanewcountrytotakechargeofthetreblewinners,withonlytwonewplayers,andallof it in a new language. That bit was tricky because it’s one thing to be able toexpress yourself, but it’s quite another to do it well enough so that you reallycommunicate with the players,make them grasp fully what you are saying. Youneed a really good vocabulary for that andmine isn’t quite there yet. If you canimagine,justayearagoifsomeonehadsaidGutenAbendtomeIwouldhavehadnoideawhatitmeant.Iwouldn’thaveknowniftheyweretalkingaboutnightorday.But it’snoteasy to improveyourvocabularyquicklyenoughso thatyouaresureyoucanreachtheplayers.’

MP:‘SucceedingHeynckeswasahugechallenge.’

PG: ‘Yes,butmanyofourwinswere thanks to Jupp’swork last year, and to theteam’scompetitiveattitude.Theysawthemselvesaswinners.That’swhyitwassoimportanttowintheCupandtheleague.Itreallyboostedtheplayers’confidence.Theysawthattheycouldkeepwinningafterhavingwoneverythingalready.Ifwehad lost theCup, the followingmonthsmight have beenmuch harder. Iwas inchargeofBarcelona, too, justafter theyhadwonthe treble,but theyhaddone itwithmeonthebenchandhereIwastakingoverfromJupp.It’sdefinitelybeenachallenge,butIwantedtotestmyselfbycomingtoadifferentcountry,whereI’dhavetolearnanewlanguageandtakeonanothercoach’ssuper-successful team.Iknewitwouldbedifficult.I’vewonfourtitlesthisseason,butformethat’snotthemost important thing.The crucial thing is to create something that is genuinelymineintermsofplayingstyle,likewedidfortheTelekomCuplastsummer,intheCitygameandinLeverkusenagainstBayer.’

MP:‘SurelyanythingyoudoawayfromBarcelonawillbeaclashofcultures?’

PG:‘That’struebecauseIamafanofpositionalplay,hemmingtheotherteamintheirpenaltyboxandnotlettingthemleaveit.Veryfewteamsplaylikethat.Barçado,asdoesPacoJémez[theRayoVallecanocoach]butalmostnobodyelse.Mostteams prefer towait for the chance to counter-attack. Positional attacking is alsoverydifficultbecauseyourplayersneedalargedoseofhumility.Itmeansessentiallythatanindividualplayerhastorealisethathemightnotbeintheheatoftheactionforawhilebutheisstillhelpingtheteambywhatheisdoing.Butwhenhedoesinterveneontheball,healonecanbedecisive.Tofulfil thatroleaplayerneedsahighlydevelopedsenseofhumility,ofself-sacrifice.Youhavetoacceptthatyouarenotalwaysintheaction,thatyourjobistoopenupspaceforyourteam-mates.Ifinsteadyouplayeightorninewellco-ordinatedplayersindefence,thereareotherdifficultiesbutit’smorestraightforwardandit’salsohowmostgamesareplayed.Ifyou’re the only one employingpositional play and areworkingwithplayerswhohavewoneverythingusingadifferentmodel,well…

‘ThegreatthingisIhaveguyslikeThiagoandPhilippwhoholdbackandwaitfortheirchancesothatwecanthenhavea3v2inakeyarea.OrgreatplayerslikeRobbenandRibérywhoacceptthefactthattheywon’tbedirectlyinvolvedfor15minutesorsobecausetheirjobistowaitwhileweconstructtheplayinamannerwhichwillfinalisewithadangerousattackwhichinvolvesthem.’

MP:‘Hastherebeenaprocessofmutualadaptationbetweencoachandplayers?’

PG: ‘Ofcourse.AndI, too,havemadeanefforttoshowhumilitybyadaptingtotheplayers.Whenwehaveplayedbadly it has beenbecause you can’t adapt thisplayingstyletoindividualplayers.Theplayershavetoadapttopositionalattacking.Forexample, I’ma fanofwingers andhere I’vegot twomagnificent examplesofthatbreed.Butinorderforthemtohaveanadvantagewhentheygetontheballwehavetobuilduprightfromthebacksothattheyhaveanadvantageovertherivalfrom the instant they receive the ball. And that’s a long, complicated process. Itrequires patience.Then there are the central defenders,whonowplay 50metresaheadoftheirkeeper.Ofcourseit’sariskbutweconcededonly13goalsinthe27gamesweneededtowintheleague.Xavi,MessiandIniestahavebeenplayingthiswayfor10years,soofcourseithasbeenaclashofcultures!’

MP:‘Theplayershavegivenyouenormoussupport.’

PG: ‘Iparticularly appreciate all the effortmadebyplayerswho find thisplayingstyledifficult,whoarenotnaturallysuitedtoit.Ithinkthatallofthem,whetherornot they took to it easily, saw the value of our positional play as well as all thetacticalwork,ouremphasisonnotrunningforrunning’ssake.Ican’tbelievethatanyonewouldnotlikethiskindofwork.Andremember, ithasnotbeeneasyforthe players to come back from a treble-winning season and stay mentally orphysicallyatpeak.’

MP: ‘Isn’t it frustrating toplay attacking footballknowing that justone counter-attackcoulddestroyallyourwork?’

PG:‘Yes,that’strue.Butit’salsoverysatisfyingtostopyouropponent’scounter-attacks.Thefirstconcepttomakeclearisthatwhenyouattackproperlyinthiswayyou ensure you are protected against losing the ball, wherever or however thathappens.ThatwasourbigmistakeintheMadriddisaster.IcouldseeitrightfromthestartbutitwastoodifficulttochangethesystemonthehoofandIhadtowaitforthebreak,andbythenitwastoolate.Ichangedtoa4-3-3andinthesecondhalftheproblemsdidn’tre-occurandwedidn’tsuffercounter-attacks.InGermanytheplayersareaccustomedtohavingspace.Lookatoursecondgoal intheDFB-Pokal final, forexample.Müllerhadthatspacewhichhe loves.Buttogenerate ityou have to drop back because if you have the opponent corralled in their ownpenalty area then there’ll be no space at all and it’s much tougher to createdangerousfootball.’

MP:‘Afewmonthsagoyousaidtome:“We’llplaybetternextseasonbutwe’lllosemoregames.”’

PG:‘Itwasjustaturnofphrase.InfactIbelievethatifweplaybetterwe’llloseless.Ihopetohavemoreplayerswhoarefitthewholeyearround,sothatIhavemorereservesandcanensurethatweplaybetterandkeepwinning.Ithinkwewillplaybetter. We won’t be comparing ourselves with Jupp’s treble, but with our ownachievements this season. Itwas completelynormal andnatural that after all thatHeynckeshaddone,everyonewonderedwhyweneededtochange. I thought thesamethingmyselfattimes.’

MP: ‘Butsurely itwasvitaltomakechangesafterthetreblebecauseinfootball ifyoudon’tevolveyoustagnate.’

PG:‘Isupposewe’llneverknowhowitwouldhaveturnedoutifwehadn’tmadethosechangesbutfootball isevolutionandsuccessfulchangedependsonthekindof players you have. I had to use a style I wasn’t committed tomany times thisseasonbutthatadaptationwasalsotoallowtheguystoregainmatchsharpnessandtempo.Youneedtomakemistakesifyouwanttomakeprogress.Andyouneedtoknowyouropponents,andtheleague.Ihavenowplayedagainstallouropponentshere,Iknowtheirstadiums,thecoachesandIknowandunderstandmyownclub.AndwhilstIwaslearningallofthiswemanagedtowinfourtrophies,whichinturnwillspurusontomakemoreprogressandkeepevolving.Thetrophieswillbearealboostformyteam’sconfidenceastheystartnextseason.Theywerenoteasytowin,butneitherdidweconsideritenoughjusttomakeittothefinals.Youhavetowin.Afterwinningthereisusuallyaperiodofdecompression.Kalle[Rummenigge]wasalwayssayingtome:“WealwayshaveadisappointingyearafterwinningtheleagueortheChampionsLeague.”Butwecontinuedtoperformlikechampionsandbrokerecords bywinning the league so early, with 25wins and two draws. A brilliantperformance.’

MP:‘Istheteammovingintherightdirection?’

PG: ‘In the last11months the teamhas lived through enormous change andwehave had moments of sheer brilliance as well as real setbacks, of which theChampionsLeaguewas theworst.SomeofourChampionsLeaguematcheswereoutstanding:attheEmirates,OldTraffordandtheBernabéu,forexample.Andit’s

thosegames, theones inwhichweplayed thekindof football Iwanted, that areimportant.Andintimewe’llgivetheBayernsupportalotmoreofthem,andthenonedaywe’llrealisethatthetimehascometostop.’

Guardiola’ssecondyearpromisestobeevenmoreintense.Pepisgoingtobebolderandgodeeperintermsofhisplayingstyle.Andhe’llbeworkingwithplayerswhoaremoreconvinced,morecommittedandmorefluentinhislanguage.Thiswillbethe Pep we glimpsed at the DFB-Pokal final, a man with a whole arsenal ofweaponsathisfingertipswhowillonoccasionrevisitoldideas.Aswehaveseenthisseason,ateamisalivingentity,notafrozenimage.Itgrowsandflows,retreatsandadvances–ateamisthesumofallitssuccesses.Itisastateofmind,althoughitisalso somuchmore than that. It is about tactics andwork, talent and ability. It’saboutclearideasandeffectivetraining,butit’salsoaboutemotionsandfeelings.Ateamislikeajourney.Attimesit’sunknownterritory,fullofadventure,atothersit’s a well-worn path full of old routines. It needs to advance as a unit withcommitmentandclarityinasingle,cleardirection,understandingallthepotentialdanger.Itisajourneywhichhasnoend,orratherithasmanyendsbut,ultimately,nofinaldestination.

BackinNewYorkoverdinnerGarryKasparovhadlookedatGuardiolaandsaid:‘TheminuteIwonmysecondWorldChampionshipin1986,Iknewwhowouldbeatmeintheend.’

‘Whowasit?’thecoachhadenquired.‘Itwastime,Pep.Time…’

‘WhenaclublikeBayerncallsyouhavetorespond.’Guardiolapreparestogreetapresspackof247journalists–thebiggestnumberevertoattendsuchaneventattheclub–athisofficialannouncementasBayernMunichheadcoach.GettyImages

‘Anyteamthathaswonfourtitlesdoesn’tneedmuchofanoverhaul.’TheimagesofBayern’streble-winningplayersloomlargeoverGuardiolainthehomechangingroomattheAllianzArena.GettyImages

Despiteinsistingthathissquaddidnotneedmanynewpersonnel,Guardiola’stechnicalrevolutionmeantasharplearningcurveforhisplayers,whowouldhavetoadapttheirtraditionalGermanstyletoamorepossession-basedapproach.GettyImages

GuardiolasurprisedhisnewplayersbyconversingwiththeminpassableGermanduringtrainingsessions.‘Ourlanguageonthepitchisallaboutgivinginstructions,’hesaid.GettyImages

‘Iknowhowmuchthismeanstohim,hisfirsttitle.IalsoknowabouthisoldrivalrywithMourinho.’FranckRibérycelebrateswithGuardiolaafterhissecond-halfstrikeagainstJoseMourinho’sChelseaintheUEFASuperCupinAugust2013.TheFrenchmandedicatedhisman-of-the-matchawardtohisnewboss.GettyImages

‘HaveyouseenhowwellLahmanticipatesthenextpass?Howheturnsandprotectstheball?Hecanplayonthewingorinthemiddleofthefield.’Guardiola’sconversionofBayerncaptainPhilippLahmfromright-backtomidfieldlinchpinwasoneofthefoundationsoftheirsuccessGettyImages

TeenagemidfielderPierre-EmileHøjbjergwasquicklyidentifiedbyGuardiolaasaprodigioustalentandwouldgoontofeatureintheDFB-PokalfinalinMayafteratraumaticseasoninwhichhelosthisfather.‘He’sshownmehowimportantitistoplaywithoutfear.Justtogetonwithplayingwhetheryou’reupagainstXabiAlonsooracompleteamateur,’saidHøjbjerg.GettyImages

GuardiolaquicklyrevolutionisedBayern’strainingmethods,introducingtacticalandpositionalworkattheexpenseofhardrunning.TheCatalanwouldfrequentlyteasehisplayersovertheirinsistenceonrunning.‘Whatpurposedotheselongrunshaveotherthantohurtyourback?’hewouldlaugh.GettyImages

Pepstretchesafteratrainingsessionwhilechattingwiththeauthor.‘Pepisveryfussyabouthisappearance,’writesPerarnau.

Guardiolachatswiththeauthorinhisoffice.TheBayernbossgavePerarnauunprecedentedaccesstotheclubthroughoutthe2013-14seasonontheprovisothathedidnotwriteaboutwhathesawuntilthecampaignhadended.

LorenzoBuenaventura(left),Bayern’sheadfitnesscoach,explainstheteam’sphysicalpreparationstrategytotheauthor.‘Heistryingtointroducenewconceptstofootballandhelikestoseeitevolvingyearbyyear,’saysBuenaventuraofGuardiola.

‘I’mtryingtoimplementsomethingthatfliesinthefaceoftheculturehere.’Pepexplainsthedetailsofhisgameplan,theplayerpositions,sequencesandmovementstohiscoachesbeforetraining.

Guardiolaandhiswife,Cristina,embraceOktoberfestinMunichbydressingintraditionalGermancostume.‘Idon’thaveanyproblemwithallthatbecausewhatisimportantfortheclubisalsoimportantforme,’saysGuardiola.‘AtBarçaIdidn’tdomuchofthiskindofthing…eachhasitscultureanditswayofdoingthings.’

Guardiola’srelationshipwithArjenRobbenwouldprovepivotaltohisrevolutionatBayern.‘IlovethisstyleoffootballbecauseitremindsmeabitofthetraditionalDutchgame,thefootballVanGaalusedtoplay,’saidRobben.GettyImages

BastianSchweinsteigerscoresinthe1-1drawduringBayern’slast16second-legmatchagainstArsenalinMarch2014.‘Witha2-0leadfromtheawaygame,itmadenosensetotakerisks,’reflectedGuardiola,whowatchedhissideclaimtheirplaceintheChampionsLeaguequarter-finals.GettyImages

PepissuesinstructionstoFranckRibéry,JaviMartínezandPhilippLahmduringBayern’sBundesligamatchagainstWerderBremenonApril2014.‘IwantthemtodigintothatDNA,letthemselvesgo,run,liberatethemselves,’insistsGuardiola.GettyImages

ManchesterUnited’sgoalkeeper,DaviddeGea,isunabletosaveArjenRobben’sstrikeduringtheChampionsLeaguequarter-finalsecondlegattheAllianzArena.ItwasatougheveningforthehomesidewhofellbehindtoPatriceEvra’sstrikeandstruggledtobreakUniteddown,beforeemerging3-1winnersonthenight.‘Whatelsedidyouexpect?They’reabrilliantteam,’insistedGuardiola.GettyImages

GuardiolafacedhisoldElClásiconemesisRealMadridinthe2014ChampionsLeaguesemi-final.ItwouldprovetobeanunhappyreunionfortheCatalan,wholostthefirstleg1-0andthenchangedtacticsforthesecondlegatthebehestofhisplayers,onlytogodown4-0.‘Igotittotallywrong,’headmitted.GettyImages

SergioRamosscoresRealMadrid’ssecondgoalduringtheChampionsLeaguesemi-finalsecondleg.Astonishingly,afteraseasonofdefensivesolidity,BayernconcededthreeofMadrid’sfourgoalsfromsetplays.GettyImages

AdejectedPhilippLahmlooksonasRealMadrid’splayerscelebratetheirprogressiontotheChampionsLeaguefinal.Guardiola’sdecisiontomoveLahmfromhisinfluentialberthinmid-fieldtoright-backprovedaserioustacticalerroragainsttheSpaniards.GettyImages

BayernsecuredtheBundesligatitlewitharecordsevengamesstilltoplay.ItfulfilledGuardiola’sstatedambitiontoputdomesticsuperiorityaheadofeverythingelseinhisfirstseason,butalsodisruptedhisteam’smomentumintheChampionsLeague.GettyImages

JérômeBoatengshowershismanagerwithbeerastheycelebratetheBundesligatitle.‘Ilovedeveryminuteofthatshowerbecauseofwhatitsymbolised:wearethechampions.Nomeanfeat!’saidGuardiola.GettyImages

PepholdsalofttheBundesligatrophyafterBayerns’shomewinoverVfBStuttgart.‘Iparticularlyappreciatealltheeffortmadebyplayers…ithasnotbeeneasytocomebackfromatreble-winningseasonandstaymentallyorphysicallyatpeak,’saidGuardiola.GettyImages

SevendaysafterliftingtheBundesliga,ArjenRobbencelebratesscoringagainstBorussiaDortmundduringtheDFBPokalfinalatBerlin’sOlympiastadion.The2-0victoryafterextra-timeisatacticaltriumphforGuardiola,whoemployedamoreconservativeapproachafterlearninglessonsfromtheChampionsLeaguelosstoRealMadrid.GettyImages

GuardiolaisflungintothenightskyinBerlinaftervictoryinBerlin,mimickingthesamecelebrationduringhisspellatBarcelona.GettyImages

‘Ichliebeeuch.IchbineinMünchener[Iloveyou.I’maMunichmannow]’.CradlingtheDFB-Pokal,GuardiolajoinshisteamontheMunichtownhallbalconyatMarienplatzbeforeaddressingthefans.GettyImages

Bayernbecamethesecondteamtofollowatreble-winningseasonwithadouble,theotherbeingPSVEindhovenin1987/8and1988/9.GettyImages

‘We’vewonalotandeveryoneisdelightedbecausewinningtitlesbuysyouthetimeyouneedtostartbuildingthefuture.’Season2014-15willbringahostofnewchallengesforGuardiola,bothdomesticallyandinEurope.GettyImages