Pep Guardiola
FC Barcelona have won their 21st league title, and also completed three-in-a-row for manager Josep Guardiola.
It is two decades since Guardiola held a place in midfield and that Dream Team won four consecutive leagues, and created a new blend of football that has now become the Camp Nou trademark. It’s an ethos that involves possession, combination plays and a focus on attacking rather than defending.
Today Guardiola is continuing his work as manager, and the club is once again flying high at the top of world football. In just three years he has won as many league titles, and nine major honours in total. As he never tires of telling us in his press conferences, the only thing that ultimately needs to matter in football is “attack, attack and attack.”
Only Johan Cruyff’s can also claim to have won three titles in a row, which eventually became four, so what Guardiola and his players have done is quite some achievement. Cruyff didn’t get his hands on the league trophy until his third year at the club whereas Guardiola won it in his firts
Several coaches worked at the club between Guardiola’s time as a player and his return as manager (Robson, Van Gaal, Serra Ferrer, Rexach, Antic and Rijkaard), but the one who played the greatest role in returning the Barça style to its former glory was Frank Rijkaard, who won two leagues and one Champions League. He spread the gospel of constant pressure inside the opposition’s half.
Guardiola perfected the style, turning the team into a goal machine (this season they have almost made it to 150) and bagging title after title. The third league in a row is just the latest in a series of astonishing achievements.
And there is still the UEFA Champions League final in London on May 28th still to come.
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