Skoorb
Alert Team
Having attempted to consolidate these profile threads and failed miserably I will have to revert to posting them independently.
The time is near. Pep Guardiola will soon be making his first team selection for Manchester City F.C. and so here, posted earlier in the close season, are the series of threads on the background of our new manager.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Manchester City fans prepare to welcome one of the most successful and coveted coaches in world football, VMC take a look at the man who is soon to make his appearance at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola - a profile
Part One - the early years
Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala was born 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. His parents, Valenti & Dolors still live in the town.
He joined Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy at the age of 13 and rose through the ranks at the youth teams for six years, making his professional début for the first team in 1990 against Cádiz CF.
He became a first team regular in the 1991–92 season and at only 20 years old, playing in central midfield, he was a key component of a side that won La Liga and the European Cup under the management of Johann Cruyff.
Cruyff left in 1996, with Barcelona finishing fourth in the 1994–95 season and third in the 1995–96 season, but Guardiola retained his position at the centre of Barça's midfield under the new manager, Bobby Robson.
In Robson’s first season he led Barcelona to victory in three cups, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In 1997, Guardiola was named as Barcelona captain under new manager Louis van Gaal, but a calf muscle injury ruled him out of most of the 1997–98 season, in which Barcelona won a league and cup double. At the end of the season, Barcelona rejected offers from Roma and Parma for him. After prolonged and complicated contract talks, Guardiola signed a new contract with the Catalan club which extended his stay until 2001.
He returned to action the following season and Barcelona once again won La Liga and during the close season he underwent surgery to try to solve once and for all the problems that he was experiencing with his calf which had led to him missing the 1998 FIFA World Cup for Spain. He went on to become the captain of the club showing that his desire and talent for leadership that was subsequently to take him into coaching. His father Valenti commented:-
“He has always been a leader. Even when he was playing with his contemporaries as a kid, he was the one orchestrating things, taking the lead. We didn't know where this instinct came from, with him being so young”
On 11 April 2001, he announced his intention to leave the club after 17 years of service. On 24 June 2001, Guardiola played his last match with Barça in the last game of the season against Celta de Vigo. He had played 263 games in 12 seasons in a glittering career in the first team where he scored 6 goals & won 16 trophies:-
* La Liga: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99
* Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
* Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996
* European Cup: 1991–92
* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
* UEFA Super Cup: 1992, 1997
After leaving Barcelona in 2001 at the age of 30, Guardiola joined Italian Serie A side Brescia, as Andrea Pirlo's replacement in the deep-lying playmaking role, where he was able to play alongside Roberto Baggio and under coach Carlo Mazzone. He subsequently transferred to to Roma. His time in Italy, however, was unsuccessful and included a four-month ban after testing positive for nandrolone. Six years later, on 23 October 2007, Guardiola was cleared on appeal of all charges that had led to the ban. Altogether he played 71 times in Italy.
In 2003, Guardiola departed Italy to play in Qatar with Al-Ahli from Doha in the Qatar Stars League. He had rejected another offer from Manchester United & became a regular in the Qatar Stars League. In 2005–06, he turned down offers from a number European sides, such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, as he felt his playing career was coming to a close. 2006 saw Guardiola end his playing career in Mexico where he played briefly for Dorados de Sinaloa.
Guardiola was appointed coach of Barcelona on 21 June 2007 with Tito Vilanova as his assistant. Under his guidance, the team subsequently won their Tercera División group and qualified for the 2008 Segunda División B playoffs, which the team won, thereby achieving promotion. In May 2008 it was announced that Guardiola would be appointed manager of the senior Barcelona squad to replace Frank Rijkaard at the end of the 2007–08 season.
The stage was set for Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola to make his name on the coaching scene……
Watch this space for the next part of this VMC profile on Manchester City’s next manager/coach which will focus on the period when he became the most successful manager in the history of FC Barcelona.
The time is near. Pep Guardiola will soon be making his first team selection for Manchester City F.C. and so here, posted earlier in the close season, are the series of threads on the background of our new manager.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Manchester City fans prepare to welcome one of the most successful and coveted coaches in world football, VMC take a look at the man who is soon to make his appearance at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola - a profile
Part One - the early years
Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala was born 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. His parents, Valenti & Dolors still live in the town.
He joined Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy at the age of 13 and rose through the ranks at the youth teams for six years, making his professional début for the first team in 1990 against Cádiz CF.
He became a first team regular in the 1991–92 season and at only 20 years old, playing in central midfield, he was a key component of a side that won La Liga and the European Cup under the management of Johann Cruyff.
Cruyff left in 1996, with Barcelona finishing fourth in the 1994–95 season and third in the 1995–96 season, but Guardiola retained his position at the centre of Barça's midfield under the new manager, Bobby Robson.
In Robson’s first season he led Barcelona to victory in three cups, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In 1997, Guardiola was named as Barcelona captain under new manager Louis van Gaal, but a calf muscle injury ruled him out of most of the 1997–98 season, in which Barcelona won a league and cup double. At the end of the season, Barcelona rejected offers from Roma and Parma for him. After prolonged and complicated contract talks, Guardiola signed a new contract with the Catalan club which extended his stay until 2001.
He returned to action the following season and Barcelona once again won La Liga and during the close season he underwent surgery to try to solve once and for all the problems that he was experiencing with his calf which had led to him missing the 1998 FIFA World Cup for Spain. He went on to become the captain of the club showing that his desire and talent for leadership that was subsequently to take him into coaching. His father Valenti commented:-
“He has always been a leader. Even when he was playing with his contemporaries as a kid, he was the one orchestrating things, taking the lead. We didn't know where this instinct came from, with him being so young”
On 11 April 2001, he announced his intention to leave the club after 17 years of service. On 24 June 2001, Guardiola played his last match with Barça in the last game of the season against Celta de Vigo. He had played 263 games in 12 seasons in a glittering career in the first team where he scored 6 goals & won 16 trophies:-
* La Liga: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99
* Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
* Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996
* European Cup: 1991–92
* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
* UEFA Super Cup: 1992, 1997
After leaving Barcelona in 2001 at the age of 30, Guardiola joined Italian Serie A side Brescia, as Andrea Pirlo's replacement in the deep-lying playmaking role, where he was able to play alongside Roberto Baggio and under coach Carlo Mazzone. He subsequently transferred to to Roma. His time in Italy, however, was unsuccessful and included a four-month ban after testing positive for nandrolone. Six years later, on 23 October 2007, Guardiola was cleared on appeal of all charges that had led to the ban. Altogether he played 71 times in Italy.
In 2003, Guardiola departed Italy to play in Qatar with Al-Ahli from Doha in the Qatar Stars League. He had rejected another offer from Manchester United & became a regular in the Qatar Stars League. In 2005–06, he turned down offers from a number European sides, such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, as he felt his playing career was coming to a close. 2006 saw Guardiola end his playing career in Mexico where he played briefly for Dorados de Sinaloa.
Guardiola was appointed coach of Barcelona on 21 June 2007 with Tito Vilanova as his assistant. Under his guidance, the team subsequently won their Tercera División group and qualified for the 2008 Segunda División B playoffs, which the team won, thereby achieving promotion. In May 2008 it was announced that Guardiola would be appointed manager of the senior Barcelona squad to replace Frank Rijkaard at the end of the 2007–08 season.
The stage was set for Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola to make his name on the coaching scene……
Watch this space for the next part of this VMC profile on Manchester City’s next manager/coach which will focus on the period when he became the most successful manager in the history of FC Barcelona.
