Friday, 24 April 2009

The expulsions of Guardiola

source: El Mundo Deportivo



On September 29, 1991, Quique Costas's Barça Atlètic visited Murcia in the fifth matchday of the Second Division A. The blaugrana youth team, which was then formed by Angoy, Tomàs, Álex, Oliete, Sánchez Jara, Guardiola, Vera, Óscar, Javi, Carreras and Pinilla, faced a Murcia that was playing as one of the favorites after their promotion.

Until the last minute, when the "pepper pickers" solidified a 2-1 victory with a goal by Erana. Pep, who was then 20 years old, ran towards the referee, Teodosio Hernández Velázquez, to protest some bad calls by Aquino. The result: a red card for the blaugrana player and two matches suspended for "telling me to 'eat sh*t'", as the referee recalled.

Who knows if that send-off could've changed Guardiola's destiny. Two weeks later, he played again, but not in the youth team against Sestao but instead marking Butragueño at the Bernabéu. Barça tied and Pep solidified his position into the Dream Team.

Since he was promoted to playing football in the Camp Nou, the current coach has almost been sent off at least once a year. Never for violent play, but always for arguing and protesting like he did in the match against Bayern. The first two red cards, from the seasons 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 (this one being the only one in the Camp Nou), were given by the same referee: Raúl García de Loza.

Meanwhile in the following 1993-1994 season, he saw two in the same year, the second one in the 6-3 match at La Romareda against Real Zaragoza that was the turning point of the league, which was eventually won by Barça. As a blaugrana player, he saw a total of nine: eight in the Liga and one in the Champions League against Brondby (1998-1999). These eight in the Liga remain a record at the club, higher than the seven that Stoichkov and Motta have and the six of Koeman and Nadal.

As a coach, he is going through the same path. Last year, in his debut year with the youth team, he was sent off twice, both times against Manlleu. In the first, Navarro Jimenez wrote in a report that Guardiola called him "barrut, pocavergonya i xulo" ("cheeky, shameless and cocky"). In the Champions League match against Bayern, he set aside the Catalan and spoke in English. "You're crazy", he told the linesman. After the match, Pep apologized: "A manager must behave and I didn't. I deserve the punishment that I end up with."


translated by: al


Read more:
Barcelona appeals Messi and Guardiola sanctions
Leadership lessons from a Catalan hero
Contract Guardiola could be automatically renewed

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Dude
From where did u get such an interesting story!! You simply rock!!!

Tohar Investment Limited said...

i love the story and the apology of guadiola.he knew its not normal for a coach to tell an official that u're crazy,but may be guadiola doe not really understand that word in english,its a real abusive word.and even howard webb (the reffre) is an english man.pls pep be carefull and always polite to the ooficials.we're really proud of u.

skanjos said...

the coach has to keep his cool nomatter what,pfff what a load of crap ,go pep shout ,swear,kick the bench throw a chair from the bench to the referees head ,i dont care as long as you guide this team right to play that kind of football it plays today and earn trophies

Anonymous said...

i totally agree with above. its so exaggerated how managers are suppose to be so prim and proper. every person is different. i like to see that he has some fire in the belly and is ready to defend his team and players with all his might. howard web deserved all the mouthful he got after that awful call. if pep gets sent off once a year, no biggie, i hope he does it for years and years to come.

blaugranaboy

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