Pep, do you remember ‘that team’ 13 years ago?… “Wake up Pep!”, what happened?
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- on May 24, 2023
2008-09 season. All roads in Europe lead to Barcelona.
Barcelona conquered the Spanish Primera Liga (La Liga) and the Copa del Rey (Spain King’s Cup), followed by the European Football Federation (UEFA) Champions League (UCL), achieving the first ‘treble’ in Spanish football history. Not stopping here, Barcelona won all the competitions they participated in and won an unprecedented ‘6 crowns’.
Europe had no choice but to tremble at Barcelona. Lionel Messi’s heyday began, and the midfielders of the century, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, were also full of energy. There was no one to stop them, and Barcelona became the team of the century.
The man who led this team was Pep Guardiola. It was then that he emerged as a world famous commander. Pep’s Barcelona was the team that best suited the name of the strongest team.
The following season, the 2009-10 season. Many experts and fans predicted Barcelona’s second UCL victory. The strongest majesty did not stop, and they ran without hesitation in UCL. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were the same.
And in April 2010. Barcelona met Inter Milan of Italy’s Serie A in the semifinals. Everyone expected Barcelona to win.
However, no matter how much Italy is on the decline, the power of the barracks defense did not die. In the first leg of the semifinals, Inter Milan won 3-1. In the second leg, Barcelona won 1-0, but the game could not be changed. Losing the first and second leg 2-3 on aggregate, Barcelona failed to advance to the final.
The manager of Inter Milan at the time was Jose Mourinho. It is evaluated as the only team that destroyed Barcelona in its heyday most intensely. Coach Mourinho openly deployed a defensive strategy to block Barcelona. It was also criticized at the time. Then manager Mourinho left these words.
“History doesn’t remember Inter Milan who played defensive football. It remembers Inter Milan, the winning team.”
Thirteen years later, Guardiola meets Inter Milan again on the UCL stage. This is the long-awaited final. It will be held on June 11th. The team led by Guardiola has changed to Manchester City of the English Premier League (EPL).
Ahead of this game, many are predicting a landslide victory for Man City. Man City has already confirmed the EPL championship and reached the FA Cup final. England is on the verge of a second treble since Manchester United in 1999.
Their recent flow is overwhelming. In the second leg of the UCL semifinals, they defeated ‘defending champion’ Real Madrid 4-0. Man City, described as Elling Holland and Kevin the Bruiner, is by far the strongest team in existence. The British media are praising that they deserve to be on the best team in British football history.
In this situation, Guardiola’s manager doesn’t relax. Being an Italian team, they maintain a sense of extreme vigilance. As you may remember from 13 years ago, Guardiola knows the strength of Italian football more than anyone else, especially his competitiveness on the big stage.
In an interview with local media, Guardiola stressed that he would never underestimate Inter Milan.
He said: “I was really impressed by Inter Milan this season. It is absolutely no coincidence that Italian teams have reached the top ranks such as UCL and UEFA Europa League (UEL) this season. I know better because I have played in Italy. 20 years “The former Serie A was the best league in the world. Everyone wanted to go there. Players, coaches. And how many World Cups have they won? That’s how Italian football works.”먹튀검증
“It is very complex and difficult to play the final against the Italian team,” he added.
Guardiola also revealed the contents of a phone call with an Italian acquaintance. The Italians thought differently than those who predicted Manchester City’s landslide victory. They said to Guardiola:
“Calm down, Pep!”
It means that if you don’t wake up, you could be caught by Inter Milan. To this, Guardiola replied, “This is a feeling I already feel.”