The secret life of Pep Guardiola: Ex-Manchester City No 2 Domenec Torrent reveals all

Manchester City live by the five-second rule. Five seconds to win the ball back or, as Domenec Torrent reveals, tactically foul the opponent and retreat. It is that simple. Most of the theories behind Pep Guardiola’s successes are.

Torrent was Guardiola’s No 2 until last month, before returning to management with New York City. He was there at Barcelona. He was there at Bayern Munich. He is the man best qualified to divulge all about the ‘genius’ of Guardiola.

‘It’s a simple drill,’ Torrent says. ‘You play like a game and when you lose the ball, react. If not, fall back. In the first two months of last season every single training session was like that.

‘Remember, Pep conceded more goals than ever before in the first year. We spoke about it a lot.’

This idea — and the exercise of setting up in a completely different formation two days before every game — was honed in Guardiola’s office. Music is played constantly in there and the manager has been known to go shoeless to really relax.

Torrent likes indie and the Blues but is a jazz aficionado who has mastered the saxophone. He intends to sample the intimate Smalls Jazz Club in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.

‘We listened to Sade in the office,’ he adds, before wondering whether Guardiola could be tempted to play the piano in a New York club when he visits.

Guardiola’s sidekick is now going it alone. Thoughts about moving to another City Football Group club had been kicked around with Ferran Soriano, Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola six months prior. He chose not to return to Girona, where he managed before, but the Big Apple.

‘Pep told me to do it. It’s not a goodbye, but a see you soon, because Pep is like a brother to me.’

The 56-year-old has started well, winning the majority of his opening games. A new private office has been built for him inside their City Football Academy — identical to that in Manchester, right down to the furnishings.

Before this interview he had been perfecting the five-second rule with his squad in training.

‘My wife and I had two amazing years in Manchester,’ he says. ‘Every single day we went into the city, the canals or Heaton Park. I was surprised because many people said, “Oh no, it’s horrible”. I spoke with David De Gea about it. People said it was industrial. Maybe 20 years ago but now it’s amazing. Those industrial buildings are now apartments.’

One of them was a Deansgate apartment block Torrent lived in, a stone’s throw from his favourite haunt. ‘We went to watch the Premier League or Champions League in Juan Mata’s restaurant. Manchester United! We’d have a private room with a TV.

‘Yes, it’s United but it’s Juan — and he’s a friend. It is not a problem for Pep to walk the streets to go to the restaurant. We liked the Brazilian one, Fazenda. Vincent Kompany told me about fish and chips — I like them.’

Torrent paints a relaxed picture of himself. He was the perfect foil for the intensity of Guardiola. That is now the job of Mikel Arteta, who is assuming more responsibility. Watching Arteta in action at New York’s facilities was to see a young coach driving Guardiola’s vision, barking instructions during an eight-a-side game and delivering instructions before drills.

‘Mikel is a clever man,’ he adds. ‘Why not after Pep? He can train Manchester City, Arsenal, or Manchester United — he is able to become a top coach.

‘I spoke with Mikel about the tactics too. He knows the Pep idea. Pep has many people to help, like Mikel and Rodolfo Borrell. Maybe Pep prefers you to sit down and choose the right moment to say, “Pep, we are in trouble. You are the boss, but look what happened.”

‘I explained that to Mikel and Rodolfo. Maybe if you don’t know Pep you are saying all the time “Pep, Pep!” and he says forget it. In those moments he is in a stress.’

Guardiola has not looked stressed in America. That will come in the ensuing weeks and months as City attempt to defend their title and, go further in the Champions League.

Torrent believes that Guardiola is changing mentalities at City.

‘Some people say, “Forget it, Pep is able to play good because they have the best players”. OK, I agree but some players play better with Pep as a manager,’ he smiles.

‘People say Pep just wants to pass the ball. No. The motivation for Pep is to create something special. Now is the right time.

‘I know he is very happy to live there. Maybe City will be the team Pep is in charge of for the longest.’