Barcelona Sporting Director Deco has contradicted the narrative that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a Barcelona side down on its luck having finished third in 2008 and 18 points off Real Madrid, and revolutionised the club. The Brazilian-Portuguese was one of the victims of his arrival, but believes Guardiola had a great hand to start with.
Certainly when he lists off the names Guardiola had available to him in an interview with La Vanguardia, as carried by Diario AS, it sounds like an excellent side. However there is no doubt that he improved many of the players at his disposal too.
“When he arrived at Barcelona, it’s talked about as a great revolution, which is a big lie. Ronaldinho and I left, but he had Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets was promoted, Yaya Toure, the best player in Africa, Messi, of course, Samuel Eto’o…”
Deco did not try to wrestle credit from Guardiola though, calling him the author of the best team he has seen.
“Guardiola was intelligent, and when he arrived, he put discipline in place and his quality as a manager into it, and went on to build the best team I have ever seen in my life. And he was smart, he knew not to waste time on other things.”
It will be Deco in charge of appointing the next manager at the club, either to be intelligent or revoolutionise the side. After Xavi Hernandez declared he would be leaving at the end of the season, Deco is now left with the task of finding someone who can deliver good results and aesthetic play on a shoestring budget.
ishti
538
Sometimes I wonder if Deco is a secret agent from Real Madrid??
Barcafan1899forever
504
That post is too big for Deco...
biscmnouz
477
that's what shegging barca right now everyone's at the top fighting for prestige and position....
MisterGOATLM10
470
It's true. Pep did not revolutionise football in Barcelona. He revolutionised football as a whole!
brendanobi2
374
deco still have beef with guardiola
jusnstz
271
Deco didn't say anything wrong all he said was that Pwp did not revolutionized the which is the plain truth.that was done by a man name Johan Cruyff when pep himself was a player.none a you stated the fact that Deco gave him (pep) credit for building one of the greatest team in history all u want to do is talk a lot a nonsense.
Nam_So
241
Happy birthday World Cup Winner Ronaldo
descarts
220
This generation will judge this statement as negative. I am a historian and read Spanish history. It's the Netherlands which play a crucial role in Barca's success. Barca was an ordinary club initially as compared to Madrid but some dutchmen who came to Barca for vacation are the people who knew what is tiki taka. They teach the coach of the club how to play tiki taka then Barca adopt this style and teach in lamasia. John Cruyff was the first Dutchman who implement this as a player and as a coach. Cruyff had two students one is Pep Guardiola and Second is Jose Mourinho. But Cruyff prefer Pep. This brings revolution. It's the Lamasia and the knowledge of tiki taka which bring glory to BARCELONA not Pep only. That's why Barcelona have good relations with Netherlands.