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HT Picture
Guardiola sees trophyless season as development, not failure
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Emphasises studying from defeat and setbacks
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Rejects exceptionalism, values crew spirit and journey
By Fernando Kallas
BARCELONA, – Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola described his crew’s first trophyless marketing campaign since 2017 as a season of development and reflection, dismissing notions of failure and suggesting it could have been a larger achievement than a earlier title win.
“I want to suffer when I’m not winning games,” Guardiola instructed Reuters in an unique interview. “I want to feel bad. I want to sleep badly. I want that when the situation goes bad, it affects me… I want that!
“I’m angry… my food, it tastes worse… I don’t need to eat much because I need to feel that . Because if it doesn’t, what sense would it have? Winning or losing… We’re here in this world to feel different experiences, different moods.”
The 54-year-old, who has won 12 domestic top-flight league titles across Spain, Germany and England, spoke about last season’s challenges, which saw City finish third in the Premier League and fail to secure silverware in domestic or European competitions. It marked only the second trophyless season of his managerial career.
Guardiola rejected the idea that the season was disastrous, instead arguing that it may have been the most valuable of his tenure at City.
“You choose happiness in case you win. You choose success in case you win and win. And that may be a downside,” he stated.
“I will not judge myself or my team because of bad seasons or good seasons… Maybe finishing third in a season and never giving up otherwise you finish 10th or 12th, maybe that’s a better season than when we won the fourth Premier League in a row.
“We faced so many difficulties that were higher due to injuries, relaxation, I was not good enough… for many reasons. Maybe the analysis about my period is that the last season was better. Qualifying for the Champions League when we were on the verge of not getting it.
‘WINNERS ARE BORING’
Reflecting on setbacks, Guardiola quoted former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica: “Success is how many times you stand up when you fall down.” He added: “Fall down, stand up. Fall down, stand up… That is the biggest success.”
“Winners are boring,” he said, adding that he always looked forward to post-match interviews with players and coaches from losing sides. “It’s nice to see the losers. That is when you really learn.”
Despite his remarkable record, Guardiola dismissed any notion of exceptionalism. “Do you think I feel special because I won a lot of titles? No! Forget about it!” he said. “I feel that special is the doctor that saves lives. The people who invented penicillin. That is a genius. Me? Genius? Come on.”
“I don’t want to pretend to be humble: of course I’m good! I’m proving that over many years I’m good… But the success I had, I was chosen. In certain moments, to lead Lionel Messi and the other ones, to be in those type of places I made incredible teams… But other managers, in the right moment, in that position, maybe they could have done the same.”
Waiting for the upcoming season and the Membership World Cup, Guardiola emphasised the significance of crew spirit. “Play good. Create an excellent vibe, good crew spirit… Attempt to make the brand new gamers carry us an power that we have to raise the crew once more. And on the finish, we are able to raise trophies,” he said.
Guardiola also reflected on the pressures of public-facing jobs with constant scrutiny.
“The stress is always there because you are being judged every single day, but it is what it is,” he stated.
“No person put a gun to my head forcing me to decide on this job. I’ve chosen that… There isn’t a skilled in soccer that wins on a regular basis, as a result of it is merely inconceivable. So, it occurred final season… you settle for it, enhance, study and there will likely be good learnings for the long run.”