New Delhi: Ever since the Wembley triumph at 1992 against a star-studded Sampdoria side, Josep Guardiola has had a romance with the Champions League that grows with each triumph. Like two lovers in the infancy of their relationship, the two just can't part glances from each other.
Such has been the undivided attention that 'Pep' has paid to Europe's top prize. Right from the time he was a player for the Catalans to his graduation of sorts. Beginning from the coach of Barcelona's youth academy the 'La Masia' to the blessing in disguise in the form of the sacking of another Barca legend Frank Rijkaard, it was like the elements worked in his favour to fulfill his long-awaited dream, to finally be at the helm of affairs at a club he shed blood an tears for.
It was a different Barcelona that donned the purple and maroon, with individual talents like Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o running the show, and Guardiola did appreciate, he did clench his fist and he did jump with the goal, just like he was with 'his' boys.
Why his?
Ever since his stint with the Barcelona A team and the youth academy Guardiola saw his future wingers. And the current Barcelona team did work with precision, and you can't fix what ain't broken. What helped was the ascendancy, the maturity of today's superstars of world football.
A certain Argentine was growing under the shadow of a sublime Brazilian, the coach's under-study was learning the modeern dynamic of the game after taking the reins of the midfield.
The Era of Ronaldinho was essentially the dawn of Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez.
After a massive but gradual clear-out which saw superstars like Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Theirry Henry, everyone feared the worst for the Catalans.
But behind this was a plan, a well-thought out one at that!
The Blagaurana have always let the blossoming youth of their academy carry their plan out, and so was the case.
The world now saw the rise of the most prolific forward, still 23 but already among footballing gods like Maradona, Cruyff and Pele.
Two medio's who left defenders for dead with their laser-guided passing, winger and fullbacks for whom marauding the flanks was an everyday chore.
The Barcelona of old was in front of our eyes, but different
Adding the likes of David Villa and the graduation of Pedro among the ranks added dimensions unexplored by any team.
The Champions League final at Wembley has Barcelona tagged as overwhelming favourites, and why not?
With every footballer past and present offering their pearls of wisdom to Sir Alex Ferguson, with every scribe burning the midnight oil and figuring out the slightest, even practically impossible formations and publishing a dossier-a-day addressed to attract Fergie's attention, why wouldn;t they be favourites.
When the likes of javier mascherano, Bojan Krcic and Ibrahim Affellay's talent is only limited to the bench who wouldn't bet their life on Barcelona adding another crown to their three existing ones.
At a press conference leading up to the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson remarked that it was hard being a Manchester United fan.
Well, ask a Barcelona fan and his smile will tell you, that donning the colours of the Catalan could never come at a better time!
And is Josep Guardiola is dreaming for a fourth, you wouldn't have to fall asleep to see it unravel, you might as well witness the his dream turn into reality all in a span of ninety minutes.
Comments
0 comment