FCBARCELONA.CAT

23.03.2009 13:20

Simon Kuper praises Guardiola’s choice and style

David Saura

Top sports journalist Simon Kuper praised Pep Guardiola’s leadership and the brave decision to make him manager in spite of his lack of experience in the dugout in an article in the Financial Times this weekend.

In the FT’s 'Weekend' section, Simon Kuper was full of praise for Josep Guardiola in an article entitled 'Leadership Lessons from the Man Who Set Barcelona Alight' . In his piece the winner of the 2007 Vázquez Montalbán Award goes beyond sport to talk about Barça’s current manager.

Choice was “weird idea”

Before looking at Guardiola’s contribution to the dressing room, Kuper praises the decision to select him a year ago. At first it seemed “a weird idea” yet as time has gone by it has been shown to be the right one. Guardiola’s youth and lack of experience as a top flight manager were arguments which a year ago made his choice a “fantasy”.

Lessons for business

But the "transformation" Guardiola has brought about "offers two lessons to any company: how to choose a boss, and how the boss should choose his team ". Guardiola – "identified with Barcelona almost from birth," says Kuper – contrasts with the choice of a “star” coach. His knowledge of the style of play, the way of being of the Catalans and the club’s culture are values which according to Kuper justify the choice of Guardiola ahead of José Mourinho, a coach who “the moment Chelsea stopped winning […] had to leave ".

The last part of the article looks at Guardiola’s leadership in the dressing room after deciding to keep his best players, enforce an internal “three-page” code of good conduct and turn Eto'o, Henry and Lionel Messi into “football's most thrilling attack”.