FC Barcelona: “We were close to signing Guardiola and Messi together,” says Getafe president | Sports | International football

Football is full of fascinating stories and anecdotes that sometimes surprise even the most seasoned followers of the beautiful game. On this occasion, the president said GetafeAngel Torres revealed details about two of the most prominent figures in the world of baseball: Josep Guardiola And Lionel Messi. In an interview for the program Big cup gameTorres indicated that he was close at one time to contracting with both the Catalan coach and the Argentine striker, although due to fateful circumstances the two transactions did not bear fruit.

The story begins with a tempting offer to sign Guardiola, at a time when the current Manchester City coach was still with Barcelona Athletic. Torres remembers how the idea arose during the European draw, where he met Txiki Begiristain, Barcelona's sporting director at the time.

In an informal conversation, Torres mentioned his interest in Guardiola, and although there was initially talk of Michael Laudrup to coach Barcelona, ​​the possibility of Santpedor taking over as coach grew stronger. The Getafe president even spoke directly to Pep, who was willing to accept the proposal.

“And I said: 'Okay, I'll sign Guardiola.' “Okay, talk to him and his brother,” Chiki replied. In the VIP lounge at the airport, the issue was discussed. But at the end of the season, everything was rushed and instead of Laudrup they targeted Guardiola. But before that happened I spoke with Guardiola and he was willing to come. “He can explain to you.” Torres explained.

Lionel Messi case

As for the current Inter Miami star, Torres revealed that he was about to end his loan to Getafe during a meeting with Joan Laporta and Andoni Zubizarreta, Barcelona's managers at the time. However, the Barcelona coach presented some obstacles due to the team’s circumstances at that time.

“I was with Laporta and the sporting director Zubizarreta, and the president called the coach who objected because I don’t know who came out and said he would get (Lionel Messi) minutes. But with Laporta we have a very good relationship and we were close.” said the Madrid team president.

In addition to these discoveries, Torres expressed his admiration for Messi, noting that the Argentine sent him a shirt every season as a gesture of appreciation. This special relationship between the Getafe president and the Argentine star reflects the influence and charisma that Messi left in all corners of the football world.

What does the relationship between Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi look like?

The relationship between Messi and Guardiola has historically been positive and characterized by success in the field of football. Guardiola was Messi's coach during the Argentine's most successful period at FC Barcelona, ​​where the team won numerous titles, including the Champions League and several Spanish League titles.

Guardiola and Messi worked together at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, a time in which the team won a string of trophies, including the Champions League in 2009 and 2011. During this time, Messi established himself as one of the best players at the club. world, and won several Golden Ball awards.

The relationship between the two was characterized by mutual respect and admiration. Guardiola repeatedly praised Messi's abilities and his contribution to the team's success. After Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012, the relationship remained friendly, albeit at a distance due to their separate roles in different clubs.

Why did Pep Guardiola stop coaching Barcelona?

Pep left Barcelona's bench in 2012 due to personal reasons and emotional exhaustion. In the press conference in which he announced his decision to resign, the coach explained that he felt that the team needed a change in leadership to maintain freshness and motivation. He spoke about the difficulty of maintaining strength and performance at a high-level club for a long time.

Tito Vilanova, who was Guardiola's assistant, was appointed as his successor. Guardiola took a year off before returning to football as coach of Bayern Munich in 2013, then he coached Manchester City from the 2016-2017 season, where he continued to achieve success.

What titles did Guardiola win as Barcelona coach?

Throughout his four seasons managing the club, Guardiola won 14 trophies: three league titles, two Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, two European Super Cups and two Club World Cups. Numbers that no other coach in Barcelona's history has achieved.

Johan Cruyff, who coached Santpedor, has won 11, while Luis Enrique, who led the club from 2014 to 2017, has won nine. At Les Cortes, they are excited about Guardiola's second phase on the bench.

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