From “Winning Real Madrid makes me morbid” to “He’s the king of the Champions League”: Guardiola’s darts and praise for the meringues

The successful career of Pep Guardiola as a player and coach he has had -and has- the real Madrid as one of its biggest stumbling blocks. At Barcelona, ​​the Catalan coach experienced many adventures, tensions and quarrels with the classic rival, whom he referred to more than once without mincing words. But the ‘darts’ towards the white club have also abounded along with the praise. Between questioning and praise, between hate and love, the antagonisms and oppositions have been well marked in several years of a unique rivalry, which continues to extend to the present day.

Although Pep has lived away from the Camp Nou for 10 years, Real Madrid continues to stand in his way. He happened with Bayern Munich and it happened again in the semifinals of the Champions League with Manchester City.

In fact, the white club is the fourth rival that the strategist from Sampedor has faced the most times from the bench, only below Manchester United (3rd), Chelsea (2nd) and Arsenal (1st).

History is totally in your favor. Even, Pep has overcome two of the three Champions League keys in which he has had to face Real Madrid: won 3-1 on aggregate with Barcelona in the 2010/11 semi, lost 5-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the 2013/14 semi-final (Bayern Munich) and won 4-2 on aggregate with Manchester City in the 2019/20 round of 16.

But the ‘citizen’ coach is cautious. Beyond the enormous differences that he has had with the merengue team, he recognizes his greatness in the Champions League. , he assured without hesitation in a press conference two weeks ago, although it was not the only sentence left by the one from Sampedor.

“I don’t have time to think about Real Madrid”, Pep himself declared days later to the media, although of course, he was clearly focused on his upcoming duels in the Premier League. It is understandable, but it did not stop generating controversy, like many other words that have previously come out of his mouth.

However, this Monday he has once again highlighted what Real Madrid means in the Champions League. “The quality it has is no accident. It is not chance or luck. They have a high level in everything.”declared at the press conference.

And it is that Real Madrid is the club to which Guardiola more has dedicated criticism, and almost always with a sarcastic tinge. The rivalry has been compounded by countless mutual darts. Impossible to forget his constant fight with José Mourinho, former coach of the Madrid team. But, over time, Pep has also known how to praise meringues. In the preview of the duel, we remember the most iconic phrases of the Catalan coach regarding one of the main opponents of his career.

The darts

• “Winning Real Madrid makes me morbid” – 1995

During his time as a footballer, Guardiola played 11 seasons in Barcelona and had Real Madrid as his main arch-rival, who was morbid about beating him.

• “Mourinho is the fucking master, the fucking head of the press room” – April 2011

Guardiola, ironic, in the most tense stage of his rivalry against Mourinho, with whom he exchanged many words in press conferences.

• “José, off the pitch, has already beaten me. I give him his personal Champions off the field, enjoy it and take it home” – April 2011

Another dart against Mourinho

• “I congratulated Real Madrid for the victory and the Cup they won. The referee for the Cup final was very attentive and ready. The offside is by centimeters” – April 2011

Guardiola after a controversial arbitration decision: A goal disallowed by Pedro in the Copa del Rey final that the whites won with a goal from Cristiano.

• “On the pitch I try to learn a lot when I play against Mourinho. Outside the field I try to learn little” – April 2011

One more sentence against Mourinho

• “Signing for Real Madrid would be absurd and countercultural” – Date unclear

Does not require further explanation

• “Real Madrid is not the best team of the decade when you count Leagues and Cups and other things. Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich won six or seven times, and they both” – February 2019

Guardiola downplays Real Madrid’s achievements

• “Beating Real Madrid 5-0 is fun”

Pep on the popular ‘manita’ at the Camp Nou in 2010, one of the greatest humiliations in the history of the Spanish classic

• “The same in the first half, Real Madrid has not given more than three passes in a row” – April 2014

During his time as coach of Bayern Munich, when they faced Real Madrid in the semifinals of the 2013/14 Champions League

• “I will never coach United or Madrid… I would go to the Maldives” – January 2020

Guardiola flatly refuses to train the classic rival of Barcelona and Manchester City

the accolades

• “When you win three Champions Leagues in a row, four in five years, they are a spectacular team. The Champions League is a very tough competition. You have to take your hat off” – May 2018

Guardiola, in 2018, after Real Madrid’s dominance in the Champions League

• “Madrid is always dangerous, no matter which coach is there” – December 2008

He pointed out after the dismissal of Bernd Schuster from the Real Madrid bench

• “With Cristiano and without Cristiano, Real Madrid is top, but they have lost a lot, 50 or 60 goals. He is an incredible player, not only the goals but also the assists in important moments, he is irreplaceable” -October 2018

Guardiola on the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid, after his signing by Juventus

• “Madrid has something special and is always a very strong rival, it is one of the most difficult rivals individually” – April 2014

The high level of the Real Madrid squad stands out before the 2013/14 semi-final between Bayern Munich and the white club

• “Madrid never plays bad. I admire their consistency, that ability to be at the top year after year” – July 2017

He praised after a match against the merengues in the International Champions Cup 2017

• “The rivalry with José Mourinho was very good. I learned a lot about myself. I grew up as a coach. He pushed me to another level as a coach. He pushed me to put the team on another level” -April 2022

On his great rivalry with the former Real Madrid coach

• “He deserves all my respect. He cannot be judged by one year but by his two decades. Being in the elite for so long is not easy” – January 2020

Guardiola defends Mourinho from criticism for his poor results with Tottenham

• “I wish we could play more times against Real Madrid. Basically they are the most powerful team, the strongest, who arrive at the best time” – April 2011

Statements prior to important clashes against the white club in the Champions League and local tournaments.

• “Verticality is a virtue of Real Madrid, there it is unstoppable. Their players are athletes and if you let them run, you run a risk” – April 2014

The game of Real Madrid stands out, after suffering a painful defeat in the first leg of the 2013/14 semi-finals with Bayern Munich

• “First we have to play against Real Madrid. If we think about the next round, the kings of the competition are going to kick us out” – July 2020

Ensures that Real Madrid is the King of the Champions League after meeting Manchester City in the 2019/20 Champions League round of 16

• “What I have seen from Madrid is that they have players with a package… ufff. What I like the most, above all, is that in the difficulty, with 0-3, there are players who raise their finger and say here I am. The ball doesn’t burn them with a 0-3, others it does, they don’t (…) The quality it has is no coincidence. They have a high level in everything. People say that Real Madrid is lucky, but that’s nothing” – April 2022

Praise in the preview of the semifinal against Real Madrid in the 2021/22 Champions League