Already a Camp Nou legend as a player, Pep Guardiola proved he was not a bad coach either with a debut season at Barca that shattered all expectations – not to mention a few records, too.
Under his command the Catalans touched new heights, easily claiming the Liga title and adding the Copa del Rey and Champions League for good measure to complete the club’s, and Spain’s, first-ever treble.
Real Madrid, in contrast, were in disarray. A severely disappointing start to the season saw Bernd Schuster dismissed less than a year after delivering La Liga in such an emphatic fashion. Neither the change in coach, however, or Barca’s battles on three fronts could change the course of the season, as Barca eventually ran out winners by nine points over their rivals.
CHANGES
In one of the most influential managerial appointments in football history, Barcelona would promote former captain, Guardiola, from their Barcelona B to the senior squad. The Catalan quickly turned his squad upside down to mould it into his image. Senior players Gianluca Zambrotta, Deco, and the talismanic figure of Ronaldinho were moved on, while Dani Alves and Gerard Pique arrived among others and Sergio Busquets and Pedro were promoted to the senior squad full-time. Real Madrid got rid of two Brazilians in the form of Julio Baptista and Robinho, and signed Rafael van der Vaart and Ezequiel Garay. Numancia, Malaga, and Sporting Gijon gained promotion from the previous season.
SUMMARY
Pep’s reign got off to an inauspicious start with defeat to Numancia and a subdued 1-1 draw at home to Racing. But his team finally clicked in the third round of La Liga, thrashing Sporting 6-1 in the first of nine straight wins.
Not until February would the Catalans taste defeat again, as they embarked on an undefeated run of 23 games that included a thrilling Clasico victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou.
Winning at the Camp Nou is impossible. The state we’re in, all we can do is go there and put in a decent…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/season-reviews/when-pep-guardiola-changed-the-face-of-football-la-liga-in-2008-09/76
Author : editors@footballcritic.com (Dan Edwards)
Publish date : 2024-07-28 11:00:00
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