Guardiola hypes up his former players: “They were assassins”

Ahead of the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, Pep Guardiola recalled when his players at FC Barcelona were absolute assassins.

Pep Guardiola keeps the fondest memories from his FC Barcelona players during his first years as a professional manager. He managed to put together one of the most competitive football clubs in modern history. Through his revolutionary ideas, FC Barcelona won two Champions League titles and three Spanish La Liga. However, the Copa del Rey was the last trophy he won with this group of ballers.

The last match he ever coached with them was a final against Athletic Club Bilbao with Marcelo Bielsa as the manager. Back then, Pep instilled too much confidence in all his players when they played for that title. He recalls how much they dominated the Basque squad with a 3-0 victory that barely made them break a sweat. Guardiola’s way to describe his players from that era will surprise more than one.

n an interview with TV3, Pep Guardiola spoke about the 2012 Cup final, his last as Barcelona coach:

"I remember the Bilbao players coming up to the pitch with a worried face. On the other hand I look at the faces of my stars and see that they treat it like a training game. They pic.twitter.com/c7pa6PD2V2
— niv sade (@NivSade) April 14, 2021

“They were fucking killers.”

During an interview with TV3 from Catalunya, Pep Guardiola spoke to the channel in order to recall that Copa del Rey final: “That day, there was something more important at steak. It was more personal compared to other finals but I needed to remain calm. Keep my cool. I remember coming out to the pitch and see how tense all Athletic players were.

“Barcelona players seemed like they were about to play a friendly match, however. They were used to playing finals. We all knew we were going to win. I would tell you with all certainty those rumors are not true. Bielsa’s teams are educated to resist and they never give up. Barça players will score five or eight goals if you give them the chance. They were all great people. But on the pitch, they were fucking assassins.”