It happened during a Movistar + special, Pep Guardiola revealed a virtue in which Johan Cruyff surpasses any other manager in football history.
Johan Cruyff is amongst the Top 5 best managers in football history alongside Pep Guardiola. For the Catalan manager, his job was to improve on all the teachings he got from the Dutchman in their time together at FC Barcelona. Pep was a sponge from the very first moment the two met and the results are evident today. But there’s one skill in which Guardiola thinks Johan Cruyff can’t be beaten.
He was able to manage the player’s ego accordingly like no other manager before or after him could do it. We often see Pep talking to players after the match as he tries to replicate that same skill. Every time Manchester City plays an outstanding game, you see Pep talking coaching a player with passion. Oftentimes, the one he talks to is the MVP of the match. This is the skill Johan in which Johan was a master at.
Guardiola and his worship of talent.
During an interview on Movistar +, Pep Guardiola talks about his debut as a player at FC Barcelona. He also refers to Cruyff’s unique skill with players: “A player’s talent with the ball at his feet can’t be controlled, even if us managers wanted to. I say, long live those skills. I was quite nervous on my debut but I also remember Johan (Cruyff) came to me during the break to encourage me.
“Johan was the best at helping you when you were weak and demand everything from you when you got overconfident. Especially when the media started praising you, that’s when he was the most demanding of you. Nobody played with this balance better than he did. He gave you as well as he took from you. Johan was the best at demanding and taking you under his wing.”
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about FC Barcelona
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
