Pep Guardiola has always been referred to as one of the most successful coaches at Camp Nou, and while most fans remember his time there fondly, the coach seems to have a different idea.
Speaking in an interview with ESPN, the former Barcelona and Bayern boss referred to his time at Camp Nou, and without mentioning any names, the ciach hinted that not every one of the players he had at his disposal were keen on working as he desired. Moreover, the tactician hinted that he tried to be as professional as he could be around his players, while also leaving it up to them if they wanted to have a closer relationship with him.
"With each passing season, my relationships with some players left a few scars, but also quite a lot to learn. I learned from it all. But the player-coach relationship is entirely up to them and not up to the boss. There are players that deserved a closer relationship and those who deserved a much more distant treatment," Guardiola said.
Then, the coach referred to those players who were more committed to the cause, and how he chose to snub those players who were more interested in being the ones who occupied the most headlines.
During my time at Barcelona I had some close relationships with the players that thought about what was the best for them and for the team. I tend to feel more identified with the players that work for the team that to those who are always thinking about themselves. Back then, when I needed to field those players, I did not hesitate. But when I did not need to have them on the pitch, I decided to ignore them," Guardiola added.
Before the interview concluded, Guardiola downplayed the need of having great relationships with those players he was in charge of. Mainly, the coach thinks this way because football is something closer to a business than what took place during his first days as a player.
"Football is a business that requires you to win once the ref blows his whistle. Apart from that, if we are more or less friends is irrelevant. This is a business. My goal here is to get the best performances possible from my players. They have to think about what's best for the club and try to make fans happy. Having a good relationsgip is great, but in the end it doesn't matter if they are good or bad, because what really matters is making the business thrive," Guardiola said.
