I never knew that about… Pep Guardiola

Despite his tender years, Pep Guardiola is already destined to go down in history as one of Barcelona’s greatest ever managers (not to mention players). Yet when his biographers are detailing his glorious career in years to come, his short spell in Mexico will be nothing more than a mere footnote. Thankfully Game Intelligence, ever the aficianado of the arcane, has documented the details here in full. Enjoy…

Strange as it seems for someone so synonymous with Barcelona, Guardiola’s playing career did not end at the Catalan club. Demonstrating the maverick streak that would later see him innovate a stagnating Barcelona team on his return home, Pep sought fresh adventures overseas after a decade at the heart of the Blaugrana midfield.

Despite high profile offers from Manchester United, Liverpool and both Milan clubs, the 30-year-old chose the challenge of modest Serie A side Brescia, where he joined up with Roberto Baggio to great effect. An unhappy spell with Roma followed, before he returned to his adopted home in northern Italy. Unfortunately, Guardiola’s Serie A sojourn was overshadowed by the drugs purges that swept through Italy at the time, as the Barca legend joined the likes of Edgar Davids, Jaap Stam and Frank de Boer in testing positive for the steroid nandrolone (although he was later acquitted).

It was therefore under a slight cloud that he left in 2003 to follow Claudio Caniggia, Gabriel Batistuta and Fernando Hierro to the footballing retirement home of the Qatari Stars League. Having once again forsaken the allure of Old Trafford in favour of Al Ahli, many could have been forgiven for assuming that Guardiola was ready to wind down his illustrious playing career in lucrative Middle Eastern comfort. However, far from donning the proverbial slippers, Pep was soon getting itchy feet once again…

Whilst the riches on offer made Qatar a predictable destination for a veteran star, few could have anticipated Guardiola’s next move. Indeed, although their name may suggest otherwise, Dorados de Sinaloa are far from gold-laden. Yet it was the shirt of this modest, relegation-threatened Mexican club that Guardiola was pulling on next, having once again spurned a number of offers from European clubs.

The key factor in this surprising career move was down to one man: Juan Manuel Lillo. The Basque coach had caught the public eye ten years before when he became the youngest manager in Spain’s top flight at the age of just 29, and foremost among his admirers was Barcelona’s midfield lynchpin. The meeting of minds first took place when Guardiola knocked on the then Real Oviedo manager’s door following an encounter at the Nou Camp, keen to praise the quality of football displayed by Lillo’s side despite their 4-2 defeat. Like Rick and Louis, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

Pep soon adopted Lillo as his managerial mentor, and declared that he would not retire ”without playing on a team coached by him”. Hence, when the opportunity arose to play under his guru in North America, Guardiola was on the plane over before he could even locate Sinaloa on the map. Upon arrival he joined the youngest team in Mexico, who had attained top flight status just a year after coming into existence in 2004. Their future as a Primera Division team was under serious threat by the time Pep arrived, as the club were entrenched in a relegation battle.

Although he had been out of the game for six months (largely through injury), Guardiola assured the starstruck media at his first press conference that he was not there to “go to the beach”. Whilst he pursued his coaching badges away from the field, on the pitch he meant business. Even at the age of 36, the majestic midfielder was a class above. Setting up teammates (including Sebastian ‘El Loco’ Abreu) with graceful ease, Pep even got himself on the scoresheet in his ten game stint South of the border.

Sadly it was not enough, as Dorados suffered a relegation rendered controversial by Lillo’s accusations of collusion between rival teams under the same ownership. However, the experience was by no means a failure. When he was not playing Pep was often seen on the sidelines discussing tactics with Lillo and gesticulating orders to players in a way that has become all too familiar. It was under the Mexican sun that Guardiola’s managerial seeds were sown, cultivated by his much-admired mentor.

Although just an obscure anecdote in broader circles, Pep’s Mexican adventure will never be forgotten by the Sinaloa faithful, who can feel proud to have played a part in the development of one of the modern day’s great managers. Indeed, Guardiola himself is keen to stress his appreciation for the Mexican minnows. Whilst his rolling contract at Barcelona has seen him linked with big jobs at the likes of Chelsea and Inter, Guardiola hints at a return to Dorados, this time as manager. Now that would escape nobody’s attention…