Assistant coach Planchart left Manchester City this summer to look for new challenges after working with Guardiola for 18 years. Recently, he accepted an exclusive interview with the Daily Sports News and recalled his experience of working with Guardiola.
Why did you decide to leave Manchester City this summer?
This is a quick decision and I feel like I don't need to participate in the future development of this project anymore. Although there is one year left in the contract, Pep and the club made this decision together, which was the result of consensus.
Now that he has settled in Catalonia, what are the plans for the next step?
Currently, it is mainly about rest and charging, and then looking for a new project, focusing on the work of sports management and technical directors, as well as discovering talents. I believe that my experience and ability in this area can play a role.
Winning 39 trophys as a member of the coaching staff, I always thought I had never won anything, and my friend Leo once told me that we had never won anything, and we had not even sent a sideline ball. It is true that football belongs to the players, and we just help them and provide all possible support so that they can win. I can't remember the specific numbers clearly. When you no longer focus on the trophy itself, but focus more on how they are obtained, you will reach this situation. I think it's incredible, considering that I'm a very competitive person, I'm lucky to be able to win 80% of the games, have great fun from it, and find it valuable because victory is always hard to come by.
Talking about how to get to know Guardiola
was purely accidental. At that time, I was analyzing some people. Because I had to submit a report, I often went to Barcelona's training base, and I met Boada there. He had a good relationship with Domeneque, so I proposed to join Barcelona. That was the club we longed for all our lives, so we joined, and joined the same time as Pep. When he and Tito heard the news, we were very welcomed and our cooperation went very smoothly. Which of the 39 champions feels the most special?
The most impressive thing was the first one, the Copa del Rey, which has always been very special because I had never won any championship at that time, but Barcelona, who was loyal to me, won its first championship. And winning the Champions League at Manchester City, which was the pinnacle of the entire project.
How to define the 18 years of working with Guardiola?
Or how he endured me, we established a friendship based on respect, work and humility, which is the basis for two people to work together for a long time. Any relationship will have ups and downs, and only respect can overcome difficulties.
How to evaluate Guardiola?
He is a ball fool, and his life is on the green field. He is a genius, a creator, and his biggest creation is that he invented a new style of football. The hardest thing in life is creation, and others are just imitators. He is number one in this regard.
You were once a member of the best Barcelona. Was the time you worked with Guardiola the best time for you?
There is no doubt that football at that time was simpler than it is now, with clubs, coaches and players greatly improving, and the boundary between victory and loss has become very subtle. At that time, we had the best team in the world, faced less competition, and we could win even if we were not experienced. And now, Pep has to make more changes and evolution in order to continue winning. It is much easier to win with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and Pique, but the evolution of four consecutive Premier League titles is amazing.
Talk about facing the challenge of facing the Real Madrid under Mourinho
It was a special period, not just a tactical or competitive challenge, but emotionally and psychologically, it was also an important test. We will never forget the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
What else can I say when talking about Messi? There are indeed many very outstanding players in the football world. They are very talented, but Messi is the only one who can maintain such an exaggerated performance in every game for many years. Barcelona once had Neymar and Ronaldo, but their peak periods were very short. I have watched Messi play football since he was 16 years old. He was already very good at that time, and it is still the case now. There is indeed no shortage of talented players in the football world, but it is almost impossible to reach Messi's level and maintain its peak for such a long time. Now we have a young player like Yamal who may be able to compete with Messi, but he is only 18 years old now and I want to see how he performed when he was 32 years old. Maybe in a few years I will admit that he is better than Messi, but now I can't see anyone on par with Messi.
Talk about La Macia
La Macia is one of the keys to Barcelona's success, and players' sense of identity with the club is very important. I knew what Barcelona meant since I was a child, knew that every game must win, and the sense of competition they felt... these will have an impact. When so many players are together, the team will be more powerful. Not just the players, but those of us who support them. We are all low-key and hardworking people who love this club deeply.
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