Ranking the 5 greatest defenders to play under Pep Guardiola
Managers are only as good as their players, they say. Well, it's a contentious claim that Pep Guardiola would rather have a pass at than break his head over. It is well known that the Spaniard has been fortunate to work at some of Europe's biggest clubs as a manager.
An obvious bonus of that, apart from lofty wages, is the squad you inherit and the luxury you have to build one with minimum financial restrictions. The winning DNA has been present in Pep Guardiola's teams most of the time and his thoughtful recruitment has only added to it.
Pep Guardiola coached some of the great legends of 21st century
There are no surprises in the fact that he is usually drawn to midfielders of great quality and doesn't shy away from raving about them. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso, among many others, have been equally thrilled to work under Pep Guardiola.
However, the Spaniard has worked with some of the greatest defenders of the 21st century since beginning his career. Sure, one loves the way a Pep Guardiola team scores, the fluidic nature of their transition and ball progression. But all of that is possible because they rely on a rugged, well-disciplined rearguard. On that note, here is a look at five of the greatest defenders that Pep Guardiola has had under his wing:
#5 Gerard Piqué
Gerard Pique has been an excellent servant for his boyhood club Barcelona. He is looked upon as a true role model by anyone dreaming of playing for the club. Pique truly understands the value of wearing the Barcelona jersey and never fails to express his pride through actions on the pitch.
Pep Guardiola was promoted as the manager of the first team after being in charge of Barcelona B for one year. In 2008, he was one of the reasons for Pique's return to the Catalan club after a four-year spell with Manchester United. The defender has spoken about his time with his former boss and explained how Pep Guardiola stressed on perfection in training.
Pique has been a witness to Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola's intense rivalry at the turn of the decade around 2010 when the former managed Real Madrid. The defender's relationship with his manager took a turn for the worse when he started dating popstar Shakira in 2011.
Gerard Pique is now the joint-top-scoring defender in Champions League history 🔥 https://t.co/Y3nZ46tSAB
However, this did not affect Pique's career on the pitch. He won three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies under the Spanish tactician. Pique has made a grand total of 578 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions so far.
#4 Eric Abidal
A year ago, Barcelona's sporting secretary and former player Eric Abidal resigned from his position. Abidal's exit after a flop spell by manager Quique Setien left Barca fans with hard feelings and unpleasant vibes against the Frenchman. But one should not let their recency bias make them forget the passion and grit of Abidal as a Barcelona player.
The defender arrived in 2007, a year before Pep Guardiola took over the job, and outlasted the boss at the club by a year. Abidal was considered among the most visionary defenders of his time and was ruthless while tackling. He admired and praised what the new manager was doing with the team, on the pitch and behind the scenes.
According to the Frenchman, Pep Guardiola was a brilliant tactician and his instructions to the defense had helped them predict the flow of the game multiple times. Abidal gave all the credit to the Spanish manager for their win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final.
Eric Abidal opens up on war of words with Lionel Messi ahead of Barcelona exit
mirror.co.uk/sport/football… https://t.co/j7QmTqACiH
Their relationship did not exactly start on the sweetest note. Guardiola's orders to speak only in Spanish most times when present at club facilities did not go down well with the Frenchman.
Pep Guardiola also tweaked Abidal's role and asked the adventurous ball-playing defender to stay at the back and stabilize defense contrary to his habit of charging down the flanks. Eventually, the duo gelled up nicely and helped the club win nine domestic titles in addition to two Champions League titles.