Super Marshal

On the evening of April 21st, Barcelona's Camp Nou.

The 35th round of La Liga, the century derby, Barcelona played against Real Madrid at home.

When the game reached the 73rd minute, James Rodriguez assisted Diego Costa to score a key goal and surpassed the score again, the entire Camp Nou suddenly became silent.

Still having an overwhelming advantage and then being counterattacked by the opponent, still having a loophole torn from the left, it was still so uncomfortable.

But more importantly, in their own home court, Barcelona personally destroyed the hope of winning the league championship.

This cannot be blamed on anyone, it can only be said that Barcelona itself does have serious problems.

The bench is not deep enough, and the left back has never been strong, which has become Barcelona's biggest Achilles' heel this season.

Chinatown, Real Madrid... Almost all teams caught Barcelona's left side to play, which made Guardiola helpless. After seeing Diego Costa score, he turned around and left in frustration.

In the last ten minutes of the game, Barcelona still had the advantage, and continued to organize and plan attacks, and controlled the ball, but it was no longer so sharp.

Yes, sharp, this is a big problem facing Barcelona this season.

Guardiola's team still has amazing ball control, but it can't continue to create threats on the offensive end, as if the weapons in their hands have become blunt and heavy, and have become less useful, which exposes the team's defensive problems more vividly.

In just one month, Barcelona lost the Champions League and the league championship. Now it has only the tasteless King's Cup, which is unacceptable to the once powerful Barcelona.

Perhaps, it's time to change!

Guardiola raised his head and looked at the silent Nou Camp stands. The lights were as bright as day, but it gave people a feeling of stagnant water, just like his team, without passion, without fighting spirit, and no longer sharp.

He still clearly remembered that he had asked Gao Han why he chose to leave the team instead of staying after Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan won the championship. At that time, Gao Han told him one thing, that people are always tired of the old and love the new.

When a team reaches the peak of its own ability, the next biggest enemy is no longer the opponent, but itself. How to maintain the hunger for victory, how to maintain the freshness of the game, and always maintain a high morale, this has become a big problem facing the winner.

If it was not felt deeply before, then now, Guardiola deeply felt the helpless feeling of fatigue.

Is there a problem with Barcelona?

The answer is clear, yes, and it is not small.

But will it fall to the current point?

Guardiola absolutely does not believe it.

Not to mention Barcelona in its peak period, even Barcelona that won the second Champions League and the Barcelona that lost the Champions League final last season would not perform as badly as this season.

Training and playing day after day, facing the same players and opponents every day, even the reporters who come to the press conference are the same group of people.

After hundreds of games, hundreds of press conferences, and thousands of training sessions, anyone would feel deeply bored.

Guardiola has this strong feeling, and he can clearly feel that the players are also tired of him as the head coach. They are used to his existence, all his coaching routines and skills, and they will no longer be stimulated by his words of encouragement, spurring, or even scolding.

The head coach and the players are like two old couples who have been married for many years. Their lives have become dull and they no longer have the passion of their youth.

The most intuitive manifestation of this complex emotion on the court is that this team of players who should have been reassuring suddenly stopped focusing on details on the court and began to make some unacceptable mistakes.

The second half of the first round against Chinatown and the second half of the second round, and the second half of this game against Real Madrid, are all like this.

Guardiola is already deeply tired of this, and a knot that has been bothering him since October last year has also begun to slowly find an answer.

He is leaving!

Leaving Barcelona, ​​leaving this place that makes him tired and annoyed.

It's better to take a break, just like when Gao Han left Chelsea.

Thinking of Gao Han, Guardiola suddenly felt that he should tell this close friend who was both a teacher and a friend about this matter.

…………

…………

When the referee blew the whistle to end the game, the world-renowned century derby finally came to an end.

Barcelona lost 1-2 to Real Madrid at home. Mourinho spent a full three years to finally fulfill his vow to defeat Barcelona. At this moment, he unscrupulously celebrated his victory at Camp Nou.

The league championship is no longer a suspense.

"He has changed."

In the presidential stand, Barcelona's chairman Rosell looked at Guardiola in the home team's coaching seat and shook his head.

"If it was in the past, after losing the second goal, he would have roared at the players angrily. He would be like an enraged lion, tearing his opponents apart at all costs, but tonight he looks very old, without energy or passion."

Sitting next to him is Barcelona's sporting director Zubizarretta. He was promoted after Rosell was elected president and replaced his predecessor Begiristain. This made his relationship with Guardiola become increasingly cold. , and now there is very little communication, so that many media are hyping up the discord between them.

But in fact, they still communicate, but it's more at a work level.

"Anthony, we have reached the point where we must make changes." Russell said firmly.

Zubizarreta knew exactly what the chairman meant, "I think we should have a good talk with him?"

He and Guardiola were teammates and were once very close. Even after they cooled off significantly, he still didn't want to make this decision, which would completely push him and Guardiola into the role of strangers.

"You should understand that Anthony, from the moment he publicly stated in the media that he refused to renew his contract with the club, his heart was no longer in Barcelona. He has won everything here and he is no longer in the club. Full of passion, he has lost his hunger for victory, and his performance in the past month has proved this."

Zubizarreta knew that Russell was right.

Guardiola is like this, and so are the players, but between Guardiola and the players, the management will not hesitate to choose the players, because only Messi, Ibrahimovic, Xavi, Iniesta and others, can bring huge commercial income to Barcelona, ​​as well as future championship trophies.

But what about keeping Guardiola?

Let’s not talk about whether he can rekindle the passion. Even if he can, he will inevitably have to repeat the measures he took when he took office in 2008, drastic reforms, the team will fall apart, and even superstars such as Messi and Ibrahimovic may be involved. All are leaving the team.

Which one is more important, it's easy to choose.

Zubizarreta looked at Guardiola in front of the home team's coaching bench with a somewhat sad look in his eyes. Even now, he still regards Guardiola as a friend, but he is the sports director of Barcelona and he must be responsible for the team. This forced him to make a cruel decision.

"How was the contact with Tito?" Russell asked again.

Zubizarreta's eyes flashed with bitterness again. Tito Vilanova, Guardiola's right-hand man, underwent surgery to remove a parotid gland cancer tumor in November last year. Although he returned to the club quickly, more importantly Still recuperating my body.

But in the club management, many people support Vilanova to take over Guardiola.

"I contacted him in October, but he did not give a clear answer. I also told Pep about it in November, and he was surprised. Tito still did not express his position."

"Surprised?" Russell was a little surprised.

"Yes, he trusts Tito very much. The two have worked together for so long. He even often said that Tito is his Cantarero."

After hearing this, Russell shook his head and smiled, "But he is not Gao Han."

"In his opinion, Tito will advance and retreat with him, go together and stay together."

"He is still so naive and full of idealism. Tito is not willing to be his assistant coach for the rest of his life. What he desires more is to be able to be on his own. Taking over Barcelona is undoubtedly a natural and logical thing for Tito, and it is what he can do. How could I miss the best coaching opportunity I have ever received?”

"Yes." Zubizarreta sighed softly, "Tito told me that if Pep really decides to leave, he will choose to stay and take over the first team, but before that, it is best not to let Pep Know."

Russell breathed out a heavy sigh, apparently relieved of a stone in his heart.

With Vilanova's promise, the rest will be much easier to handle.

"He also has his own clear ideas about the team. It is imperative to recruit left-back, which is the team's biggest technical and tactical weakness this season. But in addition, he also hopes to recruit in the midfield, because haha Wei is thirty-two years old."

"Do you have a goal?"

Zubizarreta nodded, "Alba, the left back who plays for Chinatown, Tito once briefly led him in the youth team for a while. He knows the strength of this player, and as far as I know, Alba also wants to Returning to his hometown to play football and returning to Barcelona would be a very good choice for him.”

"But I'm afraid Chinatown will be difficult to deal with." Russell said with a frown.

Last summer, he put a lot of effort into bringing in Otamendi. At that time, Barcelona had already had the idea of ​​bringing in Alba, but at that time the club couldn't come up with a transfer budget. If they try again this summer, the transfer fee will probably be higher than It was higher last year.

"What about the midfielder?" Russell asked with a frown.

"The first choice is Modric."

"Modric?" Russell smiled bitterly, "Do you think it's possible?"

Zubizarreta shook his head and smiled bitterly. It is really difficult to poach Modric from Manchester City.

"If that doesn't work, he wants Rakitic in Chinatown."

"It's Chinatown again." Russell almost collapsed. Why are you thinking about digging up Chinatown?

Doesn't he know that players in Chinatown are extremely expensive?

"Chinatown has performed so well this season. It's not surprising that many teams are interested in their players. Alba is the best left back in La Liga this season, and Rakitic is also the best left back in La Liga. "It's normal for Tito to look at them as one of the midfielders," Zubizarretta explained.

"But we may not be able to raise so much money." Russell said awkwardly.

Of course Zubizarreta knew that, but that was no longer his purview.

Just when both of them fell silent, Zubizarreta's cell phone suddenly rang.

The caller ID showed it was Guardiola.

"Anthony, please come to my office tomorrow. I want to talk to you about something." Guardiola said on the phone.