La Liga
HOW BEST OF PALS, PEP GUARDIOLA AND JOSE MOURINHO BECOME BEST OF ENEMIES
The above picture shows a different time and frankly, one that people nowadays might find hard to imagine; Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, sat side-by-side as friends, wearing crests of the same club. The picture is a collection by Daily Mail of UK.
It was April 16, 2000, that such a snap was taken, 20 years ago. Guardiola, 29, was approaching the end of his penultimate season at Barcelona, where he’d won six league titles and the European Cup in 1992.
Mourinho was 37 and approaching the end of his time at Barca as part of Louis van Gaal’s coaching setup. Less than six months later he would be his own man at Benfica, embarking on the start of a managerial career that would see a great rivalry emerge with old friend Guardiola.
But in April 2000, they were friends.
‘We did talk about things when we both had doubts, and we would exchange ideas, but I don’t remember it as something which defined our relationship,’ Guardiola once said of Mourinho.
‘He was (Bobby) Robson’s assistant (before Van Gaal took over in 1997) and I was a player.’
Mourinho returned to Portugal to take charge of Benfica but months into the role, Robson approached him with the offer to become his assistant at Newcastle.
‘He knew my ambition wouldn’t allow me to accept an assistant coach role,’ Mourinho said in his biography. ‘He told me it would only be for a year, two tops, and that at the end of that time I would be head coach and club manager.
‘But he had forgotten that I had worked with him for many years and so I knew him well. It is unthinkable to picture him as a manager, watching from the stands.’
But Mourinho’s time at Benfica lasted a matter of months. He resigned in December 2000 after a new club president was elected and, after stating he wanted to hire an ex-player as coach, refused to offer Mourinho a new contract following a 3-0 win over Sporting Lisbon.
His next chance was at Union de Leira in July 2001, where his success caught the eye of Porto and he became head coach there in January 2002.
In 2003, Mourinho steered Porto to the league title by 11 points over former club Benfica, while also lifting the UEFA Cup after beating Celtic in the final.
But it was the following season where Mourinho truly announced himself onto the global stage, when Porto won the Champions League and eliminated Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United on the way.
Victory at Old Trafford prompted his iconic touchline dash after Costinha’s 89th minute away goal.
Of course, Chelsea came next and Mourinho introduced himself as ‘The Special One’ at his opening press conference. Premier League glory duly followed, conceding just 15 goals in the process, and he successfully defended it the following season.
But in 2007, he exited the club on September 20 after a stuttering start to the Champions League and a breakdown in his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich.
By this point, Guardiola had made his first steps as a manager. He retired from playing in June 2007 and returned to Barcelona, where he had left in 2001, as coach of the B team.
So successful was his young Barcelona side that he was there only a season before replacing Frank Rijkaard as manager of the senior team in 2008 and ushering in an era of unprecedented success.
Spearheaded on the pitch by Lionel Messi, Guardiola led Barcelona to three La Liga titles, two Champions League victories and two Copa del Reys. He first crossed paths with Mourinho in 2009, when the Portuguese was at the helm of Inter Milan.
Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners in the semi final of the Champions League that year but the following season, Inter beat them in the group stage and again in the semi-final as the Italian giants recorded a famous treble under Mourinho.
Inter lost the second leg against Barcelona 1-0 but advanced to the final 3-2 on aggregate, leaving Mourinho to hail his ‘most beautiful defeat’.
But seven months later, with Mourinho now at the helm of Real Madrid, Guardiola exacted a devastating revenge. Barcelona ran out 5-0 winners at the Nou Camp with Messi as a false nine.
Then, in 2011, with both sides reaching the Copa del Rey final while being drawn together in the Champions League, came four Clasicos in 18 days. The first was the most timid affair, a 1-1 draw in LaLiga, with Real then winning the Copa del Rey with a stoppage time header from Ronaldo. A terse Champions League semi-final saw Barcelona win 3-1 across two legs.
The most infamous clash between the two happened at the start of the 2011-12 season, during the Spanish Super Cup where the pair exchanged a cold handshake without eye contact. A brawl was sparked by a savage Marcelo tackle on Cesc Fabregas that ended with Mourinho poking Barcelona assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye.
That was in August 2011 and by April 2012, the pair had faced off for the final time as managers of Spain’s super clubs. Mourinho won the last duel 2-1 at the Nou Camp to end Barcelona’s 55-game unbeaten home run in what was only his third win over Guardiola.
They would meet once in the next four years – in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, where both parties had taken over that summer. Bayern won 10-9 on penalties.
The next time they met, Mourinho led Manchester United and Guardiola was at the helm of Manchester City.
They locked horns on six different occasions, Guardiola winning three, Mourinho two and one draw before the Portuguese was sacked in December 2019.
Since he has been at Tottenham, they have faced off just once and it was Spurs who were successful with a 2-0 victory. And while they cannot meet again this season, should it resume following the coronavirus pandemic, the rivalry will rumble on into 2020-21.
Way back in April 2000, when they were sat side-by-side at Barcelona, who would have thought that their rivalry would become one of the fiercest of the century? There seems to be plenty more instalments to follow.
-Daily Mail
FC Barcelona have implemented a tailored nutrition and recovery programme for teenage star Lamine Yamal to help him observe Ramadan without compromising his performance levels.
The 18-year-old winger will once again fast during the holy month, having successfully balanced his religious commitment with first-team football last season. However, with competitive fixtures scheduled during Ramadan, Barcelona’s medical staff are taking additional measures to ensure his energy levels, hydration and recovery remain optimal.
Yamal’s first match while fasting is scheduled for Sunday at 4:15 p.m. against Levante.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the approach is not unprecedented at the Catalan club. Barcelona previously developed similar plans for Muslim players, including Ousmane Dembélé, Franck Kessié and Ansu Fati.
The strategy focuses on adjusting meal timing and hydration cycles to align with fasting hours, allowing players to maintain peak fitness while respecting their faith.
Medical experts at the club have emphasised the importance of a balanced iftar meal — avoiding overly heavy or rich foods that could interfere with rest or slow post-match recovery. Hydration protocols are also being closely monitored, with Yamal encouraged to maximise fluid intake during non-fasting hours to compensate for the daytime abstinence.
Balancing Faith and Performance
Ramadan fasting can pose physical challenges for elite athletes, particularly in high-intensity sports that demand sustained concentration and explosive energy. Barcelona’s performance team is therefore closely tracking Yamal’s workload and recovery metrics throughout the month.
Last season, the teenager demonstrated he could maintain high performance standards while fasting, strengthening confidence within the club that he will manage the demands effectively again.
For Barcelona, the initiative reflects a dual commitment — respecting the player’s religious observance while safeguarding the physical condition of one of their most promising talents.
As the fixtures unfold, attention will turn to how the young winger adapts during this period, with supporters and analysts keen to see whether he can once again combine elite football with spiritual discipline.
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- Summary
- Barcelona miss chance to regain LaLiga lead
- Girona’s Fran Beltran scores late winner
- Cubarsi calls for self-reflection after consecutive defeats
Barcelona were stunned by Girona, who roared back to win 2-1 at home in a breathless Catalan derby on Monday, as last season’s champions failed to return to the LaLiga summit, leaving Real Madrid top of the table.
Barcelona struck the woodwork twice in the first half, Raphinha hitting the post before Lamine Yamal fired a penalty against the same upright in added time after Dani Olmo was fouled inside the box.
Pau Cubarsi finally put the visitors ahead in the 59th minute, rising to head home Jules Kounde’s cross from a short corner, but Girona levelled three minutes later when Thomas Lemar converted from close range after Vladyslav Vanat’s cross was confused.
Fran Beltran sealed victory in the 87th minute, steering home from Joel Roca’s pass as the Montilivi stadium erupted.
Barcelona pushed for an equaliser but could not break through, even after Roca was sent off in added time for a reckless foul on Lamine Yamal.
Barca remain on 58 points, two behind Real Madrid, and have lost successive games in all competitions for the first time since October.
“We lacked a bit of everything. We need to be self-critical. We need to improve things and get our act together,” Cubarsi told DAZN.
“After my goal, they scored very quickly to equalise. We got them back into the game too quickly. We need to improve on those goals they score right after we take the lead. Keep your head down and improve.”
BARCA DOMINATE POSSESSION
Hansi Flick welcomed back Frenkie De Jong and Raphinha from injury after their absence in last week’s 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid, and Barca duly dominated possession early in the game.
Yet their finishing deserted them. Raphinha dragged wide after surging in from the left, while Yamal was denied from point-blank range by keeper Paulo Gazzaniga following a sharp counter down the right.
Girona were content to sit deep and spring forward, repeatedly testing Barcelona’s high defensive line with the pace of Bryan Gil as the former Tottenham Hotspur winger caused persistent problems for Jules Kounde down the left channel.
Gil’s surging runs carved out Girona’s best openings before the break. He twice set up Vanat, who was denied by an exceptional Joan Garcia, and the striker then squandered a gilt-edged chance in the 35th minute, slicing an effort from close range with no defender near him.
Yamal missed from the spot in added time before the break and the contest remained wide open after the interval, finally producing goals in quick succession.
Barcelona broke through in the 59th minute when Cubarsi rose highest from a short corner. Kounde delivered from the right and the defender twisted his neck to send a towering header into the top-right corner, beyond Gazzaniga’s desperate dive.
Their lead lasted barely three minutes, with Lemar equalising as Girona seized momentum, pushing Barcelona back, with Garcia producing two outstanding one-handed saves to keep out efforts from Vanat and Roca when both seemed destined for the bottom corner.
But the keeper was powerless in the 87th minute. Claudio Echeverri drifted across the edge of the box before giving the ball back inside to Roca who squared it to substitute Beltran, who took a touch, lifted his head and slotted into the bottom-left corner to ignite a sold-out crowd.
Girona, who had been on a three-match winless run and hovering near the relegation places, climbed to 12th on 29 points, while Barcelona were left to rue missed chances and a defeat that could yet loom large in the title race.
-Reuters
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Lamine Yamal missed a penalty as Barcelona spurned the chance to return to the top of La Liga, falling to defeat in a fiery Catalan derby against Girona.
Hansi Flick’s side now trails arch rivals Real Madrid by two points in the title race after substitute Fran Beltran struck in the 86th minute at Estadio Montilivi to snatch all three points and ease relegation fears for the home side.
The visitors thought defender Jules Kounde had been fouled in the build-up to the winner, but after a brief video assistant referee (VAR) check, the goal was given.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men midway through stoppage time, with substitute Joel Roca bringing down Lamine Yamal with a lunging challenge.
Yet Barcelona were unable to force an equaliser as they succumbed to just a third league defeat against their regional rivals.
The result marks a second loss in succession for Barcelona, who suffered a 4-0 hammering by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday.
It was a fiercely fought contest from the off as the hosts took the game to the league leaders, forcing keeper Joan Garcia into a save inside the first minute.
By contrast, Barcelona were lethargic, spurning several gilt-edged chances to take the lead. Lamine Yamal was the main culprit, twice missing from close range before crashing a penalty off the base of the upright in first-half stoppage time.
In the end, two defenders combined to break the deadlock in the 59th minute. Centre-back Pau Cubarsi looped a header into the top corner from right-back Kounde’s cross for his first league goal in Barcelona colours.
The visitors’ joy was short-lived, though, as Girona hit back two minutes later when midfielder Thomas Lemar tapped home Vladyslav Vanat’s centre for his second goal in as many games.
The hosts scored again 10 minutes later as Garcia failed to claim Viktor Tsygankov’s speculative header, though the goalkeeper was awarded a foul for a shove from Roca on the goalline.
The victory ends a three-game winless run for Girona, who move up to 12th, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Barcelona’s league winning run ends at three games, and they face a possible five-point gap at the summit come their next fixture – Real Madrid head to Osasuna on Saturday (17:30 GMT), before Barca host Levante on Sunday (15:15).
-BBC
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