Guardiola writes the preface of Sacchi’s book: the extract

The first time I saw him was 1987, I was a kid at the Barcelona Academy. Milan had come to play in Catalonia for the return leg of the second round of the UEFA Cup against Javier Clemente’s Espanyol. Few knew Italian football at the time, they were not used to seeing it on television as happens today. And no one could have imagined that that year Milan, defeated by Espanyol, would win the scudetto in Italy. However, one thing is certain: any Barcelonista would have quickly supported Arrigo’s team, which the following year met Real Madrid in the semi-final of the European Cup. I’ll let you imagine the celebration in my city after the 5-0 at San Siro. That’s the beauty of football, as long as the rivalry remains a healthy joke, a moment of fun, and doesn’t lead to violence. As the icing on the cake, that Milan lifted the trophy right at Camp Nou, in our home.

everyone back and God in front

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Until his arrival in the world of football, the commonly held idea of ​​Italian football in the world was: everyone behind and God in front. This is why Arrigo’s turning point is counter-cultural. His football had to be attractive, but also successful. And he was. I would have liked to see him coach for many more years because his method, beyond his titles, has been studied by many, many coaches, including myself. And when this happens it means that you have left something very special. Think about the management of the defensive phase, offside, the setting of a team projected forty meters ahead of all the others. It was a truly innovative system.

everyone like him

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All the players who had in mind to become coaches, once their career was over, wanted to know his principles in detail. I was one of them. The first time I met Arrigo in person and had the opportunity to talk to him I was in Brescia, in 2001. At that time Sacchi was Parma’s technical director, and we managed to invite him to lunch. I would have liked to just talk about strategies, but… I fear that he was hungrier that day, because we spent more time eating than chatting about defensive lines or schemes! But he was really nice to accept the invitation, for me it was an honor to have lunch with him (and I brought some secrets home!). In the following years, when I became manager of Barcelona, ​​we continued to speak every now and then by phone, and this still happens today. Mutual respect and affection are the same as always.

example of style

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Sacchi is also an example of education and style. If I think about my management of the group, for example, I believe that among the most important aspects of healthy coexistence is speaking well about people, and not bad. Your life improves when you speak well of the person next to you. The opposite of this is a negativity that arises from bad feelings, and which brings nothing good to a work group. Beyond that, it takes a sincere respect for those around you. From those who wear the starter’s shirt to those who massage the athletes’ muscles. We are all human beings, right? Arrigo treated him equally, without favouritism, and thus made everyone feel important. We know, conflict exists and is normal in internal relationships within a group, but if you treat the people you work with well, if you treat them as they deserve, moments of crisis will be overcome and the team will continue to work great.

victories

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Arrigo won a lot. He could have won much more, with a longer career. But what is victory, after all? My Manchester City lifted the last Champions League, and obviously everyone praises us. But we could also have lost. The final as I said in the post-match and even more recently, is a coin toss. I believe it’s important to get there, to fight to always be competitive, then it depends on how that coin falls, what face it shows you. In the 1994 USA final, Sacchi’s Italy fell on the wrong side, as happened to us a few years ago against Chelsea. In the last edition we went back to play, and this time it went well, even if it was tough, against a very difficult Inter to face, who play modern football, physically very strong and very well coached by Simone Inzaghi.

the duty of coaches

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We coaches have the duty to make the kids understand that you are not only good if you win. It’s very difficult today, given all the pressure we feel every day. But it’s like with our children: we can’t expect them to always get top marks, we can only encourage them to try hard, to work hard. In life defeats are more frequent than victories, and as I grow older I realize that perhaps everything is already written. But that doesn’t mean you can lie on the couch and watch events unfold. You have to work, do your best. This applies to any of us: the important thing is to find something we are passionate about, a job to love, and do it to the best of our ability. I know Arrigo would agree. If you win, even better. If you lose, you try again. Life always gives you a new opportunity, tomorrow. Clear, defeat stings, especially in a final. You have to go through that funeral, you will live your bad days as it should be. But the sun finally comes out. Always.

Arrigo’s legacy

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I like to think of Arrigo Sacchi’s legacy, reflected in the many players of that Milan who have become excellent coaches. It’s like this with adults: they teach you something special and make you understand that you too can do what they are doing with you. They leave you a gift, a knowledge that you will always carry with you. How many of Johann Cruyff’s students became capable coaches? It happened because we had really learned about the game, and we had figured out how to make our own path thanks to an amazing mentor. Even if I think about my Barcelona, ​​I am convinced that many players from those years can follow the same path. Xavi is already doing it, and so are Sergi Barjuan and Javier Mascherano, but Busquets can certainly become an excellent coach too.

approach

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Someone has re-proposed Sacchi’s approach even after a long time. Today I see a more proactive Italian football, many coaches prefer to attack rather than wait for the opponent’s episode or mistake. They want to be protagonists. The recent championships of Milan and Napoli were won thanks to the organisation, to a playing philosophy through which the individual players on the pitch move “with the team, for the team, all over the field and all the time”, to quote Arrigo letter. If I think of Spalletti, of Sarri, of De Zerbi who is doing an exceptional job here in England, but also of the aggression, the high pressing and the movements that Pioli showed, there are many good examples that make us think of a future light. I don’t know if Arrigo is as optimistic as me, but he will certainly be pleased to see that many coaches have learned his lesson today.