To celebrate Josep Guardiola’s 200th game on the culé bench, Sport‘s Tomàs Andreu takes a look at his record over the past four seasons before another important match for Barça in the Champions League. The original article can be found here.

It was the 8th of May of 2008 when Joan Laporta made it official that Pep Guardiola would be responsible for replacing Frank Rijkaard. Shortly afterward, on the 17th of June, the man from Santpedor was presented to the media and unveiled a plan marked by his unmistakable seal: humility, dedication and a total and absolute commitment to a style designed to delight the fans. Now in his fourth season, nobody, absolutely nobody, can question that the coach has more than fulfilled his mission.

But being true to his own philosophy, the major challenge, the most important is that which is still to come. And today a special game will be played, the number 200 directed by Guardiola in an official engagement. The majestic city of Prague, in a Champions League match against Viktoria, will host a symbolic event that only serves to honour an impeccable trajectory.

Being at the helm of Barça in his fourth season is no easy challenge. The blaugrana bench is not the hottest seat, but it takes its toll. In the case of Pep, save for the more than evident hair loss, no signs of exhaustion can be detected. Guardiola directs with a firm hand a project that clicked as none other in the recent history of world football, spectacular and effective. This Barça has not only broken the historic records of the club but has already left its mark on world football. The admiration awakened on the five continents is not free and responds to the enjoyable delight found with the inexhaustible virtues of a group that is constantly reinventing itself. Arriving at these heights without it taking its toll is worthy of admiration. Almost as admirable is an illuminating look at some frightening statistics: with 199 games behind him, the fact that almost 72% are victories and an insignificant 8.5% losses is a mark to applaud. It is pure history.

Guardiola has emerged as a collector of records and small hallmarks which alone could fill an illustrious football encyclopedia. His percentage of wins and titles has no comparison. His six losses at Camp Nou are a story that goes unnoticed when listing the series of consecutive games won home and away, goal scoring spectacles that include two 8-0 wins against Almería and Osasuna, the colossal registering of points in the last three consecutive league seasons with 87 points, 99 points and 96 points, respectively, and other numerous frightening statistics. Recent coaches with a pedigree, like Rijkaard and Van Gaal, have already seen their marks of 22 victories in Europe honorably buried by the 25 triumphs of Guardiola. And thus we arrive at one of Pep’s maestros, Johan Cruyff. Not even the best records of the Dutchman can maintain a comparison with the coach from Santpedor. The Dream Team, the true cradle and source of inspiration for the current Pep Team, has been duly perfected and surpassed by a group that has not yet reached its peak.

Cruyff left the culé bench with 430 matches and an average of 58.1% of victories. The percentage of losses stood at 19.3. Statistics that seemed phenomenal at the time but which the Pep Team has made seem insignificant. The team has collected the heritage and has multiplied it until they have converted Barça into a fashionable club around the world. Winning, convincing and stirring admiration are not easy. And there are those who have doubts, that compares with the hatred awakened in other rivals.

The present course has already added two titles but the dream still remains and any fan senses that these trophies will not be the last. It’s the best message any fan can send to the team of Guardiola.

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