Balague: Guardiola and his tortuous journey

When English-based Spanish journalist and broadcaster, Guillem Balague, started to work on a biography of Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola, he must have hoped to dig deep into the psyche of a football genius; but what he didn’t expect was to find such a tortured soul so close to the surface.

Guardiola’s public image is of a man who is very much in control — a man who knows what he wants and has the ability to instil calm in those around him.

Juxtaposed with his nemesis, Jose Mourinho, of course, it isn’t difficult to look that way. But nevertheless something about that immaculate grey suit that suggests you are dealing with a coach whose real emotions are not only hidden from public view but probably filed away, in alphabetical order, for future reference.