Former Barcelona left-back explains what made Guardiola’s side almost impossible to stop: ‘There was control, but not military-style control’

Former Barcelona left-back explains what made Guardiola’s side almost impossible to stop: ‘There was control, but not military-style control’ Former left-back Sylvinho has offered a rare inside account of the Barcelona dressing room that helped produce one of the greatest teams in football history. The Brazilian spent eight years in La Liga, including five seasons at Barcelona after joining from Celta in 2004 and was part of one of the most successful Blaugrana sides. Speaking to Flashscore (h/t SPORT ), Sylvinho explained that the foundations were already being laid before Pep Guardiola took charge. Mentality behind Barcelona’s golden generation For Sylvinho, the presence of top players was only part of the equation. The entire squad had bought into a demanding culture centred on winning and hard work. “From top to bottom, the message was very clear: you’re here because we want to achieve something important and win trophies.  “Trophies, serious football, hard work and professionalism. That was the mindset.” He added, “It wasn’t just about having Ronaldinho, Xavi, Eto’o, Deco, Puyol or any of those names.  “There was a philosophy behind the team. The idea was simple: ‘Run. Work for 90 minutes in every match and in every training session’.” Ronaldinho was naturally one of the players who left the strongest impression on him. “The incredible thing was how effortlessly he did everything. It was pure talent.” Sylvinho explained that even the smallest detail could give Ronaldinho the advantage. “If you give him the ball a second earlier, he can turn, throw his opponent off balance and create something spectacular.  “Those are the beautiful little details you experience in football.” Guardiola’s Barcelona revolution changed everything Sylvinho explains what made Pep Guardiola great. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Guardiola’s arrival, however, convinced Sylvinho that Barcelona could become something much greater.  It was not simply the manager himself but the clarity provided by the entire coaching staff. “What impressed me most was the clarity of it all,” he explains. “It wasn’t just Pep. It was the whole staff, the coaching team, everything. There was control, but it was positive control, not military-style control.” And he sums up the manager’s philosophy, stating, “This is what we want, this is the training we want and this is what we have to do.” The results quickly followed. “We won almost every match. Barcelona were already a very good team, but they became even better.  “It was difficult to play against Barcelona before, but then it became a nightmare.” For Sylvinho, one of the clearest signs came at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2009, when Guardiola deployed Lionel Messi as a false nine. “For me, it was at the Bernabeu, when Messi started playing as a false nine,” he recalls. “That was something we’d worked on in training two or three days before the match.” The fact that the idea worked in such a demanding environment convinced Sylvinho that Guardiola had found something special. “When you see something like that work at the Bernabeu, you think: ‘This is a formula that can work’.” Barcelona’s football was about control Sylvinho believes Guardiola’s greatest strength was his ability to communicate an idea that the players could execute at the highest level. Sylvinho played alongside Barcelona’s golden generation. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) “A great deal of it depended on the person in charge, the way he was able to communicate the idea and bring it to life on the pitch. Pep was so sure of it.” The players then took that idea and elevated it further. “If you give me an eight and someone else gives me a nine, a 9.5 or a 10, they can turn that eight into a 10.  “Everything clicked that day. It was one of those matches where everything worked to perfection.” Possession was central to the team’s identity, but Sylvinho stressed that Barcelona were equally aggressive when they lost the ball. “Playing good football and keeping possession was spectacular; that’s something we learnt from Pep and his staff.  “But we also had to be prepared to win the ball back quickly, regain possession and inject energy into the game, and then pass that energy on to the fans.” The former full-back remembers just how overwhelming that style could become. “I remember one match where, as a full-back, I don’t think I was defending for five minutes. It was attack after attack: control, control, control, and then forward again.” Lastly, for Sylvinho, that period ultimately confirmed Guardiola’s status among football’s greatest managers. “After that, Pep became one of the best of all time. He’s at the very top of everything,” he concluded.