PEP'S CUBS
THE WEEK India|November 17, 2024
Pep Guardiola moulded two Ballon d'Or winners. And he had different methods for Messi and Rodri
KARTHIK RAVINDRANATH
PEP'S CUBS

Manchester City were struggling. Over an hour into the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League final, they had failed to break down a resolute Inter Milan. City were trying to match the feat of their Manchester rivals—a European treble. But, as the match wore on, their Italian opponents had looked increasingly comfortable in defence and given the City defence some scares. Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne had been forced off in the first half with an injury and 50-goal striker Erling Haaland had been neutralised. Pep Guardiola, who was trying to become the first manager to win two European trebles, had made no change since he introduced Phil Foden for De Bruyne. As it turned out, he did not need to; because, he had already done his work on the training ground.

Guardiola’s saviour that night was Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, better known as Rodri. His strike from just inside the box sealed City’s 1-0 win and the treble. “When I reference Pep, I have to talk with my hands; I have to find a table, or a board and I have to move around coffee cups, like he does,” Rodri wrote about his manager in The Players’ Tribune. “‘He will go here and then bang—you move here, into space. Bang.’ He added that final mental piece of the puzzle. ‘Seeing’ the game differently. ‘Feeling’ it—when to move into space, when to hold back. When to press, when to ease off.”

This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView All
Is bridal wear on the wane?
THE WEEK India

Is bridal wear on the wane?

So many guests walked out of Sabyasachi's grand 25th year celebration in Mumbai last weekend, a little confused, even outraged. How can India's most famous bridal wear designer not showcase a single bridal outfit? Guests were underwhelmed, or disappointed, unable to wrap their coiffed heads around the fact that India is changing, and fashion is now more than a lehenga.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 09, 2025
The wedding goes slim
THE WEEK India

The wedding goes slim

So Jeet Adani is to have a 'traditional and simple' wedding sans celebrities or media glare. His father told the press that the auspicious date was finalised during a visit by the Adani family to the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, where the muhurat was decided in the presence of vedic scholars.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 09, 2025
INTO THE MOCHA-VERSE
THE WEEK India

INTO THE MOCHA-VERSE

Did Pantone get it right with its colour of the year 2025?

time-read
4 mins  |
February 09, 2025
The art is in the right place
THE WEEK India

The art is in the right place

Joining a growing league of India's privately-owned museums is Sarmaya, a modern space that chronicles historic journeys

time-read
4 mins  |
February 09, 2025
New words for old feelings
THE WEEK India

New words for old feelings

At a recent literary festival in Pune, its curator, the author Manjiri Prabhu, challenged me to prove my love of words by coining a few new ones. Inspired by the English language's habit of borrowing freely from the world's languages, I essayed these:

time-read
3 mins  |
February 09, 2025
OIL AND MORE
THE WEEK India

OIL AND MORE

India cannot be a spectator to what is unravelling in West Asia, say experts

time-read
4 mins  |
February 09, 2025
We hope India will support two-state solution and help rebuild Gaza
THE WEEK India

We hope India will support two-state solution and help rebuild Gaza

War-torn Gaza, once home to Yasser Arafat, dreamt of self governance for the Palestinian territories. This time, its people are looking towards the Palestinian Authority to play a bigger role in helping implement the phased Israel-Hamas ceasefire, rebuilding territory and uniting Palestinians.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 09, 2025
BACK TO BROMANCE
THE WEEK India

BACK TO BROMANCE

India's strategy will be to convince President Trump that there is no daylight between him and Prime Minister Modi in advancing their shared goals

time-read
5 mins  |
February 09, 2025
Next industrial revolution will be driven by biotechnology and bio-economy
THE WEEK India

Next industrial revolution will be driven by biotechnology and bio-economy

IN AUGUST 2024, the Union cabinet approved the BioE3 policy—Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment, a framework policy to leverage biotechnology for India's economic growth, environmental sustainability and employment generation. It prioritises bio-manufacturing initiatives in various sectors like biopolymers, smart proteins, bio-therapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, and marine and space research.

time-read
5 mins  |
February 09, 2025
AMERICAN NIGHTMARE
THE WEEK India

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE

With his strident anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, Donald Trump is killing the American dream for both documented and undocumented workers. Indians, especially the H-1B visa holders and aspirants, could suffer the most under the new administration's policies

time-read
10 mins  |
February 09, 2025