Guardiola’s emergency class for his ball boys against Atleti

“I love to overthink it and create stupid tactics”. Pep Guardiola joked in the prelude to the duel with Atlético de Madrid about the approaches that in the past did not give him good results in the Champions League. The Catalan received criticism for his game plan against Liverpool, Tottenham, Olympique de Lyon and Chelsea in the last four European seasons. The most bitter defeats since the former Barcelona and Bayern manager at Manchester City. “We will play with 12,” he joked at Monday’s press conference. and he warned. Indeed, there was a player number twelve: the Etihad Stadium ball boys.

Al Atletico Madrid he was interested in little happening on Tuesday night in Manchester. Unhinging and frustrating his rival to finish him off in the second leg, next week, at the Metropolitan. Much was said during the preview of the clash, corresponding to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, of the styles and tricks of both coaches. The last of Pep communicated it on Monday. In the afternoon she met with quarry employees to entrust a task to the ball boys. The boys, selected from the U12 and 14 teams, they should be in the game. Concentrates.

They jumped the billboards, stayed alert and delivered the ball to the hands of the footballers as soon as possible. As soon as one left the game rectangle, another must be arriving at it. A way to break with the mattress passivity when it comes to resuming the game. So effective were the boys that Diego Simeone himself had to, at one point in the first half, go for a ball himself and hold it for a few seconds before handing it to Reinildo. In the second half, the Atlético players also took measures in this regard, slowing down their arrival on the touchline to sleep the duel.