Jorge Valdano has come out with a surprising comparison for Pep Guardiola, likening him to the late Steve Jobs.
Guardiola is on a year-long sabbatical from the game, after four years at Barcelona in which he oversaw a change in playing style at the club and became their most successful Coach ever, picking up 14 trophies.
For Valdano, his characteristics are comparable to Jobs, who achieved success in his career with Apple Computers.
“Pep has done a magnificent job, he is the Steve Jobs of football – pacesetter, bold, with an eye for beauty, innovative. He is a landmark of our game and rightly so,” the former Real Madrid player, Coach and director told Eurosport today.
Kind words were not offered for Jose Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu, however.
“Mourinho’s behaviour responds to Mourinho’s history. I do not understand why people are still surprised, in his statements, in his form as a Coach.
“My thinking has not changed since his arrival at the club and I move around with total freedom. There is no tension.
“If, after being a Coach, manager, player and fan I have to defend my support for the club, then something is wrong.
“There are many ways to live, we are talking about the best club of the 20th Century, and this is not the result of a single thought.”
Valdano also passed comment on the ongoing debate about his former side’s youth policy and again referred back to Barcelona.
“Barcelona have made it a part of its footballing culture and everything that is learned at La Masia is applied at the Camp Nou.
“I was fortunate enough to find in the cantera at Real Madrid Guti and Raul, players that marked an era for Real Madrid.
“In history, Los Blancos’ youth academy has been very important, but times have changed. It is true that you give importance to the cantera when you are poor, rather than rich.”
