Wednesday, August 15, 2012

New Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova undaunted by Pep Guardiola’s winning legacy

BARCELONA, SPAIN—New Barcelona head coach
Tito Vilanova said he’s undaunted by the
challenge of following in Pep Guardiola’s giant
footsteps, while also recognizing that his chances
of being as successful as his mentor are slim.
Vilanova became Barcelona’s 16th head coach
Friday after signing a two-year contract with the
Spanish club, which Guardiola — with Vilanova’s
help as assistant — led to 14 of a possible 19
titles during an unprecedented run over past four
seasons.
“I am not worried about comparisons. I’m aware I
will lose all with Pep, but I am not here for that.
I’m here to work,” Vilanova said, adding that he
knows that with stars like Lionel Messi on his
squad his margin of error is almost nonexistent.
“I don’t ask the fans for patience, they will want to
see the team continue to win like it has in recent
years.”
Vilanova acknowledged that carrying on
Guardiola’s winning ways and mesmerizing
playing style will be a hefty challenge. But he
added that both his role in shaping the team and
his players’ hunger to keep adding to their trophy
haul should see the team through.
“I know that it will be difficult, probably no other
coach has taken over in this situation, after the
club’s most successive period ever,” said
Vilanova. “It will be very tough to repeat. (But) I
have an advantage because I formed part of the
team that won so many titles. This is a group of
players who have won everything but who want to
keep winning and maintain our way of playing.”
Vilanova appeared for his first press conference
as head coach minutes after signing his contract
with Barcelona president Sandro Rosell. He was
wearing in a dark suit as opposed to the athletic
wear he wore in the dugout beside the dapper
Guardiola.
And although he displayed the same calm
demeanour as his predecessor, Vilanova still
lacks Guardiola’s public flare, reading somewhat
nervously from notes at the beginning of his
presentation.
“Pep was the communicator, but we shared the
decisions,” he said in his low, monotone voice.
Like Guardiola, Vilanova’s roots lie deep in the
Catalan club.
As a teenager, Vilanova joined Barcelona’s “La
Masia” youth academy with Guardiola in 1984
and spent the next six years training alongside
his future sideline companion.
While Guardiola went on to become a key piece
of Johan Cruyff’s winning teams in the 1990s,
Vilanova only managed to play three unofficial
matches with the first team before moving on to
play for clubs such as Celta Vigo and Mallorca.
When a knee injury ended his playing career,
Vilanova returned to La Masia as a coach to help
bring up a generation of first-team players,
including Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard
Pique.
After another stint away from the club, the 42-
year-old native of the Catalan village of Bellcaire
d’Emporda joined Guardiola as his assistant
when the former midfielder took over Barca B in
2007. Together they helped the team win
promotion to the second division and earned
themselves the chance to take over the first team
in 2008 after the exit of Dutch manager Frank
Rijkaard.
“I thank Pep for giving me the chance to come
back to Barca and work at his side,” said
Vilanova. “Thanks Pep for the past five years, my
friend, my brother.”
Guardiola refused to sign on for another season
this summer, saying he needed a break from
football.
Having never before sought the spotlight,
Vilanova is best known for his altercation with
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho in last
season’s ugly Spanish Supercup clash when the
Portuguese manager poked him in the eye during
a team scuffle. Vilanova responded with a shove.
Vilanova said that as head coach he would not
lose his cool if Mourinho continues in his
abrasive manner.
“I will be very calm. I don’t get nervous,” he said.
“I think that the day of my presentation as head
coach it is not the moment to speak about other
teams or other coaches.”
The Spanish league opens on Aug. 18-19.
Barcelona will look to re-establish its dominance
of the domestic competition after losing the
championship to Madrid last season, breaking a
run of three consecutive titles.
Vilanova will miss the first game of the two-leg
Spanish Supercup as he serves a one-game
suspension for retaliating to Mourinho’s eye
poke. The Madrid coach received a two-game ban
and will therefore miss both matches to be
played in August when Barcelona looks to defend
its title.

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