Anyone expecting Pep Guardiola to make a bid for the presidency of Catalonia may have been disappointed by his speech to the Catalan parliament the other day, where he received a medal, honouring him or his professional work.
Pep’s short speech was short, articulate, and hugely inspirational. He was there to make clear the importance of being passionate about what you do in life-however unimportant you think what you do is- , and to leave us with no doubt that the one overriding passion in his life is football- playing it, managing it, watching it, breathing it, sleeping on it, sharing it.
Of course the fact that Pep said this in the context of his experience as a Barca player (formed in La Masia) and now manager, that he spoke in Catalan, and that he ended declaring his faith in the future of Catalonia as a country in its own right put what he had to say on a different level to the usual bland commentaries we hear week in week out from football players and managers around the world.
Listening to him I tried to imagine Ferguson or Mourinho speaking in similar terms to the Scottish or Portuguese parliaments (let alone the House of Commons or Madrid’s Las Cortes! ) – it was an impossible task. While Pep’s presence seemed natural, equivalent acts by Ferguson or Mourinho would not only have been unbelievable but also embarrassing.
FC Barcelona has political, cultural, and social identity written into its DNA. Nevertheless Pep is I think is only too aware that football is probably best left untouched by personal political ambition, and in Barca’s case his mission needs to be focused in delivering the best possible football and ensuring that the club does not simply become a vehicle of a crude kind of antagonistic nationalism that excludes its claim to universality and squanders its global popularity. Pep spoke less as a champion, than a wise man- football’s true guru.
Having watched the 11 minute video (and read the Spanish translation), I must say I was touched by Pep and would agree he is a guru, very aligned to Buddhist principles. Impressive.
And I would agree too with your point that there is a fine line between re-enforcing the club’s image, through for example the acknowledgment of work ethics as manifested by Pep in his talk, and crude political nationalism which has much in common with totalitarian fascism.
Often the supporters in Camp Nou have been swayed into ugly and gross behaviour in the name of Cataluña: Figo’s reception where a Pig’s head was thrown onto the pitch, E’too’s rant against Madrid which had the whole stadium chanting Madrid are s**t, obsessive hate of Real Madrid (at least the Bernabeau applauded en masse Barcelona’s magnificent victory 2 years ago, something totally unthinkable from the Cule supporters), etc., etc. So much for the DNA!
Finally, the obsession that Cataluña is a separate “country”, is what undermined his talk. Come on, we are living in the 21st century, surely there are more important challenges than passing the Barcelona Port Authority mandate from Madrid to Barcelona….. if Cataluña is so special, then demonstrate it in all aspects in life, and yes, the club is going a long way in doing that. But just don’t go on ranting about it – as Nike claimed: just do it.
Carlos, I am glad we agree on Guardiola’s integrity. I am sorry however that you cannot avoid hitting out-yet again- at Barca and the Catalans.
Jimmy, there is no doubting Pep’s integrity and his astonishing talk when presented his medalion. I recommend that everyone should listen to it – I haven’t heard such honest and truthful words in a long time.
The reason why I “hit out” at Cataluña, and Barça in particular, is because I personally cannot stand the half truths, victimization and holier than thou attitudes which embrace many aspects of their “raizon d’être”. So all I am doing is pointing out the hypocrisies that exist……or do I have to toe the party line and agree with all you say?!