'A must-read for anyone who's doubted Pep's influence, from handing the power to Barca's homegrown crop to never betraying his childhood romanticism of the game Four Four Two

'Balague's insightful biography presents Guardiola as a relentless perfectionist - a man obsessed with the minutiae of football, often unable to switch off' SPORT

This fully updated edition of the international bestseller includes Manchester City's incredible 2017-18 league triumph

Pep Guardiola is the most successful and sought-after football coach in the world. After being appointed first-team manager in 2008, he transformed Barcelona into arguably the greatest club side of all time, winning thirteen trophies in four years, and he won the Double twice in his three years in charge of Bayern Munich. He then faced his biggest challenge yet when he joined Manchester City in 2016: to turn them into a team that consistently wins in the most difficult of leagues and a regular challenger in the Champions League. But in only his second year at the club, he had turned a good side into memorable one, leading them to the Premier League title in record-breaking style . . . and doing it the Guardiola way.

Guillem Balague has followed Pep's career from the outset and has had direct access to the man and his inner circle for this updated edition. This then is the definitive portrait of Pep Guardiola and his relentless pursuit of footballing perfection.

About the Author

Guillem Balague is an award-winning football author, journalist and presenter who works regularly for BBC Radio 5 Live, LaLiga TV and the American network CBS. In his previous role at Sky Sports, he was a key fixture of their Spanish football coverage for over twenty years, known for his regular appearances on Sky Sports News,
'Revista de LaLiga', his punditry work and being the go-to man for anything relating to the Spanish transfer market. He has his own YouTube channel, 1.2m+ followers on social media, his own podcast (Pure Football) and gives Master Classes in journalism at UCFB University in Wembley (London) and the Etihad stadium in Manchester.

He wrote the bestselling A Season on the Brink, an insider's account of Liverpool's 2004-05 Champions' League winning campaign. In November 2012, he published the first international biography of Pep Guardiola, based on conversations with him, shortlisted for Football Book of the Year, as were his following four books. The following year, he published Messi: The Definitive Biography, the first complete biography of the Argentinian star. As well as two ebooks (diaries of the 2012 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup), he published the Official History of FC Barcelona in the autumn of 2014. In November 2015, he wrote Cristiano Ronaldo: the Biography which won the Football Book of the Year Award at the British Sports Book Awards and the Best Football Book of 2016 in Poland. His latest books Brave New World - Inside Pochettino's Spurs and Maradona were Sunday Times bestsellers in the UK. He is also chairman of non-league Biggleswade FC.

Follow Guillem at:
- www.guillembalague.com
- www.facebook.com/guillembalague
- www.instagram.com/guillembalague
- www.twitter.com/GuillemBalague

Reviews
Balague's insightful biography presents Guardiola as a relentless perfectionist - a man obsessed with the minutiae of football, often unable to switch off. * SPORT *

It's a must-read for anyone who's doubted Pep's influence, from handing the power to Barca's homegrown crop to never betraying his childhood romanticism of the game.

* Four Four Two *



Book Information
ISBN 9781474610537
Author Guillem Balague
Format Paperback
Page Count 496
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 370g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 38mm