Anyone who was at Schumann s Bar on a cold night in December 2014 will not forget the scene. Two men talking passionately about football, shuffling glasses, salt shakers and peppers, placed on the table as if they were players on the grass and could move
The two men in question were Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel, Who built a friendly relationship at that dinner more than six years ago, same that was not at stake when Chelsea beat Manchester City in a clash in London for a place in the final of the FA Cup.
Tuchel, At this dinner in Munich, he was just an admirer of piggy bank. They had already faced each other twice, in the matches of the Bayern de Pep against Mainz 05, both won by the Bavarian giant, but never as intimately as tonight.
“It was a big influence for me. If you go out with Pep, why not talk about football?” Said Tuchel, who was currently living a sabbatical year waiting for a new proposal, which would come later, from Borussia. Dortmund.
“I won’t say much, but it was [una conversación] about positions in the field and what he did in Barcelona. He explained it to me and we made some drawings on the table to explain the issue of positioning and tactical situations, ”Tuchel continued.
“We talk about how Barcelona changed when they bought Cesc Fàbregas, what changed in the team. How to fit Lionel Messi like a false 9, how to create spaces, to play with a line of three or four behind. The coaches they usually talked about football and we used what was on the table. Sometimes it’s easy to explain tactics using an object. “
It was not the first dinner among the technicians. The relationship became so close that Tuchel he went on to exchange ideas with piggy bank even after his Dortmund beat Bayern 5-1 in October 2015, Again in Munich.
“If Germany adopts the game of positions it will be mainly thanks to Tuchel,” praised Guardiola, in a phrase published in the book “Pep Guardiola: evolution” by Martí Perarnau. The admirer also came to be admired.
Guardiola and Tuchel they fought in a duel five times on the edge of the grass. The maximum that the German achieved was to tie, in two occasions, although one of those parties finished with the victory of the Bayern and the title on penalties, in the German Cup. That was in May 2016.
It was the last professional meeting between them, who now compete for the same league. piggy bank, Who has been in England for five years, serves as an inspiration for Tuchel, Who replaced the fired Frank Lampard and has already achieved impressive results for the Chelsea.
With the help of the German coach, the Blues have risen to the Premier League and secured a place in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, Where it is also piggy bank. Before a hypothetical clash in Europe, or even a new heated dinner on English soil, the two fight for their place in the final of the FA Cup.
“We have to admit that there is a gap between the teams, but for 90 minutes, we are aware and confident that we can get closer to them for a game. And that is tomorrow’s goal. I arrived [al Chelsea] happy to compete with a coach who is a great reference in England and Europe, “Tuchel praised at the press conference.