When Pep Guardiola took the reins at Barcelona B in 2007, he quickly snapped up the services of respected Catalan coach Domènec Torrent. Domènec was Pep’s go-to guy whenever he wanted the skinny on an opponent, and he helped nurture talents like Busquets and Pedro.

Soon Pep was managing Barcelona’s first team, and Domènec came along for the ride. Thus began a journey to immortality: three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues with Barca, two Bundesliga crowns with Bayern Munich, and a Premier League win with Manchester City.

It was great having a Big Interview with someone in the flesh again, and Domènec gives us fascinating insights into what it was like behind the scenes during that glorious Barca era: how the coaches perfected the team’s build-up play and high-pressing game, and how it took a genius like Pep to draw out the absolute best from the array of on-field geniuses at his disposal.

Fascinating stuff.

Graham.

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Domènec Torrent: Rising with Pep