How Pep Guardiola transformed Lionel Messi into a destroyer overnight

In a book about Pep Guardiola (Pep Confidential), the writer Marti Perarnau talks about the night when the Spanish manager transformed Barcelona’s Lionel Messi into the destroyer he is today. He recounts how Guardiola did some research into his opponents and suddenly had a brainwave on how best to use Messi in the role he is now famous for – the False 9.

It brings into focus the night before one of their biggest games of the season – against Real Madrid. And it all started with a phone call late that night...

Guardiola discovers Real Madrid’s weakness

Barcelona were due to play their rivals Real Madrid in an El Clasico in May 2009 and Guardiola was holed up in his office studying game films of their opponents. It is something he always does, reviewing all 90 minutes of various matches along with other videos provided to him by his assistants Domènec Torrent and Carles Planchart.

“I sit down and watch two or three videos. I take notes. That's when that flash of inspiration comes - the moment that makes sense of my profession.

“The instant I know, for sure, that I've got it. I know how to win. It only lasts for about a minute, but it's the moment that my job becomes truly meaningful.” – Pep Guardiola

While watching videos of Real Madrid, he observes their gameplan has one glaring weakness – the centre of the pitch. He saw how their midfielders Guti, Royston Drenthe and Fernando Gago tried to stop Barcelona’s passing game by pressing high up on players like Xavi and Yaya Toure.

Above: Lionel Messi's first hat-trick against Real Madrid

At the same time, their centre-backs Fabio Cannavaro and Christoph Metzelder used to sit back in and around the box – thereby leaving a gaping hole in midfield.

The phone call that changed Messi’s life

The Barcelona manager then made a phone call to Lionel Messi who at the time was just shy of his 22nd birthday.

“Leo, it's Pep. I've just seen something important. Really important. Why don't you come over now, please.”

Half an hour later, Messi was in the manager’s office. He was shown a video as Guardiola pointed out the empty space in midfield, calling it the ‘Messi zone’.

“Tomorrow in Madrid I want you to start on the wing as usual, but the minute I give you a sign I want you to move away from the midfielders and into the space I just showed you.

“The minute Xavi or Andrés Iniesta break between the lines and give you the ball I want you to head straight for Casillas' goal.” – Guardiola to Messi.

Nobody else knew about the plan. Assistant Tito Vilanova heard about it from Guardiola only the next day while Xavi and Andres Iniesta were told just before kick-off.

“When you see Leo in the space between the lines down the middle, don't hesitate. Give him the ball. Like we did in Gijón,” Guardiola explained to the midfield duo.

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his Barcelonas fifth goal against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu — Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his Barcelona’s fifth goal against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu

A False 9 is born

As the match kicked off, Samuel Eto’o played centre forward while Messi played on the wing, until the 10-minute mark. That’s when Guardiola gave the signal. Eto’o now moved to the wing while Messi shifted to the centre, except that he played much deeper than a forward – a role reserved for attacking midfielders.

Both Real Madrid defenders Cannavaro and Metzelder were flummoxed. They weren’t sure about what to do next – sit back or move further away from Casillas.

Metzelder recalls that game vividly: “Fabio and I looked at each other. 'What do we do? Do we follow him to the midfield or stay deep?' We didn't have a clue.”

What followed was a step-by-step annihilation of Real Madrid as Barcelona beat them 2-6 at the Santiago Bernabeu in one of the most one-sided Clasicos ever played – and Messi’s new role was central to the demolition of Los Blancos.