Pedro, a recently retired footballer, gave an in-depth interview with Mundo Deportivo. In the third part of the interview, Pedro recalled how Guardiola coached him, revealing that Guardiola had told him in advance that he would start in the Champions League final at Wembley, and shared a special conversation between them. He also spoke about his experiences working with legendary teammates like Puyol, Xavi, Henry and Messi, and the support these teammates provided during his development.

Journalist: All that you enjoyed and experienced at Barcelona under Guardiola in those dream years... could you share some behind-the-scenes stories? For instance, conversations between you and Guardiola. What qualities did he see in you, what potential that you perhaps didn't even realize at the time, and how did he help you reach the heights you later achieved?

Pedro: To be honest, I think what he initially saw in me was perhaps the intense desire and focus I brought to my career. Beyond that, whenever he gave me an idea, I could always execute and demonstrate it 100% on the pitch. All he had to do was tell me what to do and how to improve myself to become a more mature player in the future, and I would do it without hesitation or complaint. I had great confidence in Pep's evaluation criteria, tactical theory, and football philosophy, and even more in how he conveyed all of this to me. Pep is an extremely humble person at heart, and as I've always said, he's a perfectionist in his work. When it comes to hard work, I'm also a perfectionist. Even on rest days, if needed, I would voluntarily train extra. Of course, many excellent role models in the team did the same.

What I mean is that even after joining the first team, I never felt the pressure or worry of "will I be able to stay?" or "will I still be here next week?" I was always completely immersed in each moment, enjoying the experience, because I knew very well that in the world of football, many players' careers are fleeting, and it can end anytime; you can leave anytime. So I responded to all the demands and details he conveyed to me with all my effort and sweat, because I knew that was all I could do. Regarding talent, I must admit I couldn't compare to many teammates; my only asset was diligence, hard work, humility, respect for everyone, and willingness to learn from every great player around me. I think that's what he valued in me. And when he truly placed his trust in me and gave me the opportunity, I repaid him with my performances on the pitch – with relentless running, goals, passion and fighting spirit. He saw deeply into this aspect of me, which is why he gave me unconditional trust for such a long time.

Journalist: What was the best or most important advice Pep ever gave you?

Pedro: He gave me many valuable pieces of advice. From my academy days, he helped me make tremendous progress, especially in understanding tactics. To be honest, when I first started training with him, my tactical understanding was confused, and he helped me correct it day by day. He would often call me into his office for private conversations. I felt I was one of the players he invested considerable effort in, carefully nurturing. He was determined to mold me. As for specific advice, there were countless pieces of advice – from encouraging me to train hard to various details in matches. There's an interesting story from before the Champions League final at Wembley that I remember very clearly: on the Monday of that final week, before the first training session, he called me into his office and immediately asked me, "So, for the final on Saturday, do you want to play or are you scared?" I'll never forget his expression at that moment. I immediately replied, "Not at all, boss, I'm completely ready, prepared to start and play well in this match." He looked at me and asked, "Are you sure?" I said, "Absolutely." He said, "Good, then you will start in this final."

So on the very first day the team began preparations, I knew I would be starting before the match took place. In that moment, my emotions completely erupted. After that, he gave me instructions: "I want you to press every pass, I want you to be decisive in attack, and finish without hesitation whenever you have a chance. Play like you always play, prepare well this week, and you will play brilliantly." I still remember that conversation clearly; my heart felt like it would explode, and I was filled with fighting spirit and passion. This is where Guardiola excels; faced with players of different personalities, he can always find exactly the right way to motivate each person, knowing how to prepare you mentally before a big battle. He placed great trust in me and knew how to inspire and mobilize me, and I repaid him with my best performance on the pitch.

Journalist: As you mentioned, you entered a dressing room full of stars at that time. Who took care of you the most, who showed you the most concern? When did you feel you truly became one of them?

Pedro: Essentially, all the players who came from La Masia academy helped me a great deal. They were football legends: Captain Puyol, of course; Xavi would always stay after training to talk with me, pointing out areas I could improve and how to become better in every detail each day; and Henry, I remember he often taught me how to make off-ball movements to escape the offside trap, how to create space without the ball, how to receive passes when cutting inside, and when to stretch the formation out wide. These players themselves had extraordinarily brilliant careers, far superior to mine. When people of that caliber speak with you so approachably, you feel a powerful resonance and shock inside, silently thinking to yourself, "I want to become a great player like him, like them."

Their behavior on and off the pitch was an incredibly inspiring example: always conducting themselves properly, never showing bad temper, always putting team interests above personal interests, dedicating everything to the collective. Even when you're in a difficult period due to physical or mental fluctuations – a long season means ups and downs are inevitable, sometimes you might have two or three poor matches in a row, a goal drought, or simply not feel right on the pitch – in those difficult moments, they all showed me tremendous tolerance and maximum support. I cannot name just one or two people. Of course, the role of core leaders like Puyol, Valdés, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta was very important; Henry also had very high prestige and was beloved in the dressing room; although Leo Messi was still very young at that time and perhaps didn't have the overall leadership ability he would later develop, he also provided considerable support. All these teammates showed great concern for me from the day I first entered the dressing room until the day I left. I will always be grateful to them. Because it's not easy for young players to truly integrate into an elite dressing room – they not only accepted me but protected me everywhere and helped me develop. This was also because they saw me as a young man eager to learn from them, with good character, and striving hard to become a worthy member of the team.

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