Pedro, who recently retired, gave an in-depth interview to Mundo Deportivo. In the third part of the interview, Pedro reminisced about how Guardiola developed him, revealing that Guardiola had told him beforehand that he would start in the Champions League final at Wembley, and sharing their special conversation. He also spoke about his experience working with legendary teammates such as Puyol, Xavi, Henry, and Messi, and the support they provided during his development.

Reporter: You clearly enjoyed your time at your dream club Barcelona under Guardiola's guidance and experienced many things. Could you share some behind-the-scenes anecdotes? For instance, conversations between you and Guardiola. What qualities did he see in you, what potential you weren't even aware of at the time, that helped you reach the heights you achieved?

Pedro: Honestly, I think what he first saw in me was my great desire and focus for this profession. Also, regardless of what ideas he conveyed to me, I could always implement them and deliver 100% on the pitch. As long as he told me what to do and how to do it to improve myself and become a more mature player in the future, I would do it without hesitation or complaint. I had great faith in Pep's standards, his tactical theory, and his football philosophy, and even more in how he communicated all of this to me. Pep is a very humble person at heart, and as I've always said, he's a total perfectionist in his work. And when it comes to hard work, I'm also a perfectionist. Even on my days off, if needed, I would voluntarily do extra training. Of course, there were many outstanding role models in the same team.

What I want to say is that even after joining the first team, I never felt anxious about my position, like "Can I survive this?" or "Will I still be here next week?" I was always completely immersed in every moment, enjoying it, because I knew well that in football, many players' careers are very short, and can end at any time; you could leave at any moment. Therefore, I responded to all his demands and the details he instilled in me with my utmost effort and sweat, because I knew that was the only thing I could do. As for talent, I never considered myself superior to many of my teammates; my only assets were diligence, hard work, humility, respect for everyone, and learning humbly from every great player around me. I think that's what he saw in me. And when he truly gave me his trust and opportunity, I repaid him with my performances on the pitch – with tireless running, goals, passion, and fighting spirit. He saw this side of me deeply, which is why he gave me unconditional trust for such a long time.

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

Pedro: He gave me so much valuable advice. From my time in the academy, he helped me make great strides, especially in tactical understanding. Honestly, when I first started training with him, I was tactically confused, and he helped me correct that every day. He often called me into his office for private conversations. I felt that I was one of the players he invested considerable effort into and mentored carefully; he was determined to shape me. As for specific advice, there are many examples, ranging from demanding that I train very hard to various game details. One funny incident before the Champions League final at Wembley stands out: on the Monday of the final week, before the first training session, he called me into his office and directly asked, "So, do you really want to play in Saturday's final, or are you afraid?" I will always remember how he looked at that moment. I immediately answered, "No, boss, I'm completely ready, whether as a starter or to play well in this match." He looked at me and asked, "Are you sure?" I said, "Of course." He said, "Alright then, you'll be starting in this final."

That meant that on the first day the team began preparations, I already knew for certain that I would start in that match. My emotions were truly on fire at that moment. Then he gave me instructions: "I want you to press every ball, I want you to advance decisively, and shoot whenever you get a chance. Show your usual style, prepare well this week, and you'll play brilliantly." I still remember that conversation clearly; my heart felt like it was about to burst, and I was filled with fighting spirit and passion. This is Guardiola's extraordinary quality; facing players with different personalities, he can always accurately find the way to motivate each one, knows how to prepare you psychologically for the big battle. He placed tremendous trust in me, knew how to inspire and activate me, and I repaid him with my best performances on the pitch.

Reporter: As you said, you entered a dressing room full of stars. Who cared for and supported you the most? At what moment did you truly feel like one of them?

Pedro: Basically, all the players who came through the La Masia academy were very helpful to me. They were already football legends: Captain Puyol, of course; Xavi always stayed after training to speak with me, telling me where I could develop and how to improve in the small details every day; and Henry, I remember he often taught me how to make runs to beat the offside trap, how to move without the ball, how to control and receive the ball when cutting inside, and when to create width on the pitch. These players had brilliant careers, far more distinguished than mine. When people of that caliber speak to you in such an approachable way, you feel a powerful resonance and shock inside, silently vow, "I want to become a great player like him, like them."

Their conduct both on and off the pitch was a very inspiring example: always acting in the most appropriate way, never showing bad attitude, always putting team interests above personal interests, and dedicating everything to the collective. Even when you go through difficult periods due to fluctuating physical or mental conditions – a season is long, and ups and downs are inevitable; sometimes you might have two or three poor performances in a row, a goal drought, or simply feel off on the pitch – during those difficult moments, all of them showed me tolerance and full support; I couldn't single out just one or two. Of course, core leaders like Puyol, Valdés, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta played a crucial role; Henry also had tremendous prestige and was greatly beloved in the dressing room; and although Leo Messi was still very young at that time, perhaps without the commanding voice he would later have, he also provided tremendous support. All these teammates showed exceptional care for me from the first day I entered the dressing room until I left. I will always be grateful to them. Because it's not easy for a young player to truly integrate into a top-tier dressing room; they not only accepted me but also protected me and helped me develop at every opportunity. This was also because they saw that I was a young man who wanted to learn humbly from them, with good behavior, and strived hard to become a quality member.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com