“Do I speak Italian well? Thanks to Francesco De Gregori“. Pep Guardiola sits down in the Che tempo che fa studio and answers Fabio Fazio‘s questions. Manchester City’s Catalan manager – who spent his time in Serie A as a player for Roma and Brescia – surprises the hosts with his mastery of the language.
“Thanks to the songs of Francesco De Gregori: La donna cannone, La storia sia noi… my favorite. When I was playing in Brescia, on the way from home to the sports center I heard the songs in the car and so I learned Italian When I didn’t understand some words, I called my friend and he explained them to me”, says the Catalan coach, who can achieve the treble in his career. “I’m going good – he smiles – … I’ve always coached great clubs, it’s important to find the right people at the right time”.
In this regard, Roberto Baggio, with whom Guardiola shared the incident in Brescia. “When I met him, he had knees like a washing machine. And he was the strongest,” says the Catalan coach. “He was the strongest person, I can imagine how he was when he was at his peak. Everyone respected him, not only because he was a special player. In Italy there is nowhere he loves him. He was different” he says. Baggio, who is from the town, agrees: “Pep made me emotional with what he said. I have followed him since the beginning of his coaching career, all his victories are deserved”.