Barcelona's blitz of European football under Pep Guardiola was enough to intimidate legends of the game, including Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Blaugrana didn't just dominate the sport during Guardiola's four-year reign at Camp Nou; they transformed it. The Spanish tactician can try to suggest that his success at Manchester City is his greatest accomplishment, but nothing will ever compare to his achievements in Catalonia.
That said, Guardiola's Barca were heavy favourites to win the European title in 2010 but crashed out in the semi-finals. Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan produced an upset en route to claiming the trophy.
There were several reasons why the La Liga heavyweights were expected to defend their crown that year successfully. One of which was how they dispatched of their opposition in the previous rounds, including a team that possessed a player Guardiola had fretted over.
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Barcelona were locked and loaded for the attacking gem
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Guardiola's adaptability throughout his managerial career is largely responsible for his success in Spain, Germany, and England. His Barcelona side was more technically gifted and cohesive than the other teams he had managed.
The Bayern Munich team he took charge of were more rooted in the German brand of football, but he still implemented his obsessive possession-based philosophy. His influence at City has also changed the English game and taken the Cityzens to unprecedented heights.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Guardiola's Etihad reign is his use of pacey wingers, particularly the likes of Raheem Sterling. The Englishman starred under the Spaniard for several years despite their frosty separation.
The 54-year-old is always thinking ahead. Perhaps a meeting with a similar winger to Sterling, Theo Walcott, in the 2009-10 Champions League quarter-finals gave him an idea of how he'd form an attack in a future Premier League role (via The Times):
“You would need a pistol to stop him”
Guardiola told reporters ahead of Barca's meeting with Arsenal at Camp Nou in the second leg. He'd already seen what Walcott could produce from the first leg when the pacey attacker came off the bench to ignite a Gunners fight back.
Arsene Wenger's men were 2-0 down when Walcott entered the fray in the 66th minute and proved the catalyst for a remarkable comeback. He gave the hosts a lifeline before Cesc Fabregas netted the equaliser from the spot.
Guardiola did his research (via Daily Star):
"Walcott can do the 100 metres in 10.37 seconds. That is incredible for a footballer and any defender would struggle against him."
Guardiola has spent years suggesting there's little defenders can do to prevent Messi from wreaking havoc. But he seemed to point out Walcott had similar capabilities to do damage because of his blistering pace:
"He is faster than our whole team put together and the best way to stop a player like him is not let him have the ball.”
It wasn't to be for Walcott in the return leg at Camp Nou as the Messi Show took hold. The iconic Argentine bagged four goals in a 4-1 win over Arsenal.
Walcott was 21 at the time and still in the early stages of his career, but had already become a star at the Emirates. The sky was the limit for the young Englishman, especially when he made the switch from Southampton to the Gunners in 2006.
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Ex-Arsenal captain played with both
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Walcott has a fascinating legacy at Arsenal, given that his arrival coincided with the transition from Highbury to the Emirates. There is an argument to be made that he doesn't receive the respect he deserves, given his exploits under Wenger.
The former 47-cap England international spent 12 years at the club, but it was marked by both ups and downs, with the negatives largely due to inconsistencies and injuries. But when he was on song, he was tough to catch, as Guardiola suggested, becoming one of the longest-serving players of Wenger's 22-year reign.
Many were surprised when Walcott was omitted from the Three Lions' squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Even Messi criticised Fabio Capello's decision to leave him at home.
Walcott had grown into a reliable attacker, displaying versatility that allowed him to flourish on the wing and centrally. He was an enormous talent during his youth, so much so that Fabregas compared his rise to Messi when speaking in 2006 (via The Independent):
"I was surprised how good Theo was because I had never heard of him (while at Southampton) as I do not follow the Championship, but when he came to Arsenal, you could see he has the quality. If I had to choose two players, it would be Theo and Lionel Messi. For me they are the two best players I have seen at 16 or 17."
Theo Walcott's Arsenal Career
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Assists:
Trophies Won:
Whether Walcott feels he has fulfilled his potential or not is up to him to answer, but the hype that accompanied his arrival at the Emirates was on par with Wayne Rooney's at Manchester United in 2004. His international career leaves much to be admired, but his Gunners days are ones to look back on fondly.
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt - correct as of 17.06.2025
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