At the time of writing Pep Guardiola has lifted the European Cup for the third team in his career. Since his appointment at Barcelona in the summer of 2008, he has produced some of the most exciting and innovative football the World has ever seen. He has won leagues in three different countries, worked with some of the planet’s greatest players and reinvented our perceptions of tactics with false 9s, inverted full backs and constant possession. Now he's even playing with a big man up top.
We’ve also been fortunate that great books have been written in English on Pep, and I’m sure there will be more to come, following City’s capture of Old Big Ears. Here are my recommendations on the best football books to read about Pep Guardiola.
Another Way of Winning (Guillem Balague, 2018)
Guillem Balague is well-known in the UK as part of Sky Sports La Liga coverage, or at least he was when I lived there. Originally published in 2013, it has been updated to include the Bayern and City years, though one suspects there may be another update soon. Beginning with Pep’s childhood in Catalunya it takes us through his youth career at La Masia, breaking into the Barça first team under Johan Cruyff and winning the European Cup in 1992, and the remainder of his playing career which saw him play in Italy, Mexico and the middle East. With extensive access to the great and the good of Spanish football, Ballague is able to cover Pep’s incredible four years as Barcelona boss from appointment in ‘08 to departure in ‘12 in great depth.
Barça: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World (Graham Hunter, 2012)
Another legend of Sky Sports La Liga team and podcast pioneer, Graham Hunter’s 2012 book is the comprehensive story of Pep’s Barça, culminating in their exhibition at Wembley in the 2011 Champions League Final. he book is structured through chapters on the key players, so though not solely focused on Pep there is a great section on him, as well as anecdotes on how he got each player to perform at such a high performance level. The book was also the inspiration for the Take the Ball Pass the Ball documentary, which is also highly recommended.
The Barcelona Inheritance (Jonathan Wilson, 2018)
In the UK, this book was subtitled, Guardiola, Mourinho and the Fight For Football's Soul which, though probably designed to capture attention, accurately sums up the prevailing schools of tactics which have persisted for a large part of the 21st century, and beyond perhaps. Building upon ideas in Inverting the Pyramid, Wilson’s book focuses on the Dutch school and the influence Cruyff and Van Gaal had on Barcelona and subsequent coaches. The fascinating metamorphosis of Jose Mourinho, translator at Barcelona who became Van Gaal’s assistant and was then rejected in 2008 in favor of Pep, is excellent. Pep features throughout the book and this might be the best exploration of the environment which shaped his subsequent tactical thinking.
Pep Confidential (Marti Perarnau, 2014)
Groundbreaking when it was released, Marti Perarnau was given access to Pep and the Bayern first team for the 2013/14 season. In the spirit of The Glory Game or All Played Out, we get a warts and all account of the campaign which resulted in the Bundesliga title and German cup. The fascinating element for readers is to see how Guardiola is able to shape a new set of players into his system and imparts his philosophy on to them through the training field. Equally as important are the adaptations he makes to the German game and the evolution of his tactical ideas from Barcelona. It also sheds light on Pep the person. The struggles he goes through to achieve his aims and the intense high standards to which he holds himself accountable. If you’re only going to read one book on Guardiola, this is the one I recommend.
In 2016, Perarnau followed the book up with Pep Guardiola: The Evolution which summarized the remainder of Pep’s years in Munich and predicted, to some success, how his tenure at Manchester City would go.
Mastering the Premier League (Lee Scott, 2020)
How exactly do Pep Guardiola teams seem to have an extra man on the field? How are they able to keep possession for so long? These are some of the questions you may ask yourself when you watched Barca, Bayern or City and Lee Scott’s book breaks down how Pep does what he does tactically. With diagrams throughout and broken down positionally and without complex language, Mastering the Premier League is a thorough examination of City under Pep. Whether you’re a coach looking to develop your team tactically or a fan seeking to broaden your horizon, after reading this book you’ll be able to spot many of the elements that make Pep’s teams so special.
Pep’s City: The Making of a Superteam (Lu Martín, Pol Ballús 2019)
An equivalent book to Pep Confidential, though not quite as well written or insightful, Pep’s City is still a great review of his first three years at City, both on and off the field. With similar access to Perarnau, there are some great anecdotes on Pep’s assimilation into English football and the progressions he made in that time, which saw him, eventually, break domestic records.
Bonus Recommendations:
Pep’s mentor Juanma Lillo joined the City coaching staff in 2020. His interview in The Blizzard (Issue 1) with Sid Lowe on his football philosophy is a must-read.