Pep, the magician

Have you ever felt the power of the magic touch? The touch almost unreal, yet leaves such deep imprints. When someone comes around and changes the way you feel. When happiness smiles endlessly.

When someone gives you the faith to believe in “the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you”. Your hero who makes you believe Mount Everest isn’t high enough for your reach. The angel who shows the goodness inside you. Your Rocky Balboa who reminds you, “It ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.” Your mentor, coach, guardian, lover who brings out the best in you. Oh well, you get the point…

Barcelona found their magician. The one man who revolutionised the squad - Pep Guardiola. Barcelona have always been beautiful. They haven’t compromised on attractive football. But in Frank Rijkaard’s last season, the winning habit was gone. Then, came Pep. A 38-year-old former club captain, without any managerial experience in top-flight football. But when you are blessed, nothing else matters. In his first season, he has done it all - won the Spanish League, the Copa del Rey and the big prize, the Champions League.

We know what he did right - let go of out-of-form Ronaldinho and Deco, brought in Dani Alves and Seydou Keita from Sevilla and Gerard Pique from Manchester United. We know he had great talent at his disposal - footballing genius Lionel Messi, the super-talented Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi, Carles Puyol… a line-up to drool for.

But I loved the happiness he has brought into the squad. The will not just to dance around with the ball but also make sure it was the winning dance. Pep brought back the will to win, opened their eyes to the heights within their reach.

In the Champions League final against Manchester United in Rome, Barcelona showed their class. But it was in the two-leg semifinal against Chelsea that they showed the power of the magic touch.

Chelsea kept them quiet in the first leg goalless draw. In the second leg, Barcelona were almost out of the final reckoning after Michael Essien put Chelsea ahead. Barca kept at it, despite a red card and many penalty appeals against them, as if their Rocky was speaking into their ears, egging them on. Iniesta’s 93rd minute goal is now part of folklore, every Chelsea fan’s haunting nightmare. After that, Barcelona had to win the big Cup. And Pep has to do a lot with the belief Barcelona has.

But will the magic last?
It’s a bit like romance, isn’t it? Initial heady days can never be matched. But if love is strong, it’ll stand the test of time. Pep is a Barcelona boy, a product of the club’s youth programme. He captained Johan Cruyff’s dream team. He loves Barcelona.

But maybe he’ll never win a treble again. Maybe he will win the treble next year. Maybe he won’t remain Barca manager next year. But his magic touch, it was unreal, it felt endless, it overwhelmed.