Watishista number1barcachick shared this video (in slo mo) of an angry Pep Guardiola slapping Thiago Alacantara across the face during the German Super Cup. My jaw dropped when I saw it. Ridiculously unprofessional. Say what you want about Mou, but I never saw him smack one of our players like this. What’s going on with Pep? Is the pressure getting to him already?! Cules/bi-teamuals, is this normal behavior from him? I’m just so surprised by this. If that shit had gone down on an American team, I’m betting the players union and a few lawyers would have gotten involved. Not cool, Pep, not cool.
– Lozil
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Of Headbands and Heartbreak
watishistacorrespondents
Not a cule or a bi-teamual 😛 but apparently this is standard behaviour. There was Pep pushing Cesc around (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkGaasWuRXw), Pep hitting Dani and Messi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRDLjEmucqE) and throttling Bojan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdpsk2T9laY&feature=youtu.be).
I have no idea what that man is doing. I mean he could’ve done it in jest or slapped him tenderly, but it really doesn’t look good.
Apparently from the reports I read, it was clearly in anger. I knew about the Cesc thing but hadn’t seen the others (as you know, I don’t watch Barca all that often!) Yeah, Mr. needs to keep his hands to himself. If he had done that to me, he’d be wearing his cojones for earrings.
People are in Germany are quite bewildered by this. And that if Pep slaps a fan favourite (aka any of the German NT guys), he will probably get stabbed in an alley with a beer bottle.
Yeah, I can’t imagine him cracking Lahm or Basti across the face and not getting his ass handed to him. Heck, if he goes after Schweini, Angela Merkel will take him out personally (I’m sure Poldi would have a go too if he was still in Germany).
He shouldn’t slap anyone but god help him if he ever touches basti in anger… I want to like pep but he’s making it hard.
i love bayern (although i love madrid more) and i hope he doesn’t do that again to any players there (esp javi martinez!!!)i’m just glad gomez went to fiorentina already..my heart was telling that thiago should have gone to man united instead..
Mou slapped Puyol once walking down the tunnel (as Inter coach). It’s a culturally specific thing. Pep’s known Thiago since he was a little kid. Mou had known Puyi since he was a kid.
It’s on YouTube btw. Search “Mourinho slaps Puyol”.
So it’s not really a big deal unless Thiago cares, and I’m betting he genuinely doesn’t. Had it been any other player, someone he doesn’t know, then it would be a big deal.
I’ve got to disagree with you on this one. I’m Italian-American and in our culture, we tend to pinch cheeks and lightly slap faces as a way of greeting (which is what Mou did to Puyol). So I get that. But Pep slapped Thiago *hard* in anger. HUGE difference. I don’t think this is a culturally specific thing in the slightest – it’s just abusive especially if you take into account those other videos that cy posted in the comments above. He’s clearly angry and physically shoving those players around. I don’t think knowing someone for years is any excuse for slapping them when you’re angry – it’s just a sign of someone who can’t keep their temper and is lashing out. A dick move, IMHO.
So Pep is slap happy with his players. And he sics spies on his players during their off time. Are these part of the price of victory?
He’s always left me cold so things like this don’t overly surprise me, especially after the ‘Puto amo’ thing and more recently the comment from Tito denying that Pep had been there for him. I’ve often thought he has something of the Mr Wickham about him. You know the line about having the appearance of goodness.
Yeah, Pep has always been physical with his players. In the past, I’ve always interpreted it more as rough-housing or just athletes slapping each other on the ass kind of stuff but I bet that left a mark on poor Thiago. I don’t know if that will fly in Germany.
I don’t think what he’s doing in those videos that cy posted as rough housing – he’s really smacking the shit out of those guys and he’s clearly pissed off. I don’t think this is going to fly in Germany either.
So maybe zlatan’s violent outbursts against pep were self defense? Hmmmm…
As Allison, I always interpreted Pep as being just very physical with players (I didn’t know about those situations that cy posted videos of). Apparently, getting an anger management session is good idea for him.
if he continues to do this he is going to slap or push the wrong person one day. that is all atleast i can make sense of what ibra was saying about him now.
I’ll trust cules/bi-teamistas when they say that this isn’t unusual for Pep, and that Thiago, having known him for some time, probably just shrugged it off, no feelings hurt … But SO LORD HELP ME if Pep lays so much as a finger on any of my German (or Dutchie–Hi, Arjen!) boys! 😡