Guardiola’s shocking question to a Barca star before the Wembley final.. and an unforgettable line from Tito Vilanova

Days before one of the greatest nights in Barcelona’s history, Pep Guardiola called one of his players into his office and asked him a question no player expects to hear before a Champions League final.

Years later, the man at the centre of the story has revealed what was said in that office, along with an equally surprising moment with the late Tito Vilanova, in an interview full of untold stories.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona legend Pedro Rodriguez said Guardiola called him in on the first day of the week of the Champions League final at Wembley and asked him directly whether he was eager to play in the final or scared of it.

“I told him: no, man, I’m ready, I’m ready to play it and to do it well. And he says: are you sure? And I say yes. Then he said: you’re going to start,” Pedro said, adding that Guardiola told him to press every ball, push forward and shoot whenever he had the chance. “It was like, wow. He always had a lot of confidence in me and knew how to motivate me, and I think I responded well.”

On Tito Vilanova, Pedro called him “one of the most honest and loyal people” he has known in football, and recalled a run of games in which he was starting but not scoring. Tito came to him and joked: “Look, Pedro, you couldn’t score against a rainbow, and I’m sorry, but I have to bench you and give other players a chance.”

Pedro said he replied: “Of course, boss, no problem, you’re right, right now I’m playing terribly,” adding that Tito gave him a lot both on and off the pitch from his early days in the Barca B project under Guardiola.

He also spoke about Luis Enrique, describing him as a coach with a winning mentality and huge ambition, and said Guardiola and Luis Enrique are two of the best coaches in the world.

On his Barcelona exit, he said: “My departure from Barca was due to circumstances. It was the club I loved most, but I could see I was getting fewer and fewer chances and we decided the best thing was to try other experiences,” adding that leaving the city where his family and children lived was hard but helped him grow as a person and as a player.