Barcelona’s latter day golden era is the subject of an intriguing new documentary which is due for release next month entitled “Take the Ball, Pass the Ball”.
Based on the book “Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World” by ESPN FC’s Spanish writer Graham Hunter, the film offers a definitive look at the club’s silver-laden period between 2008 and 2012.
With Pep Guardiola at the helm, Barca’s star-studded squad morphed into the perfect footballing entity, fuelled by the emergence of Lionel Messi and moulded by their new head coach and his singular vision.
A stellar cast is also involved, with Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Thierry Henry, Carles Puyol and Guardiola himself all offering insights into the Camp Nou revolution.
Having watched the teaser, here’s five things we learned.
1. Carles Puyol is literally unstoppable, even when towing an Andres Iniesta-shaped trailer.
2. Courtesy of Xavi, we now know that the Spanish equivalent for “goosebumps” is “la piel de gallina“, or “the skin of a chicken”, which is nice.
3. Considering the money he’s on out in Qatar, you’d think Mr. Hernandez could afford to treat himself to a pair of new jeans. He’s obviously spending all of that disposable cash on amassing special tactical water glasses.
4. Enjoying a good old fashioned primal scream was obviously an integral part of Barcelona’s footballing philosophy between 2008 and 2012.
5. Johan Cruyff was either 20 feet tall or two people in an oversized raincoat.
Should your whistle be whetted at the prospect, you’ll be glad to know that “Take the Ball, Pass the Ball” will be first shown in selected cinemas on Nov. 9 before being released on DVD and Digital Download on Nov. 12.