One of Josep Guardiola’s most interesting mysteries has finally been solved, but many football fans probably wish it had been left alone.
The famous footage of Manchester City losing to Arsenal in the 2020 FA Cup semi-finals has long appeared, showing Guardiola intently explaining tactics to an empty chair. The image was perfect.
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Guardiola was engrossed in conversation, gesticulating and talking with all his might like a man trying to solve a football problem, but the seat next to him seemed completely empty.
For years, fans have joked that he wasn’t talking to anyone, or that he was talking to himself or even the ghost of Mikel Arteta. Now the FA has released extensive footage showing the truth.
Guardiola wasn’t speaking to an empty chair at all. He was speaking to his assistants Rodolfo Borrell and Juanma Lillo, who were seated far apart due to social distancing rules.
FA ruins classic Guardiola meme
The explanation makes perfect sense, but that’s exactly why some fans were disappointed.
The original clip was funny because it looked so absurd. Guardiola seemed to be so keen tactically that he even started a full conversation with the chair.
A wider angle removes the mystery and shows more normal scenes from a pandemic-era soccer match.
City were playing Arsenal at Wembley and Arteta was in the early stages of his managerial career after leaving Guardiola’s staff.
Arsenal won the match 2-0, but the later joke that Guardiola did not appear to discuss tactics with anyone while being knocked out by his former assistant grew even louder.
Fans hoped the mystery would survive
The reaction to the FA footage was almost as entertaining as the original footage.
Supporters joked that the governing body had ruined one of the best videos in football by not properly explaining it.
That’s the problem with solving a good soccer meme. The truth may be accurate, but it’s rarely as entertaining as the version fans have already constructed in their heads.
The clip was by no means embarrassing for Guardiola. Rather, it summed up how completely absorbed he could be during a match.
But for others, the empty chair version was better. Now the mystery is gone, and all fans are left with is the unfortunate truth that Guardiola was only talking to his staff about tactics.
