Barcelona vs Inter: Pep, José, and the Era-Defining Semi-Final - Part One

Welcome to It Was What It Was.As Barcelona and Inter prepare to face off once again in this year’s Champions League semi-final, we look back at the original - a tie that shaped modern football.Pep Guardiola vs. José Mourinho. All-out attack vs. tactical defiance. Ideology, rivalry - maybe even good vs. evil?Fifteen years ago, Pep’s all-conquering Barcelona met Mourinho’s Inter Milan in a Champions League semi-final that didn’t just decide who reached the final - it helped define a footballing era.In Part One, Rob and Jonathan set the scene: how Mourinho’s Inter came to challenge the most dominant team in the world, the tactics he used, the battles he fought in Italy, and how both sides arrived at this collision point chasing domestic and European glory.Part Two drops Friday, where Rob and Jonathan break down the epic semi-final itself.00:00 Barcelona's Football Perfection01:48 Mourinho vs. Guardiola: A Rivalry Begins02:47 The Dark Side of Mourinho03:25 Star Wars Analogies and Football Tactics06:53 Mourinho's Seven-Point Plan07:45 Mourinho's Philosophy and Evolution08:43 Mourinho's Journey to Inter Milan09:58 Cultural Expectations and Pragmatic Football12:23 Mourinho's Press Conference Antics13:44 Mourinho's Linguistic Brilliance14:49 Mourinho's Training Philosophy20:04 Key Matches and Tactical Shifts21:16 Mourinho's First Season at Inter22:27 Transfer Drama: Stars on the Move23:51 Barcelona's Dominance and Challenges26:40 Inter's Journey to the Semifinals28:57 Mourinho's Tactical Mastery32:29 Controversies and Confrontations40:24 The Road to the Semifinals43:57 Setting the Stage for the Epic Semifinal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.