Taking the pee: What Pep Guardiola meant with his colorful advice to Xabi Alonso before Madrid vs. City

Real Madrid against Manchester City has become one of the most hotly-contested Champions League ties in recent years, partly because of the strength of both teams over the last decade, but also because of the sheer frequency with which their paths have crossed.

On Wednesday, Madrid and City will face each other for the fifth consecutive season in the UCL, and for the sixth time in seven years. They say familiarity breeds contempt, although that is unlikely to be the case on the benches at the Bernabéu.

Guardiola praises opposing manager Alonso

Between 2014 and 2016, Xabi Alonso played a vital role in a Bayern Munich team coached by Pep Guardiola, the duo combining to win two Bundesliga titles and a domestic cup in the DFB-Pokal. “I really love him, I really appreciate him,” the City manager gushed ahead of Wednesday’s heavyweight clash.

But what made Guardiola’s press conference especially memorable was his bizarre and colorful piece of advice for Alonso, who has started to come under pressure after an uninspiring start to life in Madrid.

A tip that raised eyebrows

When asked in Spanish whether he had any advice for his former player, Guardiola responded without hesitation: “That he pee with his own one,” the “one” referring to the part of the body men use to perform such acts. The 54-year-old repeated the phrase for good measure and added a final flourish: “And since he won’t be peeing cologne, it’ll be OK.”

The tip caused confusion among English speakers and even had some Spanish speakers raising their eyebrows. The expression, as explained on the Spanish radio show “El Partidazo de COPE," originates from Catalan and translates to “doing things your own way” or “sticking with your principles.”

What about the cologne?

As for where cologne comes into it, Guardiola was once accused during his time managing Barcelona of “peeing cologne,” which has a similar meaning to “the sun shining out of someone’s ass.”

“There’s your headline, right?” concluded the bullish City boss, a wide smile across his face.

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