Guardiola has led his team to a dozen finals

In the three and a half years in charge of the Barça bench, Pep Guardiola has led his team to 12 finals. The Copa del Rey final will be Barça’s fourth championship match in 2011/12. The team previously played and won the Spanish and European Super Cups and the Club World Cup. Counting the semifinal tie against Valencia in the Copa del Rey, Pep Guadiola’s man have won a total of 24 knock-out ties out of 26.

Barça obtained their ticket to their 12th final since Guardiola took charge of the first team after beating out Valencia in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. As was the case in 2009, Athletic Club is the other Cup finalist. That was the first final out of 11 that Guardiola has played in his three and a half years at Barça. His record isn’t bad, he’s led his team to 10 victories and only 1 defeat (against Real Madrid in the Cup last season).

This will be Guardiola’s third Copa del Rey final in four years. It also happens to be the competition that Barça has played the most finals in with the manager at the helm, along with the Spanish Super Cup. With Guardiola, Barça also managed to play in two Champions League finals, two European Super Cups and two Club World Cup finals.

To get to these 12 finals, Barça has had to knock out opponents. Of the 26 ties played, they have won 24. Only Seville and Inter Milan have been able to beat Barça in a two-leg playoff. The Andalusians did it in the 2009/10 season in the Copa del Rey, where they knocked out Barça in the round of 16. Inter Milan eliminated Barça in the semifinals of the Champions League. (via FCBarcelona.cat)