No wonder so many writers and journalists, one of the most successful and prolific football managers in recent history, have tried to get under their skin, put themselves in his shoes and see what makes a champion work. For years, Pep Guardiola’s name has been synonymous with football prowess, a legendary player-turned-manager whose tactics are similar to those of a great chess master. Possibly the world’s most outstanding active manager, Pep Guardiola has been a phenomenon in England, leading Man City through three leagues and many other trophies in his six years at the helm. The Blues are now on the verge of winning their third Premier League title in just four years.
It was the only game City have yet to win under the Catalan boss, and Gary Neville sees it as a treasure for Guardiola as he looks back on his reign at the English club. When Guardiola decides to leave Manchester City to become Netherlands manager, he will have the opportunity to bring Total Football home. Despite other top-flight managers, Keane chose Guardiola, including Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
Guardiola has been surprised to learn how many Premier League Manager of the Month awards Sir Alex Ferguson has won during his time at Manchester United. Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably one of the best managers in the world today, thanks to his impact before his retirement in 2013. Guardiola may be the best manager in the world with an incredible team at his disposal. Still, even he can’t think of winning 16 more Premier League Manager of the Month awards to match Ferguson’s sensational record. However, Guardiola has created a legacy that will not be forgotten for decades thanks to some of the records his team has broken.
Guardiola ended the 2009 calendar year with a record of six trophies, the Spanish League, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup, becoming the first manager in history to do so. In the third season with City, he won a second successive Premier League and EFL Cup and the FA Cup, becoming the first manager to win the national treble in English men’s football.
He also won La Liga Manager of the Year four times at Barcelona. Guardiola has also won three La Liga titles and three Bundesliga crowns with Barcelona and Bayern, respectively. He also has two Champions League trophies on his trophy treasury, with both final wins over Manchester United’s Ferguson in 2009 and 2011. Should City retain the league this season, Guardiola would move up to second in a list of four Premier League-winning managers. World Soccer magazine named him the 5th best football manager of all time in 2013.