Pep Guardiola

Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala is a Catalan professional football manager and former player from Spain who is the manager of Premier League club Manchester Cit

Guardiola was born and reared in the small town Santpedor, just north of , in northeastern. His father was a bricklayer, and his mother was a homemaker. He had two elder sisters and a younger brother. From an early age Guardiola was obsessed with football, and at age 13 he was transferred from a local team (Club Gimnàstic

During the period from 1991 to 1994, Barcelona won the championship of La Liga, the top Spanish football league, four consecutive times. Guardiola also contributed to Barcelona’s capture of four Spanish Super Cups (a tournament among the winners and runners-up of La Liga and the Copa del Rey, Spain’s leading national football tournament), one European Cup (now known as the Union of European Football

Their best season so far undoubtedly came in 2022-23, when Guardiola guided Man City to a historic treble. In winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, they became just the second men’s team in English club history to secure the treble, after Manchester United in 1998-99.

Looking at Guardiola’s City record compared to single spells by other managers at Premier League clubs, his points-per-game average is even higher than José Mourinho’s during his first period in charge of Chelsea between June 2004 and September 2007 (2.33), which brought two Premier League titles to Stamford Bridge.

The Premier League bows down to Pep Guardiola, as the Manchester City manager has made history with the Citizens, from a domestic double to a 100-point season, following a legendary career. Will we consider him the greatest manager in the league’s history?

Cristiano Ronaldo may not have played under Guardiola, but the Portuguese forward’s dominance on the field earned him a spot on the list. Renowned for his athleticism, goal-scoring prowess, and relentless work ethic, Ronaldo became football’s all-time leading scorer. His performances against Guardiola’s Barcelona during El Clasico battles are unforgettable, and his rivalry with Lionel Messi has defined an era in football. Guardiola has often praised Ronaldo’s mentality and achievements, acknowledging him as one of the game’s true legends.

The figures involved in this divorce are astronomical. According to multiple reports, Guardiola has relinquished a significant portion of his fortune to his ex-wife and children, including his luxurious mansion in Manchester. This painful decision reflects Guardiola’s commitment to ensuring the economic well-being of his family after the breakup.

Guardiola’s wife has publicly stated that one of the reasons for the separation was Pep’s excessive dedication to football. According to her, the coach was so immersed in his career that he neglected his family life. This revelation has sparked a debate about the balance between professional and personal life, especially in the highly demanding world of elite football.

Brazilian legend Pele is another of Guardiola’s picks. Pele’s influence on the sport is immeasurable. He won three World Cups with Brazil and scored 77 international goals, a record only recently broken by Neymar. Known for his incredible skill, vision, and finishing ability, Pele paved the way for generations of footballers. Guardiola described Pele as a player whose legacy is eternal, likening him to a timeless masterpiece that continues to inspire fans and players alike.

The Spaniard, who started his role in July 2016, is currently the longest-serving manager among all 20 Premier League teams, and has become only the second manager to reach this figure in the club’s history. The Spaniard, who started his role in July 2016, is currently the longest-serving manager among all 20 Premier League teams, and has become only the second manager to reach this figure in the club’s history.

“It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here,” Guardiola added. “I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much. Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”

Remarkably, Mourinho is the only coach to have won all three UEFA-sanctioned European competitions: the Champions League, the Europa League, and the European Conference League. He lifted the Champions League trophy with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010, the Europa League with Porto in 2003 and Manchester United in 2017, and most recently won the European Conference League with Roma in 2022.

It means that City are the first team in Champions League history to be leading a match by three goals as late as the 75th minute and fail to go on to win.

On his side’s performance, he remarked: “The game was fine at 3-0, playing good, but then we concede a lot goals because we were not stable. We gave them the first and then the other one, that is why it was difficult.

“He helped me from the first day I arrived and showed me a different spectrum of how to play football that I had never experienced before and how to make myself better on the pitch as a player,” he stated.

He said: “The way it’s being talked about, I can feel for our fanbase and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced. I think we as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we’re going through it. It’s taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I’ve always repeated, let’s be judged by the facts and not by claims and counter-claims.”

Not only was the world title the first in City’s history, the 52-year-old became the first manager to win the competition on four separate occasions following previous successes with Barcelona and Bayern Munich The Spaniard, who started his role in July 2016, is currently the longest-serving manager among all 20 Premier League teams, and has become only the second manager to reach this figure in the club’s history.

Guardiola’s tenure as manager has been remarkably successful, winning 18 major honors at the club, including six Premier League titles and the club’s maiden UEFA Champions League triumph, securing the trophy in the 2022–23 season as part of a treble-winning campaign.

Haaland continued his complaints after the game, going on to criticise Hooper in a social media post, but the Norwegian is not facing any individual action from the FA. When asked about this, Guardiola preferred to highlight some of the more magnanimous comments from his players about the incident and defended their general conduct.

“It’s most difficult to win the first one,” he said. “But every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League. Nothing changes from before.

After the Claudio Bravo experiment failed, Guardiola desperately needed to get his next goalkeeper signing right when ruthlessly replacing Joe Hart in a bid to turn City into a more ball-dominant side. That man was Ederson, who came straight from Benfica and took to the role like a duck to water.

After 304 appearances at City for Guardiola, Gundogan called time on an exceptional stint at City this summer to sign for Guardiola’s first club Barcelona.

“What could I say – it was an incredible seven years together,” Guardiola recalled when speaking to City’s website: “I don’t have the words to describe my gratitude to him. I wish him all the best in the challenge of his life.”

He added that his former club had ‘bought an incredible player’. The German took the captain’s armband from Fernandinho following his departure and overcame early injury struggles to prove integral to City’s fortunes under Pep.