There is little chance you have never heard of Pep Guardiola if you are a football fan. He is the manager of Manchester City, one of England's and Europe's most successful and dominant teams. He has won 15 titles with Manchester City, surpassing his total of 14 with Barcelona.
Also, he is the only manager in history to win the continental treble twice, which is achieved by sweeping the domestic league, domestic cup, and Champions League in the same season. On August 17th, 2023,
Pep's club won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in history, making it their fourth title in 2023.
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Pep Guardiola wins Manchester City's first UEFA Super Cup. | Source: Google[/caption]
Who is Pep Guardiola and how did he become such an accomplished manager? What are his accomplishments and what coaching approach does he employ? Get to know Pep Guardiola, the man behind Manchester City's success, in this in-depth piece.
Pep Guardiola: The Player
Pep Guardiola was born in the Catalan village of Santpedor, Spain on January 18, 1971. At the age of 13, he joined Barcelona's youth academy after having started playing football at a younger age. He was a defensive midfielder who specialized in playing the profound playmaker position, where he set the tempo of the game and fed the ball to his teammates. His skills as a passer, tackler, and game reader were all top-notch.
As a 19-year-old,
he debuted with Barcelona's first team in 1990. Soon after joining Barcelona, he became a first-team regular and pivotal member of the squad that won the club's first European Cup in 1992 and four consecutive Spanish league titles from 1991 to 1994 as part of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team.
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Pep capped for Barcelona winning them many trophies. | Credit: Barcelona.[/caption]
From 1997 till 2001, he led the team as captain before moving on from Barcelona. Guardiola has also played for the Italian clubs Brescia and Roma, the Qatari club Al-Ahli, and the Mexican club Dorados de Sinaloa. With the Spanish national team, he earned 47 caps and played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 UEFA European Championship. In addition, he represented Catalonia in friendly matches.
Watch the highlights of Pep's All-Career goals below:
https://youtu.be/1RL-vR9Ixgs
Pep Guardiola: The Manager
Guardiola retired as a player and then took over as manager of Barcelona B, leading them to the Tercera División championship. In 2008, he became the first-team manager. At the age of 37, he became the youngest manager to win the UEFA Champions League after leading Barcelona to the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Super Cup in his first season in charge.
https://youtu.be/ESbi_aAr2ps
After leading Barcelona to another La Liga and Champions League double during the 2010-11 season, he was voted FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2011. After four years with Barcelona,
Guardiola left with a record 14 trophies in 2012.
Following a period of inactivity, Guardiola returned to football in 2013 and joined Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga in each of the following three seasons, including two domestic doubles.
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Pep Guardiola won the DFB Pokal trophy for Bayern Munich | Source: Google[/caption]
He moved on to manage Manchester City in 2016, and in his second season there, the club won the Premier League. He broke numerous domestic records, as the team became the first to attain
100 points in a single season.
In his fifth year with Manchester City,
Guardiola won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League for the second time in his career. With Manchester City, he has also won the Carabao Cup 4 times in a row and the Community Shield twice. This makes him the most successful manager in Manchester City history, surpassing his own record at Barcelona.
Pep Guardiola: The Philosophy
Coach Pep Guardiola is well-known for his unique approach to the game, which emphasizes pressing and positional play in an attacking style of football centered on possession. When his team loses possession, they press and counter-press aggressively to regain it.
His squads have a reputation for playing with incredible fluidity, creativity, and ferocity. He favors players who are flexible and can perform in a variety of roles. He is also fond of trying out new formations and strategies in an effort to throw off his opponents.
Watch Pep's insightful Manchester City tactical masterclass below:
https://youtu.be/_PwpdV82F3A
Guardiola takes inspiration from legendary coaches like Johan Cruyff, Marcelo Bielsa, and Arrigo Sacchi. Other managers including Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and Julian Nagelsmann have been influenced by his game style and achievement.
Pep Guardiola: The Honorable Achiever
Guardiola has won multiple trophies and awards throughout his coaching career, making him one of the most successful coaches in football history. In fact, he is often considered one of the best managers of all time by other managers, experts and even fans of opposing teams.
- He has won 35 trophies as a manager, including 11 domestic league titles, 15 domestic cups, 3 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 6 FIFA Club World Cups
- He is the only manager to win the continental treble 2 times and the youngest to win the UEFA Champions League
Guardiola has also
won numerous individual awards, including:
- 2X FIFA World Coach of the Year
- 4X Premier League Manager of the Season
- 2X World's Best Club Coach
- 3X UEFA Team of the Year
- 3X LMA Manager of the Year
- 3X IFFHS World's Best Club Coach
- 2 European Coach of the Year
Pep Guardiola: The Legend
The name "Pep Guardiola" is synonymous with football greatness. He is one of the most decorated figures in football history, having won 35 trophies as a manager and 16 titles as a player. His original and influential coaching methods have also left an indelible mark on the sport.
He has led Manchester City to unprecedented heights of excellence and supremacy in England and Europe, making the club one of the best in the world.
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Pep Guardiola celebrates after winning the Champions League. | Credit: Reuters/Google[/caption]
Pep Guardiola's Record with Manchester City
Guardiola has now won more trophies with Manchester City (15) than he did as Barcelona manager (14). Since joining Manchester City as the club's manager, Guardiola has won:
- 5 Premier League titles (2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23)
- 2 FA Cups (2018/19, 2020/21)
- 4 EFL Cups (2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21)
- 2 Community Shields (2018, 2019)
- 1 UEFA Champions League title (2023)
- 1 UEFA Super Cup (2023)
Watch all Manchester City's Cup Final wins under Pep:
https://youtu.be/L85hC7q2JVk
Guardiola has won more games than any other manager in Manchester City's history, surpassing Les McDowall's mark.
When it comes to football coaching, Pep Guardiola is up there with the best of them. His possession-based approach to the game and careful coaching techniques have been hailed as revolutionary by both fans and experts. Guardiola has shown his talent and passion to the sport by leading Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City to championships. Not only is he a genius, but he is also a visionary, a leader, and a victor. He is the mastermind behind Manchester City's success, and his name is Pep Guardiola.
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