Is Pep Guardiola the most influential manager in football history?
Satisfied but always hungry for more, Guardiola spoke about his feelings after the 4-0 win over Fluminense in the final of the Club World Cup.
"I'm very happy for many people who have followed the club for many years. Today we're celebrating on the plane, tomorrow we're going to rest. Then we'll buy a new book and get back to writing great stories."
In his eight years in England, the coach has not only broken records, but also given Manchester City a new dimension. It's a record worthy of the greatest, and the fruit of a long endeavour to write a little more history, after winning six titles with Barcelona in 2009.
Makeover
When he arrived at City after an epic campaign with Bayern Munich in 2016, Guardiola had just one idea in mind: to turn the English club into a real national and European contender. The arrival of Emirates management was supposed to change all that and usher in a new era.
But that's not what happened. The Cityzens had never won so much, both nationally and internationally. The Manchester club is now at the top of the world and owes a lot to the Spanish tactician.
New players took to the field at the Etihad Stadium, new offensive and defensive tactics were put into practice and history unfolded before our eyes. With a rejuvenated squad and the pieces being polished, Guardiola shaped everything that allowed rivals Manchester United to win five Premier Leagues, four League Cups, two FA Super Cups and two FA Cups. A fact confirmed by Riyad Mahrez in 2020: "When you see his team play, you know it's Guardiola. He's left his mark here."
A fan of total football and spectacle football, he simply revolutionised his club and gave it a new identity. In 2018, just two years after his arrival, he explained on SFR Sport 1: "When I have the ball, I can score. My players became footballers to play with the ball. I give them that pleasure. At the moment, I have the most attacking players in space. So we use the whole pitch to score goals."
He has made this identity the symbol of the Cityzens. Manchester City's maestro demonstrates his talent and desire for excellence every year: "We try to move quickly to try to dislodge our well-organised opponents. Passing the ball quickly disrupts their structure."
Standards
What also characterises Guardiola's time at Manchester City is his entire philosophy. In addition to his "spectacular" style of play, the Catalan demands a lot from his players. The aim is to achieve and maintain excellence. That's why training sessions are conducted with an iron fist and performances on the pitch are meticulously orchestrated.
And that suits his players. The more they train, the better they become. "Being coached by Pep is a definite achievement," said Ilkay Gundogan in 2020. "He asks a lot of his players, but after that, he's able to make you one of the best in the world," Ederson testified at the same time.
"He knows how to get the best out of us," Ferran Torres also attested.
There is plenty of praise for a coach that has won the acclaim of the world. Under his guidance, players from Barcelona and Bayern have developed. But it was at City where he has had the greatest impact. The list is long. Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, John Stones, Julian Alvarez... And many others have been able to develop their talent thanks to the involvement of their coach. Which is the mark of a great coach.
The Catalan's career speaks for itself. All the records he's broken and the trophies he's won already prove that he's a great asset.
But if we take a closer look at his achievements, we realise that the most important thing was to breathe new life into a team that was struggling to make it into the big six English teams and to train a new generation of champions. Which inevitably makes him a sporting legend.