The Champions League that makes Guardiola legendary

He will fall more or less likeable in certain sectors because of his glorious past at FC Barcelona, ​​because of his ideas outside of sport, because of those who see his way of being a point of overacting but he already has the Champions League with Manchester City in his bag. demanded by those who refused to recognize her merits and with her Pep Guardiola he is definitely a soccer legend.

Guardiola was one of the most successful coaches in history. Now He is already the only one who has been able to win the treble (League, Cup and Champions League) twice, and with different teams, after achieving it for the first time with Barça in 2009. In total he has 35 titles obtained in 15 years of career in the elite of the benches.

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Pep has definitely gotten rid of the refrain that followed him. “He has never been a European champion without Messi,” his critics repeated. Perhaps to take the pressure off, the Santpedor coach always replied that “I didn’t come to win the Champions League, they didn’t ask me to.”

Guardiola’s record as a coach

35 titles with Barça, Bayern and City

With FC Barcelona (14)
3 LaLiga (2009, 2010, 2011)
2 King’s Cups (2009, 2012)
3 Spanish Super Cups (2009, 2010, 2011)
2 Champions League (2009, 2011)
2 European Super Cups (2009, 2011)
2 Club World Cups (2009, 2011)

With Bayern Munich (7)
3 in the Bundesliga (2014, 2015, 2016)
2 DFB Cup (2014, 2016)
1 European Super Cup (2013)
1 Club World Cup (2013)

With Manchester City (14)
5 Premier League (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
2 FA Cups (2019, 2023)
4 League Cups (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
2 Community Shield (2018, 2019)
1 Champions League (2023)

Guardiola had refused to admit it until being forced days before the end of Istanbul to ensure that “Everything we’ve done, which has been very, very good, will make sense in many years if we win the Champions League And if we don’t win it, it won’t make sense.”

1,242 million euros later

Now he already has the ‘Orejona’ with City, but even so his most stubborn detractors hammer him with that “with the sheikh’s millions like that”. It is true that from the United Arab Emirates, its owners have invested 1,242 million euros in signings (572 have also entered in transfers) since Guardiola arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, but money in football is not everything.

And if not, ask the Qatari owners of PSG. They bought it in 2011 and their ambitious project to reign in Europe continues to fail year after year.

Cruyff’s legacy

Guardiola has taken seven years to elevate City in the Champions League and it has achieved it thanks to the abundant money coming from Abu Dhabi that has allowed it to incorporate Erling Haalandan absolutely differential scorer.

But the ‘sky blues’ have definitely made history today in Istanbul thanks to to Pep’s personal stampto that football philosophy, to that commitment to the game of possession and rapid circulation of the ball that he learned from his idol Johan Cruyff in his stage as a Barça player and he has not abandoned even in the worst moments.

Ambition, passion and obsession to innovate

Everyone knows how City plays, an unmistakable style that would not be synonymous with success without the ambition and passion with which Guardiola lives football and his leadership skills, which he transmits to his pupils and keeps them permanently engaged. This is the only way to explain have won five of the last six editions of the Premier League, the most demanding and competitive championship in the world.

At 52 years old, Pep maintains his obsession with permanently introducing nuances and tactical variants so that City is not predictable for its rivals. Play with three center backs and advance John Stones to the double pivot with Rodri It has been one of the keys this season. The result of so much work and dedication is this Champions League for the pride of Guardiola and the guardiolismo.