After retiring as a player, Guardiola briefly managedBarcelona B and won theTercera División title before taking charge of the first team in 2008. In hisfirst season, Guardiola led Barcelona to thecontinental treble of La Liga, theCopa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, becoming the youngest manager to win the latter competition. He was named theFIFA World Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading the club to another La Liga and Champions Leaguedouble in the2010–11 season. Guardiola ended his four-year Barcelona stint in 2012 with 14 honours,a club record.
Born inSantpedor, Barcelona, Catalonia, Guardiola joinedLa Masia at age 13 from Gimnàstic de Manresa and rose through the ranks of Barcelona's youth academy for six years, making his debut in 1990 againstCádiz.[12] AsPhil Ball writes inMorbo,
In his first week at the club,Johan Cruyff turned up unannounced at theMini Estadi, a venue just down the road fromCamp Nou used byBarcelona B. Just before half-time he wandered into the dug-out and askedCharly Rexach, the youth team manager at the time, the name of the young lad playing on theright side of midfield. "Guardiola – good lad," came the reply. Cruyff ignored the comment and told Rexach to move him into the middle for the second half, to play aspivot. It was a difficult position to adapt to and one not used by many teams in Spain at the time. Guardiola adjusted immediately, as Cruyff had suspected he would, and when he moved to the first-team in 1990, he became the pivot of theDream Team.[13]
Guardiola became a first-team regular in the1991–92 season, and at only 20 years old was a key component of a side that wonLa Liga and theEuropean Cup.[14] The Italian magazineGuerin Sportivo heralded Guardiola as the finest player in the world under the age of 21.[15] Cruyff's "Dream Team" went on to retain La Liga title in the1992–93 and1993–94 seasons. The side again reached the1994 UEFA Champions League final, but were beaten 4–0 byFabio Capello'sAC Milan side inAthens. Cruyff left in 1996, with Barcelona finishing fourth in the1994–95 season and third in the1995–96 season, but Guardiola retained his position at the centre of Barcelona's midfield.[citation needed]
Guardiola returned to actionthe following season and Barcelona once again wonLa Liga. On 8 June 1998, Guardiola underwent surgery to try to resolve his lingering calf injury, which had caused him to miss the1998 FIFA World Cup for Spain. A largely disappointing1999–2000 season again ended in surgery, with Guardiola missing the last three months of the season with a seriousankle injury.
On 11 April 2001, Barcelona's captain announced his intention to leave the club after 17 years of service. He stated that it was a personal decision and, in part, a response to what he perceived as football heading in a new, more physical, direction. On 24 June 2001, Guardiola played his last match with Barcelona in the final game of the season againstCelta Vigo.[16] Guardiola played 479 games in 12 seasons for the first team, winning 16 trophies. At the press conference after the Celta game, he said: "It's been a long journey. I'm happy, proud, happy with the way people treated me and I have made many friends. I cannot ask for more. I have had many years in the elite. I did not come to make history but to make my own history." A number of future Barcelona midfielders, includingXavi,Andrés Iniesta andCesc Fàbregas, have hailed Guardiola as their role model and hero.[17]
2001–2006: Later career
After leaving Barcelona in 2001 at age 30, Guardiola joinedSerie A sideBrescia asAndrea Pirlo's replacement in thedeep-lying playmaker role, where he played alongsideRoberto Baggio under managerCarlo Mazzone.[18] Following his stint at Brescia, Guardiola transferred toRoma. His time in Italy, however, was unsuccessful and included a four-month ban for testing positive fornandrolone (he was cleared of all charges in 2009).[19]
After his career with Brescia and Roma, in 2003, Guardiola played in Qatar withAl-Ahli fromDoha in theQatar Stars League. In 2005–06, he turned down offers from a number of European clubs, as he felt his playing career was coming to a close.[20]
In 2006,Juan Manuel Lillo was appointed the manager of Mexican clubDorados. Lillo recruited Guardiola to play for the club while he was in managing school in Axocopán,Atlixco,Puebla. Guardiola played with Dorados for six months, but was limited to ten appearances due to injuries, before retiring. He scored one goal for the club.[21]
Guardiola was a member of the Spanish team during the1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals, losing 2–1 toItaly. Due to disagreements, he fell out of favour with Spain coachJavier Clemente and missed out onUEFA Euro 1996.[24] Guardiola suffered a career-threatening injury in 1998 which kept him out ofthe year's World Cup, but later played atEuro 2000, where Spain reached another quarter-final, this time losing toFrance by the same margin of 2–1. He continued to play in the Spanish midfield until his final appearance on 14 November 2001, in a 1–0 victory in a friendly match againstMexico. Guardiola scored his last international goal againstSweden in a 1–1 friendly draw during his 45th appearance.[when?][25]
Guardiola was a highly creative, hard-working, nimble, and elegant player, with good anticipation, tactical awareness, and an ability to read the game; throughout his career, he was usually deployed as either acentral ordefensive midfielder in front of his team's back-line,[27][28][29] although he was also capable of playing in moreattacking midfield roles.[30] Although he was competent defensively and able to press opponents to break up play and win the ball effectively through his team-work and defensive positioning,[30][31][32] he also had a tendency to give away many fouls; as such, and also in part due to his slender physical build, he usually functioned as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence, where he excelled courtesy of his technical ability and intelligent, efficient, precise passing game.[28][30][33][34] He would also occasionally drop deeper to act as an additionalcentre-back in Cruyff's fluid 3–4–3 formation at Barcelona.[35] Despite his lack of notable pace, dribbling ability, aerial prowess, or strong physical or athletic attributes, Guardiola was highly regarded throughout his career for his vision, close control, passing range, positional sense, and calm composure on the ball, as well as his speed of thought,[30][36] which enabled him to retain possession under pressure and either set the tempo of his team's play in midfield with quick and intricate short first-time exchanges,[30][37][38] or switch the play or create chances with longer passes.[30][38][39][40][41] His role has also been likened to that of ametodista ("centre-half", in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively.[42]
Guardiola was capable of being an offensive threat, due to his ability to make attacking runs[43] or strike accurately from distance; he was also effective at creating chances or shooting on goal from set-pieces. Having served as captain of both Barcelona and the Spanish national side, he also stood out for his leadership throughout his career.[44][45] Despite his playing ability, he was also known to be injury prone throughout his career.[30]
Reception
Guardiola's playing style, which relied on creativity, technique and ball movement, rather than physicality and pace, inspired several future diminutive Spanish playmaking midfielders, such asXavi,[46][47]Andrés Iniesta,[48] andCesc Fàbregas, with the latter describing him as his "idol".[49] Pirlo instead described Guardiola as the "model" for the position which he himself occupied deep in midfield.[47] Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta once described Guardiola as "the best central midfielder in our history."[50] Johan Cruyff considered him to be one of the bestmidfielders of his generation,[51] a view echoed by Richard Jolly ofFourFourTwo and Marco Frattino, the latter of whom stated in 2018: "Twenty years ago, [...] Pep Guardiola was one of the best midfielders in the world."[52][53] In 2001, his agent Josè Maria Orobitg described him as the best in the world at dictating the tempo and rhythm of his team's play.[38]
Miguel Val ofMarca considered Guardiola to be one of the greatest Spanish players of all time, describing him as the "brains of Barcelona's Dream Team under Johan Cruyff" in 2020.[54] Federico Aquè described him as one of the best deep-lying playmakers in European football in his prime,[30] while Lee Bushe of90min.com even included him in his list of "The Best Deep-Lying Playmakers of All Time" in 2020.[55]
Upon being appointed, Guardiola made headlines by announcing that stars such asRonaldinho,Deco andSamuel Eto'o were not part of his plans forthe coming season,[58] though Eto'o was, in the end, allowed to remain.
Guardiola's first competitive game as manager was in thethird qualifying round of theChampions League, in which Barcelona comfortably beat Polish clubWisła Kraków 4–0 in the first leg at home. They then lost 1–0 in the second leg, but progressed with a 4–1 aggregate victory. PromotedNumancia also defeated Barcelona in the opening matchday of the2008–09 La Liga,[59] but the team then went on an undefeated streak for over 20 matches to move to the top of the league. Barcelona maintained their spot atop La Liga's table, securing their first league title since 2006 when rivalsReal Madrid lost at Villarreal on 16 May 2009. The most important match, however, was on 2 May when they defeated Real Madrid6–2 at theSantiago Bernabéu. The league title was the second piece of silverware in Guardiola's first season at the club. Earlier, on 13 May, Barcelona won the2008–09 Copa del Rey, beatingAthletic Bilbao 4–1 in the2009 Copa del Rey final.[citation needed]
In February 2010, Guardiola managed his 100th match for Barcelona's first team. His record stood at 71 wins, 19 draws and 10 losses, with 242 goals for and 76 against.[63] On 10 April 2010, he became the first manager in Barcelona's history to beat Real Madrid four times in a row inEl Clásico. Barcelona reached thesemi-finals of the 2009–10 Champions League, but lost 3–2 on aggregate toJosé Mourinho's Inter Milan.[64] Despite this, they managed to win their 20th La Liga title with 99 points by beatingReal Valladolid 4–0 at home.[65] At the time, this was the highest points total ever gained amongst any ofEurope's major leagues.[66] The La Liga title was Guardiola's seventh trophy as manager of the club, tyingFerdinand Daučík for second behind Johan Cruyff and his 11 trophies.[citation needed]
2010–11: Second Champions League title
On 21 August, Barcelona beat Sevilla 5–3 on aggregate to win the2010 Supercopa de España, his second in a row. On 29 November 2010, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5–0, giving Guardiola five straight wins inEl Clásico. On 8 February 2011, Guardiola accepted the club's offer for a one-year deal extension, signing a contract until June 2012.[67]
On 11 May 2011, Barcelona won the La Liga title and the club's third in a row after a 1–1 draw withLevante.[68][69] On 28 May, Barcelona beat Manchester United 3–1 atWembley in the2011 Champions League final.[70]
Barcelona won their second trophy of the season on 26 August, beatingPorto 2–0 in the2011 UEFA Super Cup.[72] With the trophy won against Porto, he became all-time record holder of most titles won as amanager at Barcelona, with 12 trophies in only three years.[73] November of the same year saw Guardiola manager his 200th match for Barcelona's first team. His record stood at 144 wins, 39 draws and 17 losses with 500 goals for and 143 against.[74]
Barcelona ended the 2011 calendar year winning theClub World Cup, beating Brazilian clubSantos 4–0 in thefinal, the widest margin in an Intercontinental Cup/Club World Cup final since changing to a single match format. This was Guardiola's 13th title of only 16 tournaments played.[75] On 9 January 2012, he was namedFIFA World Coach of the Year. On his 41st birthday, he led his side to a 2–1 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid inEl Clásico, ensuring that he remained unbeaten against Real Madrid in regular time as a manager. On 21 April, Guardiola conceded the league title to leaders Real Madrid after they beat Barcelona 2–1 and extended their lead in the table to seven points with four matches remaining.
On 24 April, a 2–2 draw at home against Chelsea in thesecond leg of theChampions League semi-final knocked Barcelona out of the competition on a 2–3 aggregate score. That effectively left the team with only theCopa del Rey to play for.[76] Guardiola had faced criticism over his recent tactics and squad selections.[77] On 27 April 2012, he announced he would step down as Barcelona's manager at the end of the2011–12 season. He had been on a rolling contract that was renewed annually during his tenure as manager. Citing tiredness as the main reason for his decision, he also commented that four years at a club like Barcelona felt like an eternity.[78]
Guardiola continued to lead Barcelona to wins in the remaining La Liga games ofthe season, followed by a 3–0 win in the Copa del Reyfinal. His record of 14 trophies in four seasons has made him the most successful manager inBarcelona's history. Barcelona announced that he would be succeeded byTito Vilanova, who would begin leading the first team at the start of the2012–13 season.[79]
Sabbatical
After his time at Barcelona came to an end, Guardiola took a year'ssabbatical in New York City.[80] On 7 January 2013, he came in third place for the 2012FIFA World Coach of the Year, behind the winnerVicente del Bosque and runner-up José Mourinho.[81] While at a news conference at the2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or gala inZürich, Guardiola said: "I have taken a decision to return to coaching but beyond that no decision has been taken. I don't have a team to go to but I would like to go back to coaching."[82]
In December 2013, Guardiola won his thirdClub World Cup after beatingRaja Casablanca in Morocco.[89] On 25 March 2014, he led Bayern to their 23rdBundesliga title by beatingHertha Berlin 3–1 at theOlympiastadion in Berlin. With seven matches remaining in the season, it was the earliest the championship had been won in Bundesliga history, breaking the record Heynckes' Bayern had set in the previous season.[90] Guardiola brokeKarl-Heinz Feldkamp's record for the longest winning streak to start his tenure at a Bundesliga club.[91] The streak ended at 28 whenAugsburg defeated Bayern 1–0[92] on matchday 29.[93] The streak also ended Bayern's 53–match undefeated streak.[92]
Bayern were drawn against Real Madrid in thesemi–finals ofChampions League.[94] Bayern lost the first leg 1–0[95] and the second leg 4–0.[96] The first leg was also Guardiola's first defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu.[97] He finished the 2013–14 season by winning theDFB-Pokal 2–0 in extra–time.[98]
Guardiola in 2014
In the2014–15 season, Bayern lost theGerman Super Cup 2–0 to Borussia Dortmund.[99] On 11 March 2015, Bayern defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 7–0, tying their largest win in Champions League history.[100] In Guardiola's 100th match as manager, Bayern defeated Porto 6–1.[101] With the win, Bayern reached their fourth-straight Champions League semi-final.[101] On 28 April 2015, Bayern were knocked out of the German Cup in a penalty shoot-out.[102] Bayern had missed all four of their shots.[102] In his first competitive match against Barcelona, Bayern lost 3–0.[103] Bayern failed to get a shot on target in the match.[104] For the first time in his career, he lost four in a row (including the shoot-out loss).[105]
2015–16: Second domestic double and final season
Guardiola during a press conference in 2015
The2015–16 season started on 1 August 2015 when Bayern lost in a shoot-out to Wolfsburg in the German Super Cup.[106] In the league, Bayern won their first ten matches.[107] The first time they dropped points in the league was on 30 October 2015 in a 0–0 scoreline againstEintracht Frankfurt[107] and their first loss in the league was on 5 December 2015 in a 3–1 scoreline to Borussia Mönchengladbach.[108] In the Champions League group stage, Bayern won Group F,[109] winning five out of the six matches.[110] Bayern's only loss in the Champions League group stage was against Arsenal on 20 October.[111] This was Bayern's first loss in all competitions during the 2015–16 season.[112]
On 20 December, Bayern confirmed that Guardiola was leaving the club after his contract expired at the end of the season, withCarlo Ancelotti his replacement for the 2016–17 season.[113][114]
On 3 May 2016, Guardiola's Bayern Munich lost to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals stage, thereby ending his final chance of winning a Champions League title with the Bavarian club.[115] Guardiola's final match was on 21 May 2016, with Bayern defeating Borussia Dortmund in a shootout.[116] He finished with a record of 82 wins, eleven draws and nine losses in the Bundesliga; a record of 14 wins, three draws and no losses in theDFB-Pokal; a record of 23 wins, five draws and eight losses in theUEFA Champions League.[117] He also went a combined two wins, two draws, and two losses in theFIFA Club World Cup,UEFA Super Cup, and theGerman Super Cup.[117] In non–official competitions, he went a combined six wins, one draw, and one loss.[117]
On 13 August 2016, Guardiola earned victory in his first match of thePremier League season, as City defeatedSunderland 2–1.[121] On 11 September, Guardiola won his firstManchester derby as a manager in a 2–1 City victory atOld Trafford; this was also his sixth win against his "rival" manager José Mourinho.[122]
City were leaders going into the international break, but their form declined thereafter. Manchester City lost toEverton 0–4 on 15 January 2017; this was Guardiola's biggest-ever managerial defeat in a domestic competition.[123] In Europe, City were eliminated in theChampions League round of 16 byMonaco onaway goals after a 6–6 aggregate draw. The second leg of the tie was Guardiola's 100th game as a manager in European competition, and he arrived at that mark with the best record of any manager, having earned 61 wins and 23 draws (one draw better than the previous record holder, Guardiola's former manager at Barcelona, Louis van Gaal).[124] Following a loss toArsenal in theFA Cup semi-finals, Guardiola finished the season without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career.
2017–18: "Centurions" and first Premier League title
Guardiola identified the defensive areas which required improvement for Manchester City in the summer transfer window to challenge for the league title, particularly in the goalkeeper and full-back positions. Due to Bravo's struggles the previous season,Ederson was brought in as the new first-choice goalkeeper. Wing-backsBenjamin Mendy andKyle Walker were also signed, while dispensing of all the previous senior full-backs at the club inAleksandar Kolarov,Gaël Clichy,Bacary Sagna andPablo Zabaleta. Additionally,Bernardo Silva andDanilo were also acquired from Monaco and Real Madrid, respectively.[125]
On 25 February 2018, City won the2017–18 EFL Cup after beating Arsenal 3–0 in thefinal, which was Guardiola's first trophy with the club.[126] On 15 April, City were confirmed as2017–18 Premier League champions following Manchester United's 1–0 home defeat toWest Bromwich Albion.[127] After finishing the league season with a record-breaking 100 points, Guardiola signed a new contract with City until 2021.[128][129]
2018–2020: Domestic treble and Champions League disappointment
On 24 February 2019, Guardiola's side played Chelsea in theEFL Cup final held atWembley. The match ended 0–0 after extra time, and Manchester City won 4–3 on penalties to retain the trophy for the second year in a row.[132][133] On 9 April, City faced Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of theirChampions League quarter-finals, held at Tottenham'snew stadium. The game ended in a 0–1 defeat for City.[134] The second leg was held at theEtihad Stadium on 17 April, where Guardiola's side beat Tottenham 4–3, with City's last-minute fifth goal having been controversially disallowed.[135] Due to theaggregate score being a 4–4 draw, Tottenham went through to the semi-finals on away goals.[136] On 12 May, Guardiola secured a second consecutivePremier League title. His side finished on 98 points, one point aboveLiverpool, after a 4–1 victory atBrighton & Hove Albion in the final match of the season.[137] On 18 May, City beatWatford 6–0 in thefinal of theFA Cup, becoming the first ever men's team in England to win a domestic treble.[138][139][140]
Guardiola made two major acquisitions during the summer transfer window of 2019 in defenderJoão Cancelo fromJuventus for £27.4m plusDanilo and midfielderRodri fromAtlético Madrid for a fee of £62.8 million, a club record.[141] These signings meant that the value of the City squad had exceeded €1 billion,[142] becoming the first football club in the world to assemble a squad with this value. On 4 August 2019, City began the season with a penalty shoot-out victory against Liverpool in theCommunity Shield, claiming the trophy for the second straight year. During the match, Guardiola also became the first Premier League manager to receive a yellow card from the referee.[143][144] On 1 March, Manchester City beatAston Villa 2–1 in the2020 EFL Cup final, winning the competition for a third successive season.[145] City finished second in the2019–20 Premier League after a spring hiatus due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. After defeating Real Madrid in the2019–20 Champions League round of 16, Guardiola's side facedLyon in the single-elimination quarter-finals on 15 August 2020. City lost the match 1–3 and was eliminated at the quarter-final stage for the third season in a row.[146]
2020–2024: Premier League four-peat, Champions League win and continental treble
The2020–21 season saw City's defence greatly improve compared to the last campaign, conceding just one goal in twelve matches played.[147] On 19 November 2020, Guardiola signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City until summer 2023.[148] He won his 500th game as manager after City beatSheffield United 1–0 at home in thePremier League on 31 January 2021; it was the ninth game City had won in January, becoming the team with the most wins in a single month in the top four tiers of English football since theFootball League began in 1888.[149] Following a 3–1 victory overSwansea City in theFA Cup on 10 February, Guardiola's side broke the record for the longest winning run in English top-flight football history, with fifteen straight victories for City in all competitions.[150]
Guardiola won his third Premier League title on 11 May after Manchester United's home defeat to Leicester City,[151] two weeks after beating Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 in the2021 EFL Cup final to claim that trophy for the fourth successive time.[152] On 29 May, Manchester City played in theChampions League final for the first time in their history, losing to Chelsea 0–1. Following the match, Guardiola was criticised for his team selection and not starting a defensive midfielder. Chelsea managerThomas Tuchel also admitted that he was surprised not to see midfielderFernandinho in the City starting line-up.[153][154][155][156]
During the summer transfer window of 2021, Manchester City broke the British transfer record by signing Aston Villa midfielderJack Grealish for £100m.[157] On 25 September, he surpassedLes McDowall as the manager with the most wins in Manchester City history following their 1–0 away victory over Chelsea in thePremier League. On 22 May 2022, Manchester City won the Premier League with a 3–2 victory over Aston Villa. This was Guardiola's fourth title at the club, placing him second on the list ofmanagers with the most Premier League titles.[158]
During the2022–23 season, Manchester City won their third consecutivePremier League title, their fifth under Guardiola.[159] On 23 November 2022, Guardiola signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City until summer 2025.[160][161] On 3 June 2023, the club won their second FA Cup under Guardiola after a 2–1 victory over rivals Manchester United in thefinal to achieve another domestic double.[162] On 10 June 2023, he led the club to their first Champions League title, and his personal third, after a 1–0 win against Inter Milan in thefinal, which completed their continental treble.[163]
On 16 August 2023, Guardiola won a record-equalingfourth UEFA Super Cup title, also becoming the first-ever manager to win the trophy with three different clubs, as the Mancunian side defeatedSevilla 5–4 on penalties following a 1–1 draw.[164][165] On 22 December, Guardiola guided City to their firstFIFA Club World Cup trophy, as they beatFluminense 4–0 in thefinal, and became the first English club to win five titles in a calendar year. With this achievement, Guardiola became the first manager in history to win four FIFA Club World Cup titles. Following the match, Guardiola stated that he "had the feeling [...] would close the chapter, we won all the titles, there's nothing else to win. I had a feeling the job was done, it was over".[166][167]
Man City's Champions League defence was ended in the quarter finals following a 4–3 loss on penalties after a 4—4 aggregate draw toReal Madrid who Man City beat 5–1 in the semi finals of theprevious Champions League which ended Man City's hope of consecutive continental trebles.[168]
On 19 May 2024, Man City beatWest Ham United 3–1 on the final day of the season to win their fourth straight Premier League title with 91 points, two points ahead of Arsenal, becoming the first English club to win four top flight league titles in a row.[169] A week later, Man City lost theFA Cup Final to Manchester United 2–1 which ended their chance of a consecutive domestic double.[170]
2024–present: Decline and challenges
Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's 2024–25 season initially mirrored the success of the previous campaign, winning theCommunity Shield for the first time since2019 and for the third time in the Guardiola era and beginning the league season with an unbeaten run of nine games.[171] However, the team's fortunes took a downturn following a 1–2 defeat toTottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. This loss marked the beginning of a difficult period for the club, as they won only one of their next thirteen matches across all competitions.[172][171]
On 9 November 2024, Man City were beaten 2–1 by Brighton & Hove Albion, meaning that for the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola had suffered four losses in a row in regulation time.[173] On 22 November 2024, Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension with the club which will keep him at the Etihad until 2027,[174] despite earlier widespread speculation that he might not renew his contract and could leave the club at the end of the2024–25 Premier League season.[175][176] However, a day later, Guardiola suffered his heaviest ever home defeat as Manchester City manager in a 4–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.[177]
On 19 February 2025, Manchester City was eliminated from the2024-25 Champions League after a 3-6 aggregate loss to Real Madrid, marking their first failure to reach the round of sixteen since the 2012–13 season.[178] Guardiola, reflecting on the team's struggles, openly criticized his own performance and suggested that he would not remain at the club if he were found to be the source of the problem.[179]
Manager profile
Tactics
Although much emphasis is placed on retaining possession of the ball and dictating play, with the intent to have the opposing side's defence chase the ball for extended periods of play, Guardiola's teams are recognised forpressing off the ball. Players press and harry the opposition collectively in an attempt to win back possession of the ball. This collective press is only conducted in the starting third of the opposition's pitch where less space exists and defenders and/or the goalkeeper may not be as good at dribbling or passing the ball as a midfielder.
As high pressing became prominent, Guardiola sought to counteract it withgoalkeepers anddefenders comfortable with controlling the ball and both long and short ball distribution, with goalkeepers such asVictor Valdés and Manuel Neuer also acting assweeper-keepers at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, rushing off their line to prevent counter-attacks, and playing out from the back. At Manchester City, Ederson routinely played accurate long balls up-field when City were pressed high, at times taking the entire opposition out-of-play and creating 1-on-1 situations for City forwards.[180][181][182] To avoid getting caught by long-range passing from City's defensive-third, the opposition defence would cautiously drop deep despite the forward line's high-press, hence creating space in the middle of the pitch.[183][184]
Guardiola has stated he tries to constantly evolve his tactics.[185] After learning the style analogous withTotal Football under Johan Cruyff,[186][187] Guardiola was particularly influenced by his time as a player in Mexico under his friend and manager atDorados,Juan Manuel Lillo.[188] Guardiola also sought help ofMarcelo Bielsa to learn from him.[186] His editorials forEl Pais during the2006 World Cup in praise ofLuis Aragonés' Spanish side andRicardo La Volpe's Mexican side reveal the extent of his reverence for possession-based, attacking football, with defenders along with the goal-keeper playing it out from the back,[189] which Guardiola later cited as a major inspiration on multiple occasions.[190] In one of his editorials, he calledZinedine Zidane France's best defender, pointing out how recycling possession in itself is a key defensive tactic,[189] something that Guardiola teams would later become synonymous with.[189][191]Philipp Lahm, who played for Guardiola at Bayern Munich, pointed out that Guardiola's tactics were majorly "an offensiveSacchi", modelled after theArrigo Sacchi's Milan team of the late 1980s, emphasising fluid movement, quick recoveries, and keeping possession of the ball, which was in sharp contrast to the strictly-defensiveCatenaccio–inspired style employed effectively by José Mourinho and later byDiego Simeone; and that Guardiola has evolved his approach that seemingly was now a mix of both those styles.[192]
Tactics employed by Guardiola have been likened toGegenpressing[193] invented byRalf Rangnick[194] and used to great effect byJürgen Klopp.[193][195] His tactics have influenced approaches of managers such asMaurizio Sarri,[196]Thomas Tuchel,[197][195]Graham Potter,[198] andLuis Enrique;[199] as well as those of other sports such as rugby.[200][201] Guardiola admitted that he had to adapt his style to German and English leagues, but his "football education comes from [Catalunya]" which is possession-based, and distinct fromGegenpressing.[202] While several pundits have often linked Guardiola's attacking–minded tactics at Barcelona – centred around quick passing, ball possession, movement, a high defensive line, and heavy pressing – to thetiki-taka style employed by the Spanish national side under Aragonés atEuro 2008,[203][204][205] Guardiola himself has refuted this claim, and has even been critical of the system, commenting in 2014: "I loathe all that passing for the sake of it, all that tiki-taka. It's so much rubbish and has no purpose. You have to pass the ball with a clear intention, with the aim of making it into the opposition's goal. It's not about passing for the sake of it."[206]
Guardiola has been praised by pundits for his flexibility as a coach, and has used several formations throughout his career.[207] At Barcelona, he often used a4–3–3 formation with invertedwingers and attacking full-backs who would overlap and provide width to the team, as well as a3–4–3 formation on occasion; he also later used these formations at Bayern Munich and Manchester City. In the 3–4–3 formation, defensive midfieldersSergio Busquets at Barcelona andXabi Alonso at Bayern Münich would occasionally drop back into the back-line to act as an additional defender; this role was similar to the one Guardiola himself played under Cruyff at Barcelona. At Bayern Münich, he also used full-backs Phillip Lahm andJoshua Kimmich in midfield.[208][209][210][211] Guardiola also began to use afalse 9 during his time at Barcelona, fieldingLionel Messi in thecentre of the team's attacking line, who would drop deep into midfield to give the team a numerical advantage in the middle of the pitch.[212] At Manchester City, after experimenting with several formations, he used a modern version of the3–2–2–3 formation during the 2022–23 treble–winning season, which was likened to the pastWM formation.[213] He deployed centre-back John Stones in a hybrid defensive and creative role in midfield, whichJonathan Wilson ofThe Guardian likened to both thelibero andwing-half roles in 2023.[214][215][216] Guardiola also used invertedfull-backs who moved inside to occupy central areas of the pitch,[217][218] while he also played in a more physical and direct style than in previous seasons, utilisingErling Haaland as a traditionalstriker.[219]
Reception
Considered by pundits to be one of the greatest managers of all time,[8][9][10][11] Guardiola is often linked with the successes of the Spanish and German national teams in 2010s, both of whom had many first-team players that were coached by him.[220]
Jürgen Klopp credits Guardiola with building the toughest teams he has ever faced, stating: "I could say City are the toughest opponent I've ever had but it wasn't much easier when I faced Pep's Bayern [..] We push each other to insane levels."[221]
In 2017, Italian defenderGiorgio Chiellini was critical of Guardiola's philosophy, however, and expressed his belief that the popularisation of possession-based playing styles, associated with Barcelona under Guardiola, and the increasing focus on developing defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet from a young age in Italy, had in fact had a negative impact on their overall defensive quality. He commented: "Guardiolismo [a term he coined for "the Guardiola way"] has ruined a generation of Italian defenders a bit – now everyone is looking to push up, defenders know how to set the tone of play and they can spread the ball, but they don't know how to mark."[222][223][224]
Several of Guardiola's former players, teammates, and coaching staff members, such as Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Luis Enrique,Erik ten Hag, andMikel Arteta, have pursued coaching careers, and have cited Guardiola as an inspiration.[225]
Personal life
Guardiola was born to Dolors and Valentí. He has two older sisters and a younger brother,Pere Guardiola, a football agent.[226] He is an atheist.[227] Guardiola met his wife Cristina Serra when he was 18.[227] They married on 29 May 2014.[228] They have three children named Maria, Màrius and Valentina.[227] Serra and Guardiola split in 2025.[229][230][231]
Following his tenure as Barcelona's manager, he stated that he would move to the United States to live inManhattan, New York, for a year, until he had decided on his future.[232] To prepare for his position as the manager of Bayern Munich, Guardiola studied German for four to five hours each day.[233]
On 24 May 2023, Guardiola made a cameo appearance inTed Lasso, in which Ted Lasso's (played byJason Sudeikis) team, AFC Richmond, play against Manchester City and win. Guardiola gives Lasso a handshake following City's defeat and gives Lasso a word of advice, to which Lasso responds positively. Guardiola reportedly is a fan of the show and enjoys watching it with his wife and daughter.[236]
^Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja."guardiola".Diccionari català-valencià-balear [Catalan-Valencian-Balearic Dictionary] (in Catalan). Institute for Catalan Studies.Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved17 June 2023.
^"Condenados a sufrir"(PDF).Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 22 June 2001.Archived(PDF) from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved16 January 2013.
^abcBencivenga, Marco; Olivero, Giovanni Battista (27 September 2001)."Guardiola sposa il Brescia".La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Milan.Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved10 October 2021.
^abWarmbrunn, Benedikt (28 April 2015)."Aus allen Träumen gerutscht".Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Berlin.Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved28 April 2015.
^"Guardiola praises Ederson's freakishly long goal kicks".Goal. 30 July 2017.Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved13 January 2018.Guardiola instructed Sergio Aguero to take up 'offside' positions at goal kicks at times last season and with a goalkeeper capable of finding the Argentine – or his even faster team-mates – City could really be onto something. The mere threat of it would allow City much more space to play their game – if the Blues' centre-backs come short and the pacy attackers run 20 yards beyond the halfway line, who do the opposition pick up, and how do they do it?
^Reddy, Melissa (9 April 2022)."Pep Guardiola exclusive: Manchester City manger talks Liverpool match, Jurgen Klopp and his evolution as a manager".Sky Sports.Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved10 April 2022.You can't have the same ideas of 12 or 13 years ago, you become lazy, and you are not scared. You don't have the intuition or the desire to think 'oh, maybe we do it like that' even though maybe it will be a mistake. Always you have to make some evolution during the process. Evolution you do it to try to have success, yes – but especially, so you don't get bored all the time doing the same at the end. Life is about experiences and learning to improve different things.
^Lozano Ferrer, Carles; Molinera Mesa, José Luis (3 February 2004)."Spain Cups 1996/97". RSSSF.Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved22 May 2020.
^LÓPEZ-EGEABARCELONA, SERGI (23 November 2008)."Así era el Guardiola de Tercera".elperiodico (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved22 December 2023.
^"Pep Guardiola".Soccerway.Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved22 August 2023.
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
