Guardiola has proven that he can tackle different leagues across Europe and create teams that know how to challenge for Europe’s elite trophies. Although he hasn’t won the UEFA Champions League since 2011, it looks like he’s soon to break that particular spell and rid himself of that unwanted moniker. His Barcelona team of the late 2000s, including the spine of Spain’s golden generation and the magical Lionel Messi, was among the greatest club football sides ever.
Moreover, during his tenure at Barcelona in the latter stages of the noughties and early 2010s, Guardiola cultivated a football culture that was dimensions above any other team in Europe.
The Manchester United team of the same era was phenomenal in their own right and met the formidable Catalonians in two finals, coming up short on both occasions. However, the game has evolved since, yet in Europe; the game seems to find fresh ways to push boundaries and dazzle spectators continually.
Manchester City Era (2016-Present)
His rivalry against fellow elite coach Jurgen Klopp has turned the English Premier League into one of the world’s most exciting and most watched leagues. Pep said back in 2019 that European football was like gambling all of your money in the casino in seven games. But maybe Pep has changed his tune since Manchester City is the resounding gambling favorite for this year’s Champions League.
Many professionals and fans consider the Champions League the greatest club trophy in the world. So maybe Pep’s sloppy casino comparison makes sense to those gamblers who like to play online casino games for real money and know how a great casino game can generate the same excitement and hysteria as the biggest game in European club football. We imagine Pep meant this remark as a tongue-in-cheek dig at his rival, considering Liverpool lifted the Champions League back in 2019.
Guardiola has already proven he is a more esteemed and resilient coach than his German counterpart, whose Liverpool side has fallen by the wayside this year. They ran Manchester City right to the final day last season, and at one stage, when Villa were 2-0 up at the Etihad, it looked like Liverpool could win the league.
However, following an immense comeback spearheaded by the unbelievable Turkish maestro Ilkay Gundogan, Pep made it four league titles with Manchester City, with another one on its way, as regular as clockwork, is 2023 City their greatest squad?
The Class Of 2023 – The Best Of Them All?
Although Arsenal has looked phenomenal for large portions of this year’s Premier League campaign, the Guardiola machine has relentlessly thundered toward domestic domination once again. Although, at the same time, it’s by no means the most dominant campaign they have had in the Premier League since Pep took over, their performances in Europe have earned them a new title as the best team in Europe.
It’s hard to disagree with this. The way they decimated last year’s champions, Real Madrid, in the semi-final was incredible to watch. Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish were vital men, but they were all on a different level from Real Madrid and made them look second-rate.
Erling Haaland has pieced together a compelling case for the Ballon d’Or this year; he has smashed through all sorts of records in his debut season and has already beaten the goalscoring record with a few games left to spare. Many believe this is the missing piece that Pep required to go all the way in Europe. Now that they’re going into the final against Inter Milan as such overwhelming favorites, Pep could end his Champions League drought and lift City’s first European Cup.
Final Thoughts
The obvious criticism of Pep’s squad is that they have spent much more money than their rivals and that any competent manager could perform the same feats if they had a multi-billion-pound budget. The simple and short answer to this question is that they couldn’t. Just because a team has money doesn’t guarantee success; it’s all about how it is spent.
There are many examples of teams like Everton, who have spent over £500 million since 2016 and languish in the relegation battle for a second consecutive season. In contrast, teams like Brighton have shown you can still play high-quality football with a low-cost squad. We aren’t suggesting for a minute that Pep has been at some sort of disadvantage because he’s had so much money to spend, but it’s another skill entirely,
The destruction of Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League has cemented Guardiola’s claim as the world’s best coach. However, suppose Man City go on to lift the Champions League as everybody expects them to. In that case, he will undoubtedly be back on his perch as the world’s best manager, a title he hasn’t held with any conviction since he was Bayern Munich’s manager nearly a decade ago.
