Champions League – Manchester City – Pep Guardiola, reference and best version of himself

Last Saturday, when celebrating the 7th title in its history in the FA Cup, against United, Manchester City obviously savored the moment. But the Mancunian club was a bit in the future, too. Because this success has opened the door a little more for a Premier League – FA Cup – Champions League treble that would be historic. For the Citizens, first, who would join United in 1999 in the annals of English football.

For Pep Guardiola, too, who will therefore lead one of the most important matches of his career on Saturday, against Inter, in the Champions League final. Two years after the one lost against Chelsea. Twelve years after his last win on the FC Barcelona bench. This match will mark an important turning point, for his coaching record on the one hand, but also for the perception that we have of the Spanish tactician. “What a privilege to make two finals in three years, it’s incredible. But in the end, you have to win the C1 to prove what you are worth”, launched Guardiola on Saturday. To prove what he is worth, more particularly.

Responding to the “without Messi…” objection

Because there are still skeptics. Those who don’t like the character, divisive, or his style of play, who can be just as much. Those who believe that he has always had top-level staff available, which is difficult to contradict, as is the fact that the practices of his club, accused of 115 financial offences, are at best opaque, at worst illegal.

But there are also those who venture more daringly into the realm of results. “Winning on Saturday would just answer the objection that apart from Barcelona he can’t win the Champions League.continues Thibaut Leplat, author of “Guardiola, praise of style”. Which is nonsense since the Champions League does not determine the level of a team. It’s too random a competition to draw short-term conclusions. He has three semi-finals with Bayern, there is only the first year at City a little inside, we are on an almost irreproachable trajectory”.

Two victories and two halves in four seasons at Barça, three halves in three seasons at Bayern, two finals – even a title – and a half in seven seasons at City. We can indeed remember his elimination in the round of 16 against Monaco for his first season on the Mancunian bench, as well as the three quarters of a row, “only”, which followed afterwards. Or recognize that in terms of regularity in the queen of European competitions, there is worse.

3rd most successful coach in history

And what about that at the level of the championships? With a three out of four at Barça, a full card at Bayern and a five out of seven in the Premier League, he has won eleven championships out of fourteen possible since the start of his coaching career. Constancy at its peak, everywhere, all the time. And if competition for the title is a fuzzy notion in Germany, it is very clear in England.

The Spaniard has just won the 34th trophy of his coaching career, the third best total in history for a manager, behind Alex Ferguson (49) and Mircea Lucescu (35). Whatever happens on Saturday, Guardiola’s work, at City and elsewhere, is therefore indisputable in terms of results over time. And about the way?

This aspect is, by definition, much more subjective and subject to individual sensitivity. But one thing is certain: his disciples have never been so numerous. Guardiola had the models that we know, and would certainly tell you that Marcelo Bielsa is the best coach in activity. But today, the main model is him.

“He has never been more influential than nowsays Thibaut Leplat. There are opposing coaches who claim to be his disciples. It’s still rare in sport for an active coach. It’s not a tribute, he’s not at the end of his career. Coaches like Roberto De Zerbi, Mikel Arteta, and even Thomas Tuchel or Jürgen Klopp in another style prove his considerable influence in European and world football.”

“It’s true at the professional level but also of the traininghe continues. He is one of the coaches who is the most studied, listened to, copied. To the point that in many French training centers, starting with Lyon and Lorient, the basics of Manchester City, among others, are recurrent when making explanatory videos on a ball outing, on phases of game. This is football the way it should be played, much like Federer represented academic tennis. City is the absolute reference, sometimes also to stand out.”

From Zinedine Zidane in 2019 to Jürgen Klopp in 2021, several references have affirmed what may seem obvious: Pep Guardiola is simply the best. What is certain is that the technician displays at 52 the best version of himself, just as his City has never been so strong.

It is no longer possible to jump at the throat of Guardiola whose starting line-up against Chelsea, in the C1 2021 final, had surprised his world. His eleven-type is now stable, identified, even irremovable in the Champions League. Impossible, too, to tax him as a dogmatic coach in the extreme: Guardiola proves this season, perhaps more than ever, that he knows how to adapt perfectly. Oppositions, scenarios. To men, too.

“What I know is that he simplified his management a bit.says Thibaut Leplat. I think it’s a request from the players, to trust their talent a little more. We don’t get over it, there is still a big tactical set-up, it’s still very speculative football, but there is perhaps more freedom left to the players within the schemes”.

Pep Guardiola’s first signing at Manchester City, Ilkay Gündogan is now a reference in his position and scores goals in spades. Unrecognizable last year after landing from Aston Villa, Jack Grealish is back this season. And how not to mention Erling Haaland and the questions surrounding his adaptation to City.

“I myself had my doubts about Haaland, admits Thibaut Leplat. Were we going to see a Zlatan 2? (the mayonnaise had not taken between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Guardiola in Barcelona, ​​editor’s note). Haaland knew how to play Guardiola’s game, and Guardiola knew how to play Haaland’s game: not to hesitate to play long balls, balls in transition”.

Yes, City even started playing long. Go rather (re) see the opener of the score of Gündogan against Manchester United last Saturday. Guardiola has not finished surprising, and has the answer to almost everything, even if his team must learn to manage their emotions even better. “If he is at the top of his game? No, it’s more of a plateau. Summit means that it’s the beginning of the end”. Guardiola, he is rather at the beginning of hunger.