Manchester City have successfully convinced Pep Guardiola to become their new manager beginning next season. Guardiola is one of the most sought after coach in the world of football as evident in the number of clubs that were eyeing his signature since he announced his decision to step down as Bayern Munich manager at the end of this season.
Manchester City were always at the forefront to sign Guardiola not only for their financial clout but the influence of Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the club’s Director of Football and Chief Executive respectively. Begiristain and Soriano worked with Pep Guardiola during his reign as Barcelona’s manager and have good relations ever since.
Manchester City confirmed on Monday that Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini in the summer. In all honesty, Pellegrini now looks like a lame duck similar to the way Jupp Heynckes was when Bayern Munich announced their decision to hire Guardiola before the end of the 2012/13 season.
However, Heynckes went on to win the Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Champions League by the end of that season; a fete Pellegrini will be hoping to achieve before he makes way for Guardiola.
Guardiola’s appointment brings joy to many City fans as fans (including legends) of other teams are distraught about this. For instance, former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand stated, “Pep signing for City has really messed up my day.” There are at least two things Guardiola will bring to his new club…
- Attracting World’s Best Players
According to Trevor Sinclair, a former Man City winger, Guardiola will probably bring the best players to his new club. He has the ability to attract the world’s best players. I mean, which player in the world of football wouldn’t want to work with the best coach in this game? Recent reports in Spain have indicated that Lionel Messi is open to leaving Barcelona than ever before given the potential of working with Guardiola again at City. Guardiola’s ability to attract world’s best players will be matched by the club’s financial ability, which explains why signing the likes of Messi and others is not out of reach for City.
- Dominance
Arsenal’s legend, Thierry Henry, who worked with Guardiola at Barcelona once stated, “…expect Guardiola to dominate the league wherever he goes…” With the ability to attract the world’s best players, strong financial backing, and an effective philosophy, Guardiola will dominate the league. Guardiola’s football philosophy emphasizes on play, possession, and position. He wants his team to play free-flowing football, dominate opponents with incisive passing, and players to stick to their respective positions. This contributes to dominance, which has characterized his time at Barcelona and Bayern and contributed to his great successes.
