Pep Guardiola and the Man City legacy: Extraordinary greatness

During his decade leading Man City, Pep Guardiola changed the history of the Manchester club and reshaped English football.

Guardiola's legacy

Pep Guardiola has never been with one team for so long. Manchester is the city where the Catalan strategist has worked the longest in his coaching career. In the world's first industrial city, he feels comfortable, like at home.

Guardiola has said that many times, especially after each contract renewal. At Etihad, he reunited with familiar faces from his Camp Nou days, such as Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano. That job seems tailor-made for Pep.

Pep Guardiola leaves a huge legacy at Etihad. Photo: MCFC

A sky-blue suit, impeccably tailored. Guardiola forever changed the history of Man City , leading the club beyond the shadow of their neighbors Manchester United, becoming one of the biggest forces in Europe and the world.

From 2016 to 2026, The Citizens dominated England. Their dominance and consistency can only be compared to Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1990s and early 2000s . Even more so, as Pep's "The Citizens" is the only team in English football history to win the national championship four seasons in a row.

In total, Guardiola won 5 League Cups, 3 FA Cups, and 6 Premier League titles. He also led Man City to their first-ever Champions League title in the 2022/23 season, before going on to win the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup the following season.

Guardiola left a profound mark. He changed the way football played in an entire nation that tended to be closed off in its tactical thinking. Under the leadership of the former Spanish midfielder, City enjoyed a glorious decade.

He is the manager with the most matches and the most success in the history of the blue team. Under Pep Guardiola's tutelage, City have won 55% of all titles since the club's founding in 1880.

Guardiola arrived in the Premier League in a surprising way. Manuel Pellegrini announced his departure in a press conference in February 2016, with three months remaining in his position. He didn't hesitate to reveal his successor.

The reporters' laptops at City Football Academy that day were practically on fire from the speed at which they were typing. That's when the debates began: could Guardiola replicate his successes at Barcelona and Bayern Munich?

People talk about his adaptability, about possession-based football, and about modernizing English football.

Revolutionary

Man City welcomed Guardiola like a true superstar. The club organized a festival at their training center, opening the newly built complex to fans for the first time.

In the first weekend of July 2016, City unveiled their new logo, new kits, and new manager. A new era began for the blue team, and for English football as a whole. But there was no shortage of questions and controversy.

The first controversy was Joe Hart's departure. The captain, number one goalkeeper for six years, and England international failed to meet Guardiola's demands in terms of supporting build-up play from the back. Pep doubted Hart's ball-playing ability, and he was loaned to Torino.

Guardiola has changed English football. Photo: MCFC

Claudio Bravo arrived, leaving fans divided between faith in the new manager and affection for a dressing room legend. The Chilean goalkeeper became the target of criticism in a disappointing season. Man City ended up empty-handed, leaving more questions than answers.

Guardiola found the answer in the transfer market. He restructured the squad with over 300 million euros from the summer of 2017 to the winter of the same year.

Ederson arrived and put an end to all the controversy surrounding the goalkeeping position. Kyle Walker, Danilo, Aymeric Laporte, and a name named Bernardo Silva also joined the team.

Currently, Bernardo is the player Guardiola has used most frequently in his coaching career. A young talent named Phil Foden also made his debut that season, and has gradually matured over the years.

Since then, a glorious run of 20 titles began. Stars came and went, but Pep successfully restructured the team to create unprecedented value. Six Premier League titles in his first 10 years in the Premier League was unthinkable – even for Sir Alex.

Man City part ways with Guardiola. Source: MCFC

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