1000th game as a coach
©IMAGO
Before his 1000th game as coach, Pep Guardiola also feels longing for his former arch-rival Jürgen Klopp. “I miss him,” said the Spanish star coach of Manchester City. The scriptwriters couldn’t have imagined better that Guardiola would play his big anniversary match on Sunday against Liverpool FC. It will be an anniversary for Guardiola just looking at his time with the Citizens. The encounter with LFC will be his 550th game with the Skyblues.
Under Guardiola as Manchester City coach and Klopp as Liverpool coach, the duel became a classic in the Premier League. The trainers met their English clubs 22 times, previously eight times in Germany (all 30 games between Guardiola and Klopp at a glance). “If I had to choose an opponent, that would be the best,” said the Spaniard in the press conference before the game.
FC Barcelona was his club and it was also incredible at FC Bayern, said Guardiola: “But Liverpool was the biggest rival in this country and especially Jürgen. It couldn’t be better. Fate and the universe decided that way.”
Icon in Barcelona, Munich & Manchester: Guardiola’s performance data
After Barcelona’s B team, Guardiola took over Barça’s first team in the summer of 2008. The four years in which he worked there with superstar Lionel Messi, among others (219 games together), shaped international football. He won the Champions League with Barça in 2009 and 2011.
After a year-long break, Guardiola started at FC Bayern in the summer of 2013. During his three seasons in office with Munich, he became German champion three times and cup winner twice. Bayern also won the Club World Cup once under Guardiola and the UEFA Super Cup. In the premier class, however, he remained unfinished for the record champions.
Guardiola has been coaching Manchester City since mid-2016. His team won the championship title six times, interrupted in 2020 by the Reds’ triumph under Klopp. In 2023 there was the triple including the Champions League. The 58-year-old German now works as global head of football for Red Bull.
Guardiola thinks his own numbers are “crazy”
Guardiola’s contract in Manchester is valid until the end of June 2027. Guardiola emphasized that Klopp taught him how much he had to think and work and do to get better.
From his 957 competitive games with Barcelona, Bayern and Man City, Guardiola won 697, drew 132 and lost 128 games. His stint with the second Barça team is not yet available on Transfermarkt as it falls during the time when the team was playing in the fourth Spanish league, which is not yet complete in the TM database. It resulted in direct promotion, with Luis Enrique taking over from him after making the jump to the professionals. Overall, as a coach, Guardiola left the pitch as the winner 715 times.
“The numbers are crazy,” said the 54-year-old himself, commenting on his personal statistics. He is currently in second place in the Premier League with Manchester City, one point ahead of champions Liverpool. Arsenal FC are first with six points more than Guardiola’s team.