In the beginning it was skepticism, then admiration and curiosity, then the victories and, above all, the innovations brought to football. The false nine, the goalkeeper who plays with his feet, midfielders in defense and stoppers in midfield, the counter-revolution with Haaland. Ten seasons have passed, Pep leaves but his legacy remains
“Guardiola has changed English football much more than English football has changed him,” wrote Jonathan Wilson in Saturday’s Guardian. And this is the best epitaph, the starting and ending point of Pep’s 10 years on the Manchester City bench, 593 games with 71.3% success. We will talk about the titles, obviously, because the numbers and victories make Guardioli’s constructive and unstoppable thinking absolutely overwhelming, but it is mandatory to start from his arrival in England.
