It is often said that great players do not become great managers. Pep Guardiola is definitely the exception to this rule.
As a player, Guardiola was part of the Barcelona team that won the club’s first European Cup in 1991-92, as well as six league titles, including four in a row between the 1990-91 and 1993-94 seasons. . He captained the club, before leaving after 17 years. He then had a few brief stints at other clubs, including Brescia and Roma, but he will always be remembered as a player for his time at Barcelona.
After retiring as a player, he took charge of Barcelona B for a year, before replacing Frank Rijkaard as manager of the senior team. Almost immediately, everything clicked. Guardiola brought back the football Barcelona considered part of their DNA, built around a midfield trio of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Iniesta, with a little help from Lionel Messi.
He was unwavering in applying his philosophy of positional play to his team, and in return they achieved success season after season playing scintillating football. After four years, he took a one-year sabbatical. He returned refreshed and took over for Bayern Munich for three seasons, honing his tactics and securing their continued domestic dominance.
From there he moved to Manchester City, where he continued to enjoy success, especially at domestic level.
Pep Guardiola trophies won
During his spells at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Guardiola won 10 league titles.
He has also won 14 domestic cups, although his time in England has seen him compete for two domestic cups each season, the FA Cup and the League Cup, while Germany and Spain have only one. only national cup, the DFB-Pokal and the Copa del Rey respectively.
In international competition, Guardiola has won the Champions League twice with Barcelona, three UEFA Super Cups, as well as three FIFA Club World Cups (twice with Barcelona and once with Bayern Munich).
Guardiola also won the Tercera Division during his year at Barcelona B, and he holds the record for most consecutive games won in the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga.
Pep Guardiola trophies in the Premier League
Having taken over in 2016, Pep Guardiola has spent some time adjusting to the competitiveness of the Premier League, while making changes to City’s squad of players. However, he quickly found his feet and he won four Premier League titles in the past five seasons.
In the 2017-18 season, he scored a double as his team won the Premier League and the League Cup, a feat they repeated in the 2020-21 season. They won another League Cup in the 2019-20 season.
The most impressive season to date was the 2018-19 season which saw the team manage the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup treble.
Guardiola also won the FA Community Shield twice while managing City. However, he has failed to win any European medals, with only one Champions League final to his name (lost to Chelsea in 2021).
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich trophies
Expectations were always high when Guardiola joined a team with domestic dominance Bayern Munich, and he did not disappoint.
While evolving the tactical framework he put in place at Barcelona, Guardiola’s side won Bundesliga titles in the three seasons he was at the club, from 2013-14 to 2015-16. He also won the DFB-Pokal twice, in the first and last season.
The team had already qualified for the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup when Guardiola joined, and he helped them win both competitions. However, the fact that he failed to bring the Champions League to Bayern Munich was a source of disappointment for many. As has been the case at City, he has been accused of overthinking team selections and tactical approaches for big European games.
Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona trophies
Guardiola’s first managerial job at the top level was certainly eye-catching.
In his first season, 2008-09, he won the La Liga treble, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.
His side defended the league title over the next two seasons, while winning another Champions League in 2010-11 and a second Copa del Rey in 2011-12.
Moreover, Barcelona have won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup twice, following each of their Champions League wins.
On top of that, he won the Supercopa de Espana in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Guardiola’s Barcelona side was seen by many as a breath of fresh air, as his intensely detailed approach produced a team that has regularly swept away everything in front of them.
