Pep Guardiola will reach an extraordinary managerial milestone this Sunday, taking charge of his 1,000th senior match as Manchester City prepare to host arch-rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
A Landmark Career in Numbers
Across his storied career at the helms of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, Guardiola has overseen a staggering 999 matches. From these, his teams have secured 715 victories, yielding a phenomenal win-rate of 71.57%. This relentless success is further illustrated by his collection of 39 major trophies.
This silverware is distributed as 14 titles with Barcelona, seven during his tenure at Bayern Munich, and an impressive 18 already with Manchester City. Reflecting on this unparalleled success, Guardiola acknowledges the role of his players, agreeing with the late Sir Alex Ferguson's philosophy that great teams are built on great talent.
The Philosophy Behind the Success
However, the Catalan maestro is unequivocal about the personal drive that has fuelled his longevity. "Dedication, passion, love – in that nobody beats me," Guardiola stated emphatically. He marvelled at the sheer volume of games, noting the difficulty of such a achievement and admitting he likely could not replicate it if he started again.
He expanded on Ferguson's sentiment, saying, "It looks like I have false humility but this amount – every 10 games we win seven and will draw one or two – it can happen because you are in Barcelona, Munich and Manchester with the players I have."
Celebrating with the Perfect Rival
Guardiola reserved special praise for the opponents marking his landmark occasion, describing Liverpool as the "best" rival he could have for this milestone. Having spent the longest portion of his managerial career in England, he identified the Merseyside club as his most significant domestic adversary.
"If I had to choose one rival for this milestone, that would be the best one," he said. "I've been in this country longer than anywhere else... Liverpool have been the biggest rival in this country. It could not be better, to be honest – the universe decides that."
He acknowledged that the fierce competition between City and Liverpool, who have traded Premier League titles since the 2017-18 season, has defined a new era in English football, supplanting the historic Manchester United-Liverpool and earlier Arsenal-Chelsea rivalries.
When questioned about who he believes is football's greatest ever manager, Guardiola pointed to his own remarkable statistics as evidence that he belongs in the conversation, stating, "I can say I've been part of it because the numbers [show] this."
Team News and Looking Ahead
In a significant blow for the crucial fixture, Guardiola indicated that key midfielder Rodri is likely to be unavailable. The manager expressed caution, noting the upcoming international break and the need to protect the player for the long season ahead.
"We'll see [Saturday] but I think we won't take the risk with the international break [ahead]," Guardiola added. "We are still in November, the best part of the season is ahead of us and we need him."
