Pep Guardiola's most iconic managerial moments at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man City

Sean Fisher
28 August 2021

Pep Guardiola hails ‘special’ Manchester City side after title win

Widely recognised as one of the best coaches in history, Guardiola is a pioneer of the modern game and has managed some of the sport’s biggest teams.

After enjoying a successful playing career at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola has gone on to become an iconic manager.

Guided by his animated passion for the game, Guardiola's sides guarantee a certain philosophical approach - open, flowing and attacking soccer.

Just 13 years in the managerial hotseat have resulted in an abundance of trophies, and he now ranks fourth in the list of most decorated coaches.

Successful stints at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now Manchester City have provided the Catalan-born Guardiola with a string of iconic moments. Here, Planet Sport takes a look at just some of them.

Tutored by Cruyff and Bobby Robson

As a player, Guardiola rose through the ranks of Barcelona's infamous La Masia academy, eventually making his debut as a midfielder in 1990.

But Guardiola's debut was a result of Barcelona manager, Johan Cruyff, suggesting the Spaniard should be converted into a defensive midfielder, after he watched him in an academy match.

The switch proved to be yet another masterful decision from Cruyff, and Guardiola went on to become a reliable and consistent member of Cruyff's Barcelona 'dream team'.

Under Cruyff's tutelage, Guardiola lifted La Liga three times as well as the European Cup in 1992.

After the departure of Cruyff in 1996, Guardiola went on to play under Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal, where he won a further two league titles as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Much of Robson's and Cruyff's management styles can be seen in Guardiola's soccer today, and the Spaniard has often referred to the legends as the inspiration behind his venture into management.

Success at Barcelona - Treble and European titles

After retiring from playing, it was inevitable he returned to the club's management set-up, with Guardiola initially taking charge of Barcelona's B team.

Under his guidance, the B team subsequently won the Tercera Division and after just a season in charge, Guardiola was chosen as the new first team manager, replacing the sacked Frank Rijkaard.

After taking charge of a struggling Barcelona side, Guardiola guided them to a treble in his first season, conquering La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. His European success made him the youngest manager to win the competition.

With the trio of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and Lionel Messi all in their prime, Guardiola led Barcelona to another double when they won La Liga and the Champions League in 2011, again beating Manchester United in the final.

In the following 2011/12 season, despite Lionel Messi's record-breaking 73-goal haul, Guardiola was unable to recreate the success of previous seasons and left the club after winning just the Copa Del Rey.

Despite any disappointment in his final season, Guardiola left as one of the club's most successful managers and often refers to the Catalonian side as the one closest to his heart.

Stint in Munich

After taking a brief break from management, Guardiola returned to the front line in charge of Bayern Munich.

With Bayern's domestic stranglehold being challenged by Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund side, Guardiola's appointment was intended to reassert their dominance.

Despite getting off to a rough start with a 4-2 loss against Dortmund in the German Super Cup, Guardiola quickly got himself and his Bayern side back among the trophies with a win over Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup.

Additionally, he went on to win the Bundesliga title with seven games to go, the earliest the competition had ever been won.

Despite not achieving any European success during his stint at Munich, Guardiola managed to win the league in each of his three seasons, halting Dortmund's domestic challenges.

Rivalry with Jose Mourinho

A recurring feature in Guardiola's career is his ongoing battle with Jose Mourinho. Despite their many managerial feuds, the pair first met at Barcelona.

Mourinho was promoted from an interpreter to an assistant manager during the reign of Bobby Robson. For four years, Mourinho and Guardiola worked together.

But after the sacking of Frank Rijkaard in 2008, the duo went head to head for the first team job, and when Guardiola prevailed, the start of a fascinating rivalry was born.

They first met as a managerial rivals when Barcelona faced Mourinho's Inter Milan in the 2009/10 Champions League semi-finals.

After Guardiola guided Barcelona to the Champions League title in the season prior, it was Mourinho who advanced to the final, and his wild post-match celebrations only added fuel to the fire.

Mourinho's Inter side went on to win the Champions League and he subsequently departed to become manager of Barcelona's Spanish rivals, Real Madrid.

Their first El Clasico match ended in a humiliating defeat for Mourinho, as Guardiola's Barcelona inflicted a 5-0 defeat on their rivals, the worst result Real Madrid had ever suffered in the match-up.

But Mourinho was quick to gain his revenge. When the two sides faced up in the 2011 Copa del Rey final, his Real Madrid side frustrated Barcelona before Cristiano Ronaldo's extra-time goal handed them a 1-0 win.

After providing box-office entertainment in La Liga, Mourinho and Guardiola both assumed charge of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, where they resumed their tactical battles.

However, despite Mourinho's United once coming back from 2-0 down to deny Manchester City the chance to win the title against their cross-town rivals, Guardiola's City side went on to win three Premier League titles and a domestic treble.

In contrast, Mourinho was sacked by United in December 2018 after a disappointing start to the season. It's fair to say Guardiola definitely holds the upper hand in that rivalry.

Success at City

After departing Bayern Munich, Guardiola took over from Manuel Pellegrini as Manchester City manager, with City fans hoping he could bring the club their first Champions League trophy.

Guardiola's first season at the Etihad Stadium was his only trophyless season in his career as his side succumbed to a third-placed finish in the Premier League.

Many believed after Guardiola's first season that his expansive, attacking style wasn't suited to the Premier League. However, in his second season in charge, Guardiola responded to his critics in style.

Guardiola's first trophy in England came in the shape of the EFL Cup when they defeated Arsenal 3-0 in the final. Further silverware came when they won the Premier League with a record-breaking 100 points, earning them the 'Centurions' tag.

The following season saw more success for City, with Guardiola repeating his Barcelona feat of a domestic treble - the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League.

City's dominance in the Premier League was briefly interrupted by Liverpool in the 2019/20 season, but they returned to winning ways the following season, pipping Manchester United to the title and reaching the Champions League final.