Many football observers, experts and aficionados alike, believe that Pep Guardiola is the best manager on Earth right now. He’s been described as the philosopher-king of the managerial profession.
His reputation is that of a man who combines tactical analysis, aesthetically pleasing play and an obsession with possession all wrapped up inside the package of the most extremist of workaholics. He has his laboratory of sorts, where he’ll do DVD film study and ponder tactics with background music that fits into the “brain power” category or “classical music for study” sort of genre.
Manchester City will become the club where Pep has stayed longer than any other. Not FC Barcelona, where he cut his teeth, nor Bayern Munich where he embodied dominance. The club officially announced a two year contract extension on Thursday, meaning he’ll stay at the club until 2023.
Since arriving at the blue side of Manchester in 2016, he’s guided the team to eight major trophies, and broke a multitude of important records.
The 2017-18 Sky Blues became the first side to hit 100 points in a Premier League season. They also set new records for: title winning margin, goal differential, goals scored and the earliest title clinching.
City have won 181 of the 245 matches under his watch, a win rate of 74%, and claimed a trophy every 31 games during his regime.
Manchester City Chairman Khaldoon Mubarak said in a statement:
“It is testament to the qualities of the man that Pep Guardiola’s passion and intelligent approach are
now woven into the very fabric of the football we play and our culture as Club.
“That impact has been central to our success during his tenure and it is why I am delighted that he shares our view that there is so much more to be achieved both on and off the field.”
The Pep Guardiola statement reads:
“Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the Club and in the
city itself- from the players, the staff, the supporters, the people of Manchester and the Chairman
and Owner.”
“Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and
trophies, and we are all very proud of that success.”
“Having that kind of support is the best thing any manager can have. I have everything I could
possibly want to do my job well and I am humbled by the confidence the Owner, Chairman, Ferran
and Txiki have shown in me to continue for two more years after this season.”
“A class act,” is how Sinhue Mendoza, Communications officer for the International Champions Cup described him.
“I very much admire him. I think he’s an amazing coach, but also a consummate professional in the way he handles himself in a press conference.”
Mendoza described him as: “a great teacher and another guy who is great for soccer- there is a reason why he has fans all over the world.”
“People love him in Mexico, the U.S. England obviously, Spain as well, Germany,” Mendoza added.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.