Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala professionally known as Pep Guardiola is a Spanish professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Premier League club Manchester City. He is considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time and holds the record for the most consecutive league games won in La Liga, the Bundesliga, and the Premier League. Before announcing his retirement from football, he was regarded as one of the best footballers and midfielders in the entire world. He was a defensive midfielder who usually played in a deep-lying playmaker’s role. He spent the majority of his career with Barcelona and was part of the club when it won the 1992 European Cup and four consecutive Spanish league titles from 1991 to 1994. He later captained the team from 1997 until his departure from the club in 2001. After leaving Barcelona, he had stints with Brescia and Roma in Italy, Al-Ahli in Qatar, and Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico.
On the international level, he has represented Spain at various age levels. He has represented Spain at U21, U23, and the senior level. He made his senior debut on 14 October 1992. He captained the team that won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. He was capped 47 times for the Spanish national team and appeared at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as well as at UEFA Euro 2000. He also played friendly matches for Catalonia.
In 2008, just two years after his retirement as a player, he started working as the manager of Barcelona and led the team to several honorable title wins over the next few years. In 2011, he was named the FIFA World Coach of the Year. In 2013, he was appointed as the manager of Bayern Munich and helped the club to secure many titles. Currently, he is the manager of Manchester City and is widely regarded as the best coach in the world.
Source: @thesun
What is Pep Guardiola Famous For?
- Being the professional football manager and former player.
Player
- Won the 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1997-98, 1998-99 La Liga with Barcelona.
- Won the 1996-97 Copa del Rey with Barcelona.
- Won the 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 Supercopa de Espana with Barcelona.
- Won the 1991-92 European Cup with Barcelona.
- Won the 1996-97 UEFA Cup Winners Cup with Barcelona.
- Won the 1992, 1997 European/UEFA Super Cup with Barcelona.
- Won the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal with Spain U23.
- Won the 1992 Bravo Award.
- Won the 1992 Olympics-Spain Best Player.
Source: @globesoccer
Manager
- Won the 2007-08 Tercera Division with Barcelona B.
- Won 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-2011 with Barcelona.
- Won 2008-09, 2011-12 Copa del Rey with Barcelona.
- Won the 2009, 2010, 2011 Supercopa de Espana with Barcelona.
- Won the 2008-09, 2010-11 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.
- Won the 2009, 2011 UEFA Super Cup with Barcelona.
- Won the 2009, 2011 FIFA World Cup with Barcelona.
- Won 2017-18, 2018-19 Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.
- Won the 2013-14, 2015-16 DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich.
- Won the 2013 UEFA Super Cup with Bayern Munich.
- Won the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup with Bayern Munich.
- Won 2017-18, 2018-19 Premier League with Manchester City.
- Won the 2018-19 FA Cup with Manchester City.
- Won 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 EFL Cup with Manchester City.
- Won 2018, 2019 FA Community Shield with Manchester City.
- Won the 2009, 2010 Don Balon Award.
- Won the 2008-09, 2009-10 Miguel Munoz Trophy.
- Won 2009, 2011, 2012 Onze d’Or Coach of the Year.
- Won 2009, 2011 World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year.
- Won the 2009, 2011 IFFHS World’s Best Club Coach.
- Won the 2011 European Coach of the Year-Alf Ramsey Award.
- Won the 2008-09 European Coach of the Year.
- Won the 2008-09, 2010-11 UEFA Team of the Year Best Coach.
- Won 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 La Liga Coach of the Year.
- Won the 2011 FIFA World Coach of the Year.
- Won the 2013 Globe Soccer Awards Coach Career Award.
- Won the 2020 Globe Soccer Awards Coach of the Century.
- Won 2017-18, 2018-19 Premier League Manager of the Season.
- Won the 2017-18 LMA Manager of the Year.
- League Manager Association (LMA) Hall of Fame.
Source: @mirror
Where is Pep Guardiola From?
Pep Guardiola was born on 18 January 1971. His birth name is Josep Guardiola Sala. His birthplace is Santpedor, Spain. He was born to his father, Valenti Guardiola, a retired bricklayer, and his mother, Dolors Sala Guardiola, a salesperson. He grew up with his two sisters, Olga Guardiola, Francesca Guardiola, and a younger brother, Pere Guardiola, who is widely known as one of the best football agents in the world. He holds Spanish nationality. He belongs to the white ethnicity. He is non-religions. He is an Atheist and doesn’t believe in the existence of God. His horoscope sign is Capricorn.
Source: @theathletic
Pep Guardiola Football Career Timeline
- At the age of 13, he joined the youth Barcelona in 1984 and rose through the ranks of Barcelona’s youth academy for six years, making his debut in 1990 against Cadiz.
- In the 1991-92 season, he became a regular first-team player and one of the key players for Barcelona. He helped the club to win the La Liga in 1991 and 1992 and the European Cup in 1992. He also got a special mention in an article on the club’s winning streak in the Italian sports magazine ‘Guerin Sportivo.’ The article described him as the best footballer below the age of 21. His style of play earned him a place in coach Johan Cruyff’s Dream team.
- Barcelona went on to win the La Liga in 1993 and 1994 and reached the UEFA Champions League final, where they got knocked out by Milan.
- Following the arrival of the new coach, Bobby Robson in the 1996-97 season, he was part of the squad that won the European Cup Winners Cup, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana. He was made the captain of the squad in 1997, but an injury kept him away from the field for most of the 1997-1998 season.
Source: @dailymail
- In 1998, many European clubs came ahead with lucrative offers for Barcelona to transfer him, but Barcelona was not ready to let go of him yet. Instead, they signed a new contract with him, which extended his stay in the team until 2001.
- During the 1998-1999 season, when he made his comeback to the team as a captain, he led them to a La Liga victory. In April 2001, after several surgeries for a prolonged calf injury, he finally decided to leave Barcelona. By then, he had been part of the Barcelona team that had won 16 trophies in total.
- After leaving Barcelona, he moved to the Italian club, Brescia, where he played with the legendary footballer, Roberto Baggio, and was later transferred to Roma. While at Roma, he was handed a four-month ban following a positive test for nandrolone, and in September 2009, he was cleared of the charges after appealing.
- After his career with Brescia and Roma, in 2003, he moved to Qatar Stars League club, Al-Ahli, and played in the 2004-05 Arab Champions League. The following season, he was subject to interest from EPL clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea but turned down their offers.
- In the 2005-06 season, he played with Dorados de Sinaloa for six months but was limited to ten appearances due to injuries before retiring. He scored one goal for the club.
Source: @mediastorehouse
Pep Guardiola International Career
- He has represented Spain at various age levels.
- He has represented Spain at U21, U23, and the senior level.
- He made his senior debut on 14 October 1992 in a 0-0 draw to Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in a World Cup qualifier. In the same year, he captained the team that won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games.
- Between 1992 and 2001, he was capped 47 times and scored 5 goals for the Spanish national team and appeared at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as well as at UEFA Euro 2000. He also played seven friendly matches for Catalonia.
Source: @pinterest
Pep Guardiola Managerial Career
- In June 2007, he was appointed coach of the Barcelona B team and led the team to the Tercera Division title and Segunda Division B playoffs in 2008, which the team won. In the 2008-2009 season, he was made the coach of the first team. He officially started his tenure as a coach from the third qualifying round of the Champions League the same year. Under his guidance, Barcelona went on a 20-match winning streak and maintained the top spot in the La Liga tally. His first season as manager of the club, saw him claim his first winning treble. The club won the La Liga, the Champions League, and the Domestic Cup, making them the first Spanish club to achieve the feat.
- In the 2009-10 season, he managed Barcelona to claim six trophies and became the first manager in history to win the La Liga, Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup which they won for the first time in history.
- In the 2010-11 season, he led Barcelona to their third consecutive Spanish league win and the UEFA Champions League title. His fourth season in charge of the football affairs of Barcelona, saw him claim the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In January 2012, he won the FIFA World Coach of the Year. After winning 14 trophies in four seasons, he stepped down as manager of Barcelona, making him the most successful manager in the club’s history.
Source: @fcbarcelonalatestnews
- After taking a break from managing, he joined Bayern Munich in January 2013. He went on to claim the 2013 UEFA Super Cup. In December 2013, he led the club to a Club World Cup victory and also led Bayern Munich to their 23rd Bundesliga title and ended the season by winning the DFB-Pokal.
- The 2014-15 season was really disappointing for him as he went on to lose the German Super Cup and was eliminated from the Champions League in the semi-final. After losing the German Super Cup and claiming the Audi Cup, it was announced that he will step down as manager of Bayern Munich at the end of the 2015-16 season. He ended his last season with Munich by claiming the DFB-Pokal.
Source: @foxsports
- In the 2016-2017 season, he joined Manchester City as their head coach, and by the end of September, he had won all the first 10 matches for his team. Unfortunately, in the next few months, the performance of Manchester City worsened. However, he picked up eventually, and the team regained its winning streak. His first season as manager of the English club was a dismal one. He claimed no trophy in his first season with Man City, marking it the first time that will ever occur to the Spaniard.
- Following his failure to claim a trophy in the 2016-17 season, he made improvements in his team lineup in the 2017-18 season. He brought in goalkeeper, Ederson Moraes and wingbacks Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy. He also brought in Bernardo Silva. This tactic worked, as the team won the EPL title that season as well as the Carabao Cup. He then went in to sign a contract extension with City which will see him stay at the club till 2021.
- At the start of the 2018-19 season, he added Riyad Mahrez to his squad. Following that season, he went on to claim the Community Shield, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and his second and consecutive Premier league title, making Man City the first EPL club to win a domestic treble.
Source: @twittter
- At the start of the 2019-20 season, he made several signings which amounted to over €1 billion, making the club the first in the world to spend more than €1 billion on transfer fees. The club won the FA Community Shield, while he became the first manager to receive a yellow card from the referee in a match. He also won the EFL Cup Final as his team won a third successive league cup. Following that season, Manchester City finished second in the 2019-20 Premier League, after finishing 18 points behind champions Liverpool.
- At the start of the 2020-21 season, he strengthened his defence with the signings of Ruben Dias from Benfica and Nathan Ake from Bournemouth. He also made an addition to the attacking line-up with the signing of Ferran Torres from Valencia and signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City until summer 2023. On 31 January 2021, he won his 500th game as manager. In January 2021, City won all nine games and became the team with the most wins (9) in a single month in the top four tiers of English football since the Football League began in 1888. On 10 February 2021, his side broke the record for the longest winning run in English top-flight football history, with fifteen straight wins for City in all competitions.
Source: @thesun
Pep Guardiola Wife
Looking at his personal life, Pep Guardiola is a married man. He got married to his longtime girlfriend, Cristina Serra in 2014. He met his wife when he was just a teenager. He tied the knot with his wife while he was in Germany with Bayern Munich in May 2014. They had a quiet wedding ceremony which was attended by close friends and family in the municipality of Matadepera, a town close to Barcelona. The couple is blessed with three children, Maria, Marius, and Valentina Guardiola. He is having an intimate relationship with his love and children. They are living their life happily together.
Pep Guardiola Height and Weight
Pep Guardiola stands at a height of 1.80m i.e. 5 feet and 11 inches tall. He has a bodyweight of 76kg. He has an athletic body build. His eye color is brown and his hair color is black. His sexual orientation is straight.
Pep Guardiola Net Worth and Salary
Pep Guardiola is a retired professional footballer who had played for clubs like Barcelona, -Brescia, Roma, Al-Ahli, and Dorados. He has earned from his professional career as a football player and now earns from his professional career as a football coach. His income is from contracts, salaries, bonuses, and endorsements. As of 2021, his estimated net worth is around $55 million and his salary is about $19 million.
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