With ten trophies to his name in five seasons, including three Premier League titles, it doesn’t come as a surprise to say Pep Guardiola’s status at Manchester City is already assured.
Guardiola on Tuesday became a champion once again as his Manchester City side clinched the Premier League title.
Guardiola, the 50-year-old manager, is regarded as the best of his generation with a trophy cabinet.
City had to wait to confirm their lead at the top of the table was unassailable having lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea.
But Guardiola’s third Premier League title was confirmed when Leicester beat the City’s archrivals Manchester United, 2-1 at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
It makes it nine league winners medals overall in his managerial career. Guardiola won three each at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and now City.
It also makes it eight trophies in just five seasons at the Etihad and yet more may come with the Champions League final still to play.
While Manchester United have stalled since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, neighbours Man City under Spanish tactician, Guardiola have flourished with the club.
Any talk of the 50-year-old coach looking for his next challenge outside Manchester City would be premature. Trevor Sinclair, a former Man City man says Guardiola is not done leaving his mark in England yet.
“I don’t think Pep is going anywhere. He’s got a huge amount of respect for the owners and that is reciprocated.
“He’s got a project there that he believes in. He’s now starting to see players come through the academy and on top of that I don’t think he’s after winning just one Champions League and a few Premier Leagues,” Sinclair said.
He also thinks Guardiola is almost at the level of Sir Alex Ferguson was in the premier league as well as in Europe and having that kind of effect.
Sir Alex Ferguson remains the most successful manager in football history with 48 trophies won as a coach, including 24 honours with Manchester United, 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cup and 2 Champions League crowns.
Pep Guardiola has faced his fair share of criticism, especially when he arrived in England. His first season was uneventful and described by many analysts as a failure.
However, over the years, Guardiola has introduced a new brand of football to the Premier League, says Sinclair.
He has superimposed his principles and philosophies on the team he inherited at City just the same way he did at Barcelona.
“He’s taken it to different countries and he’s been successful. We have to say kudos to Pep Guardiola,” Sinclair said.
It has been quite a remarkable season for City and Guardiola, considering that a relatively slow start saw them written off early on.
The 12 points from eight games was actually the club’s worst start since the 2008/09 season, when Mark Hughes was manager.
Despite also playing a large portion of the season with no recognised striker in their ranks, City won the Premier League title at a canter.
In the coming day, City may also set another record in the Champions League, becoming the first English club to win seven games in a row en route to the final.
But City will have to overcome Chelsea later this month in the Champions League final and hope of securing the club’s first-ever European Cup, and Guardiola’s third.
Not done yet, Guardiola has what it takes to write another chapter in his remarkable Manchester City success story by beating Chelsea on May 29 to land the club’s first Champions League crown and his third in his managerial career.
