Pep Guardiola leads Man City to Trebles

The winning of the Big Ears was “written in the stars,” as Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola put it following the team’s triumph against Inter Milan by one to zero in the final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League on Sunday.

Reaching the top of the UEFA this year has made Guardiola a third-time UEFA-winning team coach in his leadership career. Furthermore, he became the first coach to achieve trebles, including the UEFA championship twice. Previously, he led FC Barcelona to the summit of the UEFA Champions League in the 2008-2009 and 2010-2011 seasons while he was at the club’s helm. He recorded trebles in the 2008-2009 season when the club topped La Liga and the Copa del Rey with the G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi at the forefront.

Added to this, he presented league titles to the many clubs under his leadership after breaking up with Barcelona. FC Bayern Munich topped the Bundesliga for three years running, starting from the 2013-2014 season when he took charge. Since he joined Man City in the 2016-2017 season, the club has won the EPL title five times, including the recent three consecutive years.

However, it was never easy for Guardiola to reclaim the honor of achieving the UEFA Champions League after leaving Barcelona. Since he took over Man City, the club has advanced to the quarterfinals final three times and the semifinals and the final once each. Such a failed journey to the UEFA championship gave one of the greatest strategists of his time disgraceful comments calling him a leader who will never win the UEFA without Messi.

“I’m feeling tired, calm, and satisfied,” the coach said. He grabbed the Big Ears in 12 years.


hun@donga.com