- Guardiola the third-most decorated manager
- Refused to compare titles
- Uses "son and daughter" analogy to explain
WHAT HAPPENED? The Spaniard is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers, if the not the greatest, of his generation. Guardiola is, in fact, the third-most decorated manager of all time, behind Mircea Lucescu and Sir Alex Ferguson, as he boasts a plethora of team and individual accolades. These include league titles in Spain, Germany and England, as well as two Champions League medals with boyhood club Barcelona.
But his comments to reporters often stray from what is usually heard from head coaches.
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WHAT THEY SAID: His unorthodox side has emerged on several occasions, most recently when he was asked by Football Daily which of those trophies had been the hardest to win, to which Guardiola replied: "[This year's Premier League] is so hard, because of the quality of Arsenal. But in the past against Liverpool, it was incredibly hard as well. And in Barcelona I remember against [Real] Madrid, it was really really hard as well. So when you say 'this team is better than this one' or 'this league is more difficult than the other one', all of them are so difficult."
Pressed about comparing his successes, the City boss offered an interesting anecdote, replying: "Your son is not nicer than your daughter!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE: While Guardiola remains somewhat of an enigma with his off-the-field comments, this season is yet further proof of his quality on it. Having blitzed past Arsenal in arguably their most important game of the season, City regained control of the Premier League title race in some style, and are now firmly on course for the treble. They have reached the FA Cup final without conceding a goal and comfortably saw off Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face the holders and Guardiola's familiar foes Real Madrid.
Next Match
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CITY? Manchester United are the only other English team to secure a treble, back in 1999, which will no doubt spur Guardiola's side on this campaign to emulate their rivals' success. That charge gets back underway on Sunday, when City travel to Fulham in the league.