guardiola-equals-sir-alexs-champions-league-record

Guardiola equals Sir Alex’s Champions League record

By helping Manchester City eliminate Real Madrid in the semi-finals and secure a spot in the 2022/23 Champions League final, Pep Guardiola became the second-most successful manager in the competition’s history, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp, and Marcello Lippi.

In the second leg of the Champions League 2022/23 semi-final, Manchester City convincingly defeated Real Madrid with a 4-0 scoreline. Therefore, besides Man City vs Real Madrid, we also see the competition between Ancelotti vs Guardiola. The goalscorers for The Citizens were Bernardo Silva (brace), Akanji, and Alvarez. With an aggregate score of 5-1 over the two legs, Manchester City advanced to the final, where they will face Inter on June 11th.

By surpassing Real Madrid, Manchester City reached the Champions League final for the second time. Previously, The Citizens made it to the final of the tournament in the 2020/21 season. In achieving their second final appearance, Pep Guardiola equaled the record of Sir Alex Ferguson, Klopp, and Lippi. Both Klopp and Guardiola are current successful managers in Premier League.

According to statistics, the Spanish manager is the fifth coach to reach the Champions League final four times or more. Prior to his tenure at Manchester City, Pep reached the prestigious European final twice with Barcelona.

Alongside Sir Alex, Klopp, and Lippi, Pep ranks second on the list of managers with the most appearances in the Champions League final (4 times). Leading the list is Carlo Ancelotti with 5 appearances.

In addition to the aforementioned record, Pep Guardiola is also the first manager in the history of the European Cup (formerly) and the current Champions League to eliminate Real Madrid in three different seasons. No one had achieved this feat before.

Pep Guardiola previously eliminated Real Madrid with Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2010/11 Champions League before defeating Manchester United to win the title. Later, while leading Manchester City, he helped The Citizens overcome Real Madrid in the round of 16 in the 2019/20 season with an aggregate score of 4-2 over two legs.

Besides, he is also one of the highest paid coaches in sports. Most recently, the Manchester City side convincingly defeated the Spanish royal club to secure a place in the final. Manchester City fans have high expectations for Pep Guardiola to bring the club to glory, just as he did in the 2010/11 season.

In addition to the aforementioned achievements, the Spanish manager also set another unprecedented milestone as the manager who required the fewest matches to achieve 100 victories in the Champions League.

According to that, he only needed 160 matches to achieve 100 victories. This number is much better than the closest names, Carlo Ancelotti (180 matches) and Sir Alex Ferguson (184 matches).

Clearly, Pep Guardiola is proving to be a highly accomplished head coach in the history of world football. Manchester City’s opponent in the Champions League final is Inter Milan after the Italian representative overcame their neighbor AC Milan.

If Manchester City defeats Inter in the final on June 11, Pep Guardiola will secure his third Champions League title as a manager. Previously, he achieved this glorious feat twice with Barcelona, in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 seasons. In the 2020/21 season, Pep Guardiola’s team lost to Chelsea in the final.

Want more? Follow and visit SimilarSports regularly to update the latest football news as well as the sporting difference in the world.

Similar Posts