Gundogan: Guardiola is modern football’s greatest coach

MANCHESTER: In debates about football’s greatest manager in the modern era, many names come into contention for their achievements on the domestic and European front.

Whether it is Sir Alex Ferguson, who led Manchester United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies during his 26 years at Old Trafford, ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, the “Special One” Jose Mourinho or current Real Madrid coach and four-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti.

But, for Ilkay Gundogan, there can be only one — his Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Since taking charge of the Abu Dhabi-owned side in 2016, the 51-year-old has led them to nine major trophies, including four Premier Leagues in the past five years.

Add that to his success at Barcelona, where he won six trophies alone in 2009, and at Bayern Munich, Guardiola is both revered and deemed revolutionary.

“For me, he’s the greatest coach in the modern game,” City captain Gundogan told Arab News exclusively.

“He has won everything with his clubs and, in terms of playing style, approaching a game, I have no doubt he will be remembered as the best so far. 

“He is probably the most innovative manager in modern football. It feels like he is the one who has changed the game in the last decade, and this belongs to him.

“Is he missing that big title with us like the Champions League? Maybe. We as players too, but sometimes it’s not always in our control.

“So many things have to come together to decide a game. But in the Premier League, 38 games, the way we play and what we have achieved, I think he’s on top, yes.

“Knowing him, he still has a lot of ideas in his head, a lot of hunger and a lot of ways he can improve his team and himself as well.

“We need to