Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola didn’t want to steer his facet to an historic treble to place himself in rivalry for “the greatest” soccer supervisor of all time.
Rodri’s 68th-minute strike in Saturday’s 1-0 Champions League ultimate victory over Inter Milan was sufficient to safe the Spanish supervisor a twelfth main trophy with City and anoint him as the primary supervisor to safe two European trebles, having additionally achieved the feat with Barcelona in 2009.
Champions League winner Ferdinand heaped reward on the City boss utilizing an unlikely creative analogy to explain what he feels is Guardiola’s unmatched imaginative and prescient.
He informed BT Sport: “Does he need this game to be recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest? We’re all I think in agreeance, he doesn’t even need it because of the way he sees the games. He has his teams painting pictures like we’ve never seen in my lifetime.
“(Like Picasso), Michaelangelo, however you want to do it.”
Ferdinand was equally sure Guardiola’s males, who wanted a number of spectacular stops from Ederson to safe the European title, would by no means be forgotten, including they had been now: “Immortal. Statues galore.
“Listen, this group have performed a model of soccer that around the globe is checked out, is admired. This has been a venture and a course of for a very long time, for a few years now, Pep Guardiola coming in. But these gamers have produced some soccer that’s out of this world. Individually however as a collective this group will go down in historical past clearly.
A incredible group and so they’ve dug deep after they wanted to, and so they’ve been capable of play either side of the sport. I feel that’s been the distinction between this Manchester City group to previous ones.
Rio Ferdinand
“They deserve to. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. They can pass, they can play the fairytale football but also when need be they can dig in, roll their sleeves up and fight through games as well. Balance is everything in this team.”
Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Joleon Lescott was a part of the Manchester City facet beneath Roberto Mancini that secured a club-first Champions League berth in 2011.
He noticed a change in Guardiola over the course of a Premier League season that noticed City wanting up at Arsenal within the desk earlier than securing a 3rd consecutive title and the FA Cup on the marketing campaign’s shut.
He informed BT Sport: ” I feel he’s been probably the most open and trustworthy this season. I feel it was the Spurs sport when he got here out and stated he doesn’t recognise the group. No one’s seeing this end result within the first half of the season. No one’s seeing a treble.
“Then he outed Kevin De Bruyne and wanted more, he did the same thing with Kyle Walker. So the relationship you have with a group of players, you can only do that if you are so close and you are genuine about your connection with a group of players.”
Cesc Fabregas, who performed beneath Guardiola at Barcelona, recalled the times the City boss was untested in England, even drawing doubters who questioned if he may recreate his success within the English sport.
Since becoming a member of City in 2016 Guardiola has led the facet to 5 Premier League titles, two FA Cups, 4 League Cups and a Champions League.
Fabregas informed the broadcaster: “He’s a very tough manager to play for because he demands the absolute best, but the day-to-day you have fun because he has a philosophy that every player dreams of.
“We first thought, not me because I knew the way he worked first-hand, but that when he came to England he would find it difficult. Can he bring this type of play to the country?
“And everyone doubted him. But he’s a very special man, a very special person, a very special manager and I am delighted for him.”
