History of Pep Guardiola in Timeline
Josep "Pep" Guardiola is a highly successful Catalan football manager, currently managing Manchester City since 2016. Previously a player, he is renowned for his tactical innovations and achievements. Guardiola is the only manager to achieve a continental treble twice. He also holds records for consecutive league wins in La Liga, Bundesliga, and the Premier League. Widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, his influence on modern football is undeniable.
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January 1971: Birth of Pep Guardiola
In January 1971, Josep "Pep" Guardiola was born.
1990: Debut against Cadiz
In 1990, Guardiola made his debut against Cádiz.
1990: Moved to the middle by Johan Cruyff
In 1990, Johan Cruyff instructed Charly Rexach to move Guardiola into the middle to play as pivot, after watching him play on the right side of midfield for Barcelona B.
1991: Wins Spanish league title
In 1991, Guardiola won the first of four successive Spanish league titles with Barcelona.
1991: Becomes a First-Team Regular
In the 1991-92 season, Guardiola became a first-team regular for Barcelona.
October 1992: Debuts for Spain National Football Team
On 14 October 1992, Guardiola debuted for the Spain national football team in a friendly match against Northern Ireland. The same year, he served as Spain when they won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. That same year he won the Bravo Award.
1994: Appears at the FIFA World Cup
In 1994, Guardiola appeared at the FIFA World Cup for the Spanish national team.
1994: Retains La Liga title
In the 1993-94 season, Guardiola retained the La Liga title with Barcelona. The side again reached the UEFA Champions League final, but were beaten 4–0 by Fabio Capello's AC Milan side in Athens.
1995: Played for Catalonia football team
Between 1995 and 2005, Guardiola played seven friendly matches for Catalonia.
1995: Barcelona finishes fourth
In the 1994-95 season, Barcelona finished fourth.
1996: Barcelona finishes fourth
In the 1995-96 season, Barcelona finished fourth. Cruyff left in 1996.
1996: Wins Three Cups with Barcelona
In the 1996–97 season, Barcelona, led by Bobby Robson, won three cups: the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
1997: Captains Barcelona
In 1997, Guardiola became the captain of Barcelona.
1997: Named Barcelona Captain
In 1997, Guardiola was named as Barcelona captain under new manager Louis van Gaal.
1998: Misses World Cup due to Injury
In 1998, Guardiola suffered a career-threatening injury that kept him out of the year's World Cup.
1999: Injury
In 1999–2000, Guardiola missed the last three months of the season with a serious ankle injury.
2000: Injury
In 1999–2000, Guardiola missed the last three months of the season with a serious ankle injury.
April 2001: Announces Intention to Leave Barcelona
On 11 April 2001, Guardiola announced his intention to leave Barcelona after 17 years of service, citing a personal decision and a response to football heading in a more physical direction.
June 2001: Last Match with Barcelona
On 24 June 2001, Guardiola played his last match with Barcelona in the final game of the season against Celta Vigo, after 12 seasons with the first team and 16 trophies won.
2001: Signed a new contract with Barcelona
After prolonged and complicated contract talks, Guardiola signed a new contract with Barcelona that extended his stay until 2001.
2001: Departure from Barcelona
In 2001, Guardiola departed from Barcelona after being with the club since 1997.
2001: Joins Brescia
In 2001, Guardiola joined Serie A side Brescia as Andrea Pirlo's replacement in the deep-lying playmaker role.
2001: Considered the best at dictating the tempo
In 2001, Guardiola's agent Josè Maria Orobitg described him as the best in the world at dictating the tempo and rhythm of his team's play.
2003: Plays in Qatar with Al-Ahli
In 2003, Guardiola played in Qatar with Al-Ahli from Doha in the Qatar Stars League.
2005: Played for Catalonia football team
Between 1995 and 2005, Guardiola played seven friendly matches for Catalonia.
2005: Turns down offers from European clubs
In 2005, Guardiola turned down offers from a number of European clubs, feeling that his playing career was coming to a close.
2006: Editorials for El Pais
During the 2006 World Cup, Guardiola's editorials for El Pais revealed his reverence for possession-based, attacking football, with defenders and the goalkeeper playing it out from the back.
2006: Joins Dorados
In 2006, Guardiola joined Mexican club Dorados to play for the club.
June 2007: Appointed manager of Barcelona B
On 21 June 2007, Guardiola was appointed manager of Barcelona B with Tito Vilanova as his assistant.
May 2008: Appointed manager of Barcelona senior squad
In May 2008, Barcelona President Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would be appointed manager of the senior Barcelona squad to replace Frank Rijkaard at the end of the 2007–08 season.
2008: Takes charge of Barcelona first team
In 2008, Guardiola took charge of the Barcelona first team after managing Barcelona B.
May 2009: Wins Copa del Rey
On 13 May 2009, Barcelona won the 2008–09 Copa del Rey, beating Athletic Bilbao 4–1 in the 2009 Copa del Rey final.
September 2009: 50th professional victory
On 25 September 2009, Barcelona gave Guardiola his 50th professional victory, away against Málaga.
2009: Cleared of doping charges
In 2009, Guardiola was cleared of all charges after being banned for four months for testing positive for nandrolone during his time in Italy.
January 2010: Longest serving Spanish manager
In January 2010, Pep Guardiola became Barcelona's longest-serving Spanish manager, surpassing Josep Samitier's record. He also agreed to a one-year contract extension, committing him to Barcelona until the conclusion of the 2010–11 season.
February 2010: Guardiola's 100th match for Barcelona
In February 2010, Guardiola managed his 100th match for Barcelona's first team. His record stood at 71 wins, 19 draws and 10 losses, with 242 goals for and 76 against.
April 2010: First manager to beat Real Madrid four times in a row
On April 10, 2010, Guardiola became the first manager in Barcelona's history to beat Real Madrid four times in a row in El Clásico.
February 2011: Contract extension until June 2012
On February 8, 2011, Guardiola accepted the club's offer for a one-year deal extension, signing a contract until June 2012.
2011: Became all-time record holder of most titles won as manager at Barcelona
In 2011, Barcelona won the UEFA Super Cup against Porto. With the trophy won against Porto, he became all-time record holder of most titles won as a manager at Barcelona, with 12 trophies in only three years. In November of the same year Guardiola managed his 200th match for Barcelona's first team.
2011: Named FIFA World Coach of the Year
In 2011, Guardiola was named the FIFA World Coach of the Year.
January 2012: Named FIFA World Coach of the Year
On January 9, 2012, Pep Guardiola was named FIFA World Coach of the Year.
April 2012: Announcement to step down as Barcelona's manager
In April 2012, Barcelona was knocked out of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. On April 27, 2012, Guardiola announced he would step down as Barcelona's manager at the end of the 2011–12 season.
2012: Ends Barcelona stint
In 2012, Guardiola ended his four-year stint with Barcelona, having won 14 honours, a club record.
2012: Account in Andorra
In 2012, Pep Guardiola had an account open in Andorra until 2012, exploiting the tax amnesty that Mariano Rajoy's conservative government had enacted in Spain to regularise his fiscal situation. Until that point, he had not declared the funds held in that account to the Spanish Tax Agency.
January 2013: Guardiola to take over as manager of Bayern Munich
On January 16, 2013, it was announced that Guardiola would take over as manager of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich after the 2012–13 season.
January 2013: Third place for the 2012 FIFA World Coach of the Year
On January 7, 2013, Pep Guardiola came in third place for the 2012 FIFA World Coach of the Year, behind Vicente del Bosque and José Mourinho.
June 2013: First press conference and training session at Bayern Munich
In June 2013, Guardiola addressed his first press conference at Bayern on June 24, in German, and had his first training session two days later.
December 2013: Won third Club World Cup
In December 2013, Guardiola won his third Club World Cup after beating Raja Casablanca in Morocco.
2013: Joins Bayern Munich
In 2013, Guardiola joined Bayern Munich and won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons there.
March 2014: Led Bayern to their 23rd Bundesliga title
On March 25, 2014, Guardiola led Bayern to their 23rd Bundesliga title by beating Hertha Berlin 3–1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
May 2014: Marriage to Cristina Serra
On 29 May 2014, Guardiola married Cristina Serra.
2014: Critique of Tiki-Taka
In 2014, Guardiola commented that he loathed all that passing for the sake of it, all that tiki-taka, stating that it's rubbish and has no purpose, emphasizing the need for a clear intention when passing the ball.
March 2015: Bayern defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0
On March 11, 2015, Bayern defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 7–0, tying their largest win in Champions League history.
April 2015: Knocked out of the German Cup
On April 28, 2015, Bayern were knocked out of the German Cup in a penalty shoot-out. Bayern had missed all four of their shots.
August 2015: Loss in German Super Cup
On August 1, 2015, Bayern lost in a shoot-out to Wolfsburg in the German Super Cup.
October 2015: First time dropping points in the league
The first time Bayern dropped points in the league was on 30 October 2015 in a 0–0 scoreline against Eintracht Frankfurt.
December 2015: First loss in the league
Bayern's first loss in the league was on 5 December 2015 in a 3–1 scoreline to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
2015: Support for Catalan Independence
In 2015, Guardiola confirmed that he would participate in the pro-independence coalition, Junts pel Sí, in that year's regional parliamentary election, showing his support for the political independence of Catalonia.
February 2016: Manchester City signed Guardiola
On February 1, 2016, Manchester City signed Guardiola to a three-year contract for the start of the 2016–17 season.
August 2016: Victory in first match of the Premier League season
On August 13, 2016, Guardiola earned victory in his first match of the Premier League season, as City defeated Sunderland 2–1.
2016: Joins Manchester City
In 2016, Guardiola became the manager of Manchester City, a Premier League club.
2016: Leaving Bayern Munich
On 20 December 2015, Bayern confirmed that Guardiola was leaving the club after his contract expired at the end of the 2015-2016 season, with Carlo Ancelotti his replacement for the 2016–17 season.
January 2017: Biggest-ever managerial defeat in a domestic competition
On January 15, 2017, Manchester City lost to Everton 0–4; this was Guardiola's biggest-ever managerial defeat in a domestic competition.
2017: Chiellini's Criticism
In 2017, Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini was critical of Guardiola's philosophy, expressing his belief that the focus on possession-based playing styles has had a negative impact on the overall defensive quality.
2018: Considered one of the best midfielders
In 2018, Marco Frattino stated: "Twenty years ago, [...] Pep Guardiola was one of the best midfielders in the world."
2018: Leads City to domestic treble
In 2018–19, Guardiola led Manchester City to a domestic treble.
August 2019: Community Shield Victory
On 4 August 2019, Manchester City began the season with a penalty shoot-out victory against Liverpool in the Community Shield, securing the trophy for the second consecutive year. During the match on 4 August 2019, Guardiola also became the first Premier League manager to receive a yellow card from the referee.
2019: Wins Premier League title
From 2019 to 2024, Guardiola's Manchester City won four successive Premier League titles.
2019: Community Shield Win
In 2019, under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City won the Community Shield for the first time since 2019 and for the third time in the Guardiola era.
August 2020: Champions League Quarter-Final Exit
On 15 August 2020, Guardiola's Manchester City faced Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals. City lost the match 1–3 and was eliminated at the quarter-final stage for the third season in a row.
November 2020: New Contract with Manchester City
On 19 November 2020, Guardiola signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City, extending his tenure until the summer of 2023.
2020: Considered one of the greatest Spanish players
In 2020, Miguel Val of Marca considered Guardiola to be one of the greatest Spanish players of all time, describing him as the "brains of Barcelona's Dream Team under Johan Cruyff". Also in 2020, Federico Aquè described him as one of the best deep-lying playmakers in European football in his prime, while Lee Bushe of 90min.com even included him in his list of "The Best Deep-Lying Playmakers of All Time".
2020: Guards City to their first Champions League final
In 2020–21, Guardiola guided Manchester City to their first Champions League final.
January 2021: 500th Game as Manager
On 31 January 2021, Guardiola won his 500th game as a manager after Manchester City beat Sheffield United 1–0. January 2021 was also the ninth game City had won in January, becoming the team with the most wins in a single month since 1888.
2021: Signing Jack Grealish
During the summer transfer window of 2021, Manchester City broke the British transfer record by signing Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish for £100m.
2021: Third Premier League Title and Champions League Final Loss
In 2021, Guardiola won his third Premier League title on 11 May after Manchester United's defeat to Leicester City, and claimed the EFL Cup for the fourth successive time two weeks earlier. On 29 May 2021, Manchester City played in the Champions League final for the first time in their history, losing to Chelsea 0–1. Guardiola was subsequently criticised for his team selection.
May 2022: Fourth Premier League Title
On 22 May 2022, Manchester City won the Premier League with a 3–2 victory over Aston Villa, marking Guardiola's fourth title at the club.
November 2022: New Contract with Manchester City
On 23 November 2022, Guardiola signed a new two-year contract with Manchester City, extending his tenure until summer 2025.
2022: Experimenting with Formations
At Manchester City, after experimenting with several formations, in 2022 Guardiola used a modern version of the 3–2–2–3 formation during the 2022–23 treble–winning season.
2022: Leads City to their first Champions League title
In 2022–23, Guardiola guided Manchester City to their first Champions League title as part of his second continental treble.
May 2023: Cameo in Ted Lasso
On 24 May 2023, Guardiola made a cameo appearance in Ted Lasso, giving Ted Lasso a word of advice following City's defeat.
June 2023: FA Cup and Champions League Victories
In June 2023, Guardiola led Manchester City to win their second FA Cup on 3 June 2023 and first Champions League title on 10 June 2023 completing a continental treble.
August 2023: UEFA Super Cup Title
On 16 August 2023, Guardiola won a record-equaling fourth UEFA Super Cup title, becoming the first manager to win the trophy with three different clubs after Manchester City defeated Sevilla on penalties.
2023: Tactical Recognition
In 2023, Guardiola's use of centre-back John Stones in a hybrid role was likened to both the libero and wing-half roles.
May 2024: Fourth Straight Premier League Title
On 19 May 2024, Manchester City beat West Ham United to win their fourth straight Premier League title. A week later in May 2024, Man City lost the FA Cup Final to Manchester United.
November 2024: Losses and Contract Extension
In November 2024, Manchester City were beaten 2–1 by Brighton & Hove Albion, marking the first time in Guardiola's managerial career that he suffered four losses in a row. Despite speculation, on 22 November 2024, Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension with the club until 2027. However, a day later, Guardiola suffered his heaviest home defeat as Manchester City manager in a 4–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
2024: Wins Premier League title
From 2019 to 2024, Guardiola's Manchester City won four successive Premier League titles, marking the first time in English top flight history that a team has achieved this.
2024: Downturn After EFL Cup Loss
In 2024, under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City mirrored the success of the previous campaign by winning the Community Shield and beginning the league season with an unbeaten run. However, the team's fortunes took a downturn following a 1–2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.
February 2025: Champions League Elimination
On 19 February 2025, Manchester City was eliminated from the 2024-25 Champions League after a 3-6 aggregate loss to Real Madrid. In February 2025, Guardiola criticised his own performance and suggested that he would leave the club if he was the problem.
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