Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is on the verge of winning his first Champions League title as his team faces Inter Milan in Istanbul this weekend. The match will be broadcast live on talkSPORT. If Manchester City win, they will complete a historic treble, having already won the Premier League and FA Cup this season. Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, and a win on Saturday would only strengthen his case.
Guardiola has won the Champions League twice before, both times as manager of Barcelona in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 seasons. In 2009, Barcelona beat Bayern Munich and Chelsea on their way to the final, where they faced Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in Rome and won 2-0 thanks to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi. Guardiola lifted his first Champions League trophy while leading his side to become the first Spanish team ever to win the treble. He also became the youngest male coach to win the competition, achieving the feat at the age of 38.
Guardiola’s next Champions League win came two years later in 2011 when Barcelona beat Manchester United once again in the final. The Spanish side mesmerized fans at Wembley as goals from Pedro, Messi, and David Villa secured a 3-1 win and the European crown. Following that game, iconic Red Devils boss Ferguson said: “In my time as a manager, I would say they’re the best team we’ve faced.”
Guardiola has not won the Champions League since then, reaching the final for the first time in 10 years last season before Manchester City were beaten by Chelsea. However, one year on, he is back again in the final, aiming to end his long wait for another European title and achieve greatness with the Citizens.