Rio Ferdinand has lavished praise on to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola for his one-of-a-kind football IQ.
In his column for the Mirror, the renowned pundit had his say on the two-time treble-winning coach.
Rio Ferdinand, who has always maintained his admiration towards Pep Guardiola has credited him once again.
Rio Ferdinand says Pep Guardiola is one of the best ‘football brains’ ever
Branded as the ‘most innovative’ manager the game has seen for more than the last decade by Ilkay Gundogan, all one can do is bow down to the greatness of the decorated tactician.
Even last season, Guardiola, described as ‘ruthless’ by the i Newspaper reminded the world of his tactical genius by changing his system mid-way into the campaign and leading his side to win the lot.
Now, Rio Ferdinand has lauded Pep Guardiola, saying, “In Guardiola, they have one of the best football brains the game has ever seen.”
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“But as someone always driven by an ambition to be the best footballer I could become; it must be something very special for someone with that mindset to be coached by Guardiola. He takes players out of their comfort zone and challenges them to improve their greater understanding of the game.”
Pep Guardiola has changed football like not many else
Barring perhaps the legendary Johan Cruyff, even a Manchester United legend in Rio Ferdinand would openly admit that no other figure in football has had a bigger influence than Pep Guardiola.
Especially since making his way to the Premier League, it is clear as day to witness how other teams and managers across Europe incorporate his tactics into their systems.
To the extent where if a top team in particular lack a ball-playing goalkeeper, which has been a staple in Guardiola sides for years, they are widely considered as living in the past.
Even at grassroot level, Pep Guardiola’s methods are omnipresent, which makes him a once-in-a-lifetime innovator of the sport.