Manchester City have enjoyed one of the most stellar periods in their history over the past 14 years.
From the drought-ending FA Cup triumph of 2011 to the Treble in 2023, the Citizens have been head and shoulders above the competition for over a decade now.
After Roberto Mancini got the ball rolling, Pep Guardiola came in and built on the Italian’s success to turn Manchester City into a real titan of the game.
And while Man City aren’t having the best of times at present, Guardiola’s standing in the game has not been diminished in his peers’ eyes.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has now spoken about Guardiola, sharing what he really thinks about his fellow Spaniard amid the club’s current struggles.
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Unai Emery says Pep Guardiola is “the best coach I have known in my career”
Emery, speaking on The Sky Sports Football Podcast, described Guardiola as his “first coach”.
The Aston Villa boss acknowledged that Guardiola is now “struggling a little” but stressed the he remains the best coach he’s ever known.
“Of course, my first coach is Guardiola,” said Emery. “Even now he’s struggling a little, but Guardiola is the best, the best coach I have known in my career.
“A fantastic club, I like a lot of coaches, even in Liverpool, they were successful with Klopp, but now they are, with a new coach, being successful as well, but tactically different.”
What Unai Emery and Pep Guardiola have said about each other in the past
In 2019, Emery – then manager of Arsenal – said that Guardiola was at the very top of the football manager pyramid and said he learned a lot from the Man City boss.
“I have analysed a lot of teams and coaches and I think it’s difficult to find one coach who is better than Guardiola,” Emery told reporters, as per Goal.com.
“His career is a very big career. We started together. He started with the Barcelona second team, I started with Lorca and Almeria [In Spain’s third and second tiers].
“I learned a lot looking at his team – it’s good to look at each other when we are coaches to learn different things between us.
“I think in his career he’s doing the best in all the coaches in the world.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola said last year that he wasn’t surprised Emery was turning Villa into one of England’s best teams.
“[They are] excellent the way they play,” the City boss said at his press conference ahead of the meeting against Villa in April 2024.
“Unai Emery and the consistency in every season, Villa is impressive and always he has done really well.
“It’s not a surprise the quality of him and his management and the quality of the team.
“I didn’t watch all games because I don’t think all managers watch all the games of opponents.
“I think he’s playing the same system. They have really good set-pieces and transitions with the two incredible fast players up front.
“The shape is really clear what they do. They can do high pressing and afterwards defend very well with a back four or back five and a really structured line. [They have] an exceptional keeper.
“That is why they are where they are, fighting to be there.”
