Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala is a Spanish manager and former player in the professional football league. Pep was born on January 18, 1971, in Santpedor, Spain....CONTINUE READING
In the modern football era, he is regarded as one of the best coaches. The Spaniard, who originally rose to prominence as a technically gifted midfielder, has since developed into an even better manager, taking home every possible trophy in club football.
He is an author
In collaboration with two of Spain’s most renowned football journalists, Lu Martin and Miguel Rico, he published the book “La meva gent, el meu futbol” (My People, My Football) in 2001. Part biography, part how-to manual for Pep’s style of play, direct from the source: a must-read if you want to comprehend Guardiola.
Pep has published other books asides from “LA meva.” One of his most popular books is Messi which he published in 2013.
One of the most stylish football managers
The fact that many refer to this Catalan player-turned-manager as “the most stylish man in football” and that blogs like “Dress Yourself Like Pep Guardiola” shows that he could not be left off our list.
Pep truly embodies what it means to be cool, inspiring a following of fashion followers to mimic his every fashionable move, from wearing sharp black suits on the sidelines to having the sport’s most stylish mustache. Pep has appeared in the Spanish and Italian editions of GQ magazine.
One of the most intelligent football managers
Physiotherapy is Pep’s field of study. He is fluent in six languages. Guardiola speaks German, English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, and a little bit of French. He has won numerous awards throughout his illustrious career as a player and a manager.
Guardiola won an Olympic Gold Medal
Guardiola was an important member of the Spanish team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992 after scoring the opening goal of the Olympics as hosts Spain defeated Colombia 4-0. Spain would defeat Poland 3-2 in the championship.
Pep is a unique tactician
Ever wonder what Pep Guardiola does during the workweek from one game to the next? The Spaniard uses his whiteboard and DVD player to view videos of his next opponent and make notes about their strengths and shortcomings in addition to leading training sessions for the first team squad.
For the first two to three days of the practice week, he most likely does this. But the day before the game is when the real magic happens.
Pep spends the evening before the game alone in his room, trying to figure out how to win the game the following day. In his bios, Guardiola has stated that while the process might be frustrating, he believes his love for the work is at its peak when he finds the formula for victory over the next opponent.
