8 Hilarious Quotes from Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is widely celebrated as one of football’s greatest ever managers.

He has not only secured an unprecedented number of titles across Spain, Germany, and England but has also transformed modern football with his unique style, emphasizing possession, quick passing, and tactical flexibility. Guardiola’s impact has profoundly shaped the sport, influencing how football is played today.

However, it’s not just his exceptional coaching that has captivated the football world.

Similar to his former rival Jürgen Klopp and former coach José Mourinho, Guardiola, who previously managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich, is also admired for his humor and sharp comments, consistently providing entertainment for fans.

Some of his quotes are expressions of pure joy, while others arise from moments of frustration. Regardless of their emotional origin, they always leave a memorable impression.

Here are some of Pep Guardiola’s best quotes.

1 ‘It rains every day’

Guardiola’s Manchester City had a challenging start to the 2020/21 season, particularly struggling with scoring.

However, following a dominant 4-1 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December 2020, Guardiola was understandably pleased.

Despite the convincing win, he was hesitant to declare his team had fully regained their form. Instead, he likened their performance to the unpredictable Manchester weather.

‘It’s like in Manchester. It rains every day. When one day the sun rises it doesn’t mean the weather is going to change,’ he said. ‘It is just one game, but we will see what happens in the future.’

After Manchester City’s treble win in the 2022/23 season, Guardiola again mentioned the city’s unpredictable weather during the victory parade, which was indeed rained upon.

‘We had to be the best parade with this rain, otherwise it is not Manchester,’ he said. ‘We don’t want sunshine, we want rain, so it was perfect.’

2 ‘Like a jazz musician…’

Guardiola is known for creating teams that function as cohesive units, where every player contributes both defensively and offensively, forming an unstoppable football force. Even Lionel Messi, despite his unparalleled talent and given more freedom than most, was not exempt from Guardiola’s team-oriented philosophy.

In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Guardiola humorously described his view on individualism within his teams with a funny comparison to jazz music.

‘In some areas of the pitch, creativity and risk-taking are necessary,’ he stated. ‘But I dislike it when players say: ‘I want freedom; I want to play for myself.’ A player must understand he is part of a team, with 10 other players. If every player acted like a jazz musician, it would be chaos. They would not function as a team.’

3 ‘I got better contracts’

Speaking of Messi, Guardiola has consistently praised the Argentinian, often calling him the greatest footballer ever.

However, one of the most memorable and amusing compliments came in 2022, when, in an interview with Telemundo Deportes, he compared Messi—who scored 211 goals in 219 games under Guardiola at Barcelona—to NBA legend Michael Jordan. He also jokingly thanked Messi for the significant positive impact on his career and earnings.

‘For me, Messi is everything in my career, and he made me more competitive,’ Guardiola commented. ‘Without him, we would have won trophies, but not as many. I compare Messi to Michael Jordan when Phil Jackson understood what it meant to have the best player and consequently won six NBA championships. I also won because Messi made everything easier.’

He added: ‘I still owe him a bottle of wine because thanks to him, I secured better contracts.’

4 ‘All the alcohol in Manchester’

While Guardiola is undoubtedly focused on achieving success, he also appreciates the importance of his players enjoying their achievements.

In May 2023, City clinched the Premier League title for the third consecutive year after Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest. The following day, City played against Chelsea, celebrating their Premier League victory and receiving their medals.

Before their subsequent match against Brighton & Hove Albion just three days later, Guardiola’s team took time to celebrate properly. Photos emerged of the team enjoying a night out at a nightclub, relishing their hard-earned title.

City drew 1-1 on the south coast, and Guardiola commended his team’s performance, especially considering their recent celebrations.

‘The game we played, about 40 hours after I believe we drank all the alcohol in Manchester, 40 hours later, we showed why we are champions,’ he told Sky Sports post-match.