He is considered one of the best coaches in the world, won seven titles in three years with FC Bayern and continues to shape the German record champions with his ideas today. Pep Guardiola is celebrating his 50th birthday on Monday, and fcbayern.com wishes the successful Spanish coach all the best!
When you win a lot, you celebrate a lot. Pep Guardiola enjoyed a beer shower after winning a third German title with Bayern in May 2016.
Bayern managed a big transfer coup by securing the future services of Guardiola in December 2012. The Catalan had previously won the Champions League twice with Barcelona and in 2009 became the first coach ever to win all six titles in a calendar year with the Blaugrana. After a year off, he would now take over at the German record champions from Jupp Heynckes, who would be leaving in the summer. At the time, Guardiola had no idea what a great legacy his predecessor would leave him.
Big boots - Guardiola can fill them
Bayern celebrated the greatest success in club history to date with the treble, but Guardiola took this as an incentive and managed to take the best club team in the world to the next level. "Normally after a year like that you fall completely flat and have to fight your way out first," said CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, describing the Spaniard's greed for titles. "Thanks to this man, we didn't experience this, but rather a success story of its own kind."
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said recently “a real friendship” developed with Pep Guardiola during his time at FCB.
From day one of his tenure, Guardiola set about establishing his ideal of football at FC Bayern. The opponents were to be dominated with long periods of possession and combination play, and coincidence in the game was to be reduced to a minimum. Once the opponent had the ball, this should be changed immediately to high attacking pressure. With his obsession with detail and his demanding passing game, the coaching guru stimulated the Munich team to perform at their best. He also integrated ball artists like Thiago, Xabi Alonso and later the young Joshua Kimmich into the already technically well-trained Bayern team.
Seven titles in three years
FCB played extremely attractive, and also very successful football under the auspices of Guardiola! In addition to three championships, two cups, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Supercup, the Munich team also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League three times in a row. Of 161 competitive games under the Spaniard, 124 were wins, and the tactical expert has the best average of all coaches in Bundesliga history with 2.52 points per game.
In his last competitive game with Bayern, Guardiola won the DFB Cup final 4-3 on penalties against Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
However, Hansi Flick (2.50) is hot on his heels here. Today's Bayern coach has a high opinion of the exceptional Spanish supremo: "What can I say about Pep Guardiola? For me, he's the best coach in the world," said the 55-year-old, who built his current success on the basis of Guardiola's previous work. Thomas Müller has also drawn parallels here: "Our game was managed in a similarly clear manner recently under Pep Guardiola," revealed the 31-year-old in a recent interview. Even a good five years after his departure, the Spaniard's influence is still felt by the record champions. FC Bayern say: "Feliz cumpleaños!"
Under Pep Guardiola, Bayern won the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in club history in December 2013. Manuel Neuer and Co. want to repeat this triumph in February:
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