Premier League has made me stronger, Guardiola says

City manager facing biggest challenge of his career

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the competitive nature and sheer unpredictability of the Premier League has presented him with the biggest challenge of his career.

Before his move to Manchester, Guardiola collected three La Liga titles and two Uefa Champions League trophies with Barcelona, before leading Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga crowns in competitions dominated by very few teams.

However, the Spaniard said it felt like he needed to learn a whole new set of skills after arriving in England in 2016, forced to cope with heavy fixture congestion and a title challenge from five other contenders. “I am a better manger than I was in Germany, and I am a better manager now than I was in Barcelona by far, just for the fact of being there,” he said.

“Now, I feel being here I am a better manager too, because I learnt to handle this incredible league in many circumstances.

“It is the toughest one, for the amount of games, for the weather and the referees saying: ‘play, play, play’ and the competitors, there are many. It is the only country that five or six can win the Premier League.”