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UNBELIEVABLE

Pep Guardiola’s record in finals is jaw-droppingly good

Following Sunday's triumph over Chelsea, we take a closer look at the Man City manager's imperious record when playing for silverware

Pep Guardiola has averaged a trophy every 153 days during his managerial career.

The Man City boss has come, seen and conquered in Spain, Germany and now England.

Following his side’s penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea, he has now won 11 of the 12 finals his teams have taken part in.


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Standard procedure for Pep

PA:Press Association
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Standard procedure for Pep

His frightening record in finals started during his inaugural season as Barcelona’s head coach.

In the 2008/09 season, his Barcelona side won 4-1 against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final – Pep’s first taste of managerial success.

Yaya Toure, Lionel Messi, Bojan and Xavi provided the goals to give Pep a feeling which he must be well used to by now.

What a debut season he had

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What a debut season he had

Only a couple of weeks later and his side played Man United in the Champions League final.

A game which cemented his Barcelona side as the world’s best team and Messi as the world’s best player.

Barcelona had also won the La Liga title to complete a remarkable treble in his first season.

Start as you mean to go on, right Pep?

What a header that one was…

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What a header that one was…

The Catalans went on to win a second straight La Liga title in 2010.

They also won the Club World Cup, beating Estudiantes 2-1 in the final following extra-time.

Pep’s first (and only) taste of defeat in a final came in 2011 as Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Ray – revenge following Barcelona’s 5-0 win in the league.

Once again it was Man United in the Champions League final and once again the tika taka boys made light work of the Red Devils, winning 3-1.

Throw in a La Liga title and a 4-0 win over Santos in the Club World Cup final and you can call 2011 another successful year for their manager.

The only man who has been able to stop Guardiola in a final

PA:Empics Sport
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The only man who has been able to stop Guardiola in a final

The former Barcelona player’s final season managing at the Camp Nou turned out to be his least fruitful.

Somehow, Fernando Torres and Chelsea dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage.

The Special One’s Real Madrid hit 100 La Liga points to deny Guardiola his fourth consecutive league crown in his final season at the club.

Grab the nearest cushion, Gary Neville

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Grab the nearest cushion, Gary Neville

Guardiola decided to take a break from management when he took a season-long sabbatical over the 2012/13 season.

And when he decided to return, he was not short of job offers.

He replaced Jupp Heynckens at Bayern Munich – who had just won the Champions League – for the 2013/14 season.

The Spaniard failed to win the one with the big ears during his time at Bayern but his record in finals didn’t show any signs of diminishing.

Pep won the Club World Cup with Bayern and Barcelona

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Pep won the Club World Cup with Bayern and Barcelona

The first final he faced as the Bavarian boss was his third Club World Cup final against Raja Casablanca, a game the German’s won 2-0.

The same result as the German Cup win over Dortmund later on that season.

Three league titles in three years in Munich

Bongarts - Getty
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Three league titles in three years in Munich

He won the league title in each of his three season in charge, as well as the German Cup in his first and third season at the helm.

Wolfsburg beat Dortmund in the 2015 German Cup final after Guardiola’s side lost in extra time of the semi-final to the Black and Yellows.

Pep got his hands back on the FA Cup equivalent during his final season at the club, beating Dortmund 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Sound familiar, Chelsea fans?

The German Cup is a pretty sweet looking trophy to be fair

Bongarts - Getty
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The German Cup is a pretty sweet looking trophy to be fair

His two finals at Man City have both been in the Carabao Cup.

He defeated Arsenal 3-0 this time last year and just collected his 24th major honour when his side edged past Chelsea on Sunday.

Eyes always on the prize

Times Newspapers Ltd
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Eyes always on the prize

When you break down the numbers of his record in finals, it becomes even more impressive.

The last goal one of his sides conceded in a final was Wayne Rooney’s strike at Wembley back in 2011.

That’s seven games and over 900 minutes of football.

His sides have scored 25 goals and conceded just four during finals, dating all the way back to the game against Athletic Bilbao back in 2009.

The quadruple is still on this year

Reuters
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The quadruple is still on this year

So, next time you think of uttering the phrase ‘anything can happen in a final’ make sure Pep Guardiola isn’t around.

The 48-year-old has made a habit of turning what should be ‘anyone’s game’ very much into his game.


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