Pep Guardiola explains why the Premier League has made him a better coach

Pep Guardiola
(Image credit: PA)

Pep Guardiola believes he has become a better manager since joining Manchester City in 2016.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach committed his future to City by signing a two-year contract extension last week.

Guardiola will now remain at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2023.

He has already been at City for longer than he was at either Barca or Bayern, and Guardiola thinks he has improved as a coach since moving to England.

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"English football is fascinating because there are many different cultures in one league and different ways and I've learnt a lot as a manager since being here," he told Sky Sports.

"Watching some incredible colleagues in England and the incredible players that are in this league, I feel I'm a better manager than when I landed here. So I can just say thank you for this opportunity. 

"I'm going to stay longer and enjoy that and learn from all of them. In five seasons, many things happen in good ways and not good ways - it's normal. 

"We have talked but always when we put all the situations on the table, we decided that still we can be together for a longer time.

"This is a club that in the past, didn't win much. In the recent past with Roberto [Mancini] and Manuel [Pellegrini], they won and the most recent past, we won and won again.

"In three seasons, we won eight titles [including two Community Shield triumphs], which is a lot in world football and especially in England.”

Guardiola has already won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups at the Eithad.

However, he has yet to lift the Champions League trophy away from Barcelona and believes there is plenty more for him to achieve in Manchester.

"The unfinished business is to continue to [be successful] when, in the history of this club, it was not able to do it," he added. 

"It is to maintain during the seasons, winning titles or being there fighting for titles. This is the target, not a specific trophy, but be able to maintain this club as high as possible in terms of football.

"It's always difficult [to win titles]. Saying that now it's more difficult looks like the years before it was not and it was the complete opposite.”

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