Manchester City vs Inter: 3 ways Guardiola proved he is greater than Sir Alex Ferguson

After the Champions League final performance, Guardiola has now surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson, here are three reasons why

There was little doubt about where Pep Guardiola stood in the annals of history before Saturday’s UEFA Champions League triumph over Inter to complete Manchester City’s treble. 

The win only solidified the Spaniard’s status as one of the greatest in the history of the sport and even put him above an absolute legend in former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Many may argue or doubt this, but these three reasons certainly prove that Guardiola has surpassed the legacy of the great Scottish manager

1. More UCL titles in a shorter career

Saturday’s victory over Inter saw Guardiola notch his third UEFA Champions League title and his first since leaving Barcelona. 

After securing what had been akin to an obsession for him at Manchester City, Guardiola moved up the ladder for UEFA Champions League titles as a manager, becoming one of only four managers who have won the title on three or more occasions. 

Only current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has won more than Guardiola, after claiming his fourth UCL crown in 2022. 

Ferguson, on the other hand, retired after winning two UEFA Champions League titles with Manchester United in 1999 and 2008, which is still a remarkable achievement but still puts him behind the Spaniard for total titles. 

The fact that the former Manchester United manager could have retired with more titles if he did not lose his last two finals to Guardiola’s Barcelona also rubs salt into the wound for the Scotsman, as he could have been the first manager to win four UCL titles but for the Barcelona native. 

2. First manager to win two trebles 

To win a treble featuring the league, domestic cup, and UCL is an amazing achievement, one that most football managers can only dream of. 

It was a dream that came true for Ferguson when he led Manchester United to the first treble in English football in 1999, which truly cemented his place among the greatest managers the country had ever seen. 

Ten years after Ferguson’s treble with Manchester United, Guardiola did the same thing with Barcelona, winning all three competitions that the Blaugrana competed in before completing an incredible sextuple that year with wins in the Spanish and European Super Cups as well as the Club World Cup. 

Guardiola had to wait another 14 years to do it again, this time with Manchester City, as he became the first manager to win the treble with an English team since Ferguson in 1999. 

With a second treble in tow, Guardiola became the first manager in football history to win two trebles with two different clubs, once again putting him on a unique pedestal compared to other managers, including Ferguson. 

3. Managerial League record and Premier League milestones

Ferguson was known as one of the best league managers in the world during his heydays, winning the Premier League a total of 13 times with Manchester United, and adding three more league titles while in Scotland with Aberdeen. 

Despite the eventual league successes with the Red Devils, Ferguson had a difficult start to his time as Manchester United boss, finishing in the sixth, 11th, 12th, and 13th positions in the old English First Division in his early days on the job. 

To his credit, he turned things around after winning his first league title with Manchester United and never finished outside the top three in the two decades he managed in the new Premier League format, winning the league in 13 of the next 20 seasons. 

Even with his incredible record, Guardiola still holds a slight edge over Ferguson in league football terms, as he has never finished outside the top three of any league competition since his managerial debut 15 years ago. 

In that time, he has won 11 league titles across Spain, Germany, and England, failing to win the league in only three seasons as a coach. 

The former Barcelona manager also became the first manager since Ferguson to defend the Premier League title, before also becoming the first since the Scotsman to win the league three times on the bounce. 

In addition to this, Guardiola’s Manchester City side have been responsible for the most points in a Premier League season, as well as the most wins, the most goals scored and the biggest margin between the top two clubs in the league’s history. 

Their dominance over teams in the Premier League has been unprecedented and with five wins in his first seven seasons in England, Guardiola is on course to eclipse Ferguson’s record for the most league titles in the Premier League if he stays as long as the former Manchester United manager. 

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