Pep Guardiola (right) and Sir Bobby Robson (centre) during their Barcelona days.placeholder image
Pep Guardiola (right) and Sir Bobby Robson (centre) during their Barcelona days. | Hulton Archive
Sir Bobby Robson managed Pep Guardiola during his formative days at Barcelona.
Pep Guardiola has credited the “huge impact” that Sir Bobby Robson exerted on world football.
The iconic former Newcastle United manager coached Guardiola at Barcelona during the 1996-97 season. At the time, he faced unfair criticism and was largely viewed as a placeholder for Louis van Gaal.
However, given time and hindsight, Robson has become a beloved figure in Catalonia, with Barca fans recognising the English gentleman who delivered three trophies in a single campaign under immense pressure. He also played a huge role in developing the likes of Ronaldo, Luis Enrique and Guardiola himself.
Pep Guardiola on Sir Bobby Robson
Guardiola opened up about Sir Bobby as his Manchester City troops aim to take on Newcastle this evening. He told reporters: "What a man! I was fortunate and lucky to have him in Barcelona for one season. Truly a gentleman - it was a huge honour. His impact in football, not just in the teams he trained… really good."
‘I couldn’t care less’ Pep Guardiola
The Spaniard also claimed he has not had any conversations about Arsenal or the title race. He added: “I didn’t speak one second about that with my players. Yesterday and the day before it’s just Newcastle, Newcastle and Newcastle. I didn’t talk about the table, I didn’t talk about the position or something like that.
“I couldn’t care less. It’s 12 games left, it is an eternity, so many things is going to happen. That is the only truth I have.”
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‘They are the benchmark’ - Eddie Howe on Man City
Eddie Howe referred to City as the “benchmark” ahead of the Premier League clash. He said: "Genuinely, I think we learn something more about ourselves and our game going forward every time we play them.
“Manchester City have been the benchmark for a number of years for many teams. Each painful defeat we suffer at the Etihad we try to grow from it, evolve and improve. They have been very, very good and are led by an outstanding manager. They continue to be the benchmark in my opinion.
“Every time we've played there, I think we've made mistakes big enough to cost us the game. We've been in the games, they've been competitive, but they have been too good for us on a number of occasions and we need to bridge that gap this weekend."
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