Frank Lampard received a telling verdict from Pep Guardiola regarding his managerial potential
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
06:00, 11 Apr 2026
Frank Lampard the interim manager / head coach of Chelsea and Pep Guardiola the head coach / manager of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on May 21, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Pep Guardiola believes Frank Lampard will reach an "extraordinary" level in his managerial career(Image: 2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
Pep Guardiola told Frank Lampard he was destined to become a top manager and his Coventry City side are now on the verge of Premier League promotion.
The Chelsea icon has completely turned around the fortunes of the Sky Blues since his appointment as head coach in November 2024. Sitting 17th in the Championship upon Lampard's arrival, the former England midfielder led the club to a fifth-placed finish before losing to eventual play-off winners Sunderland in their semi-final tie.
However, there'll be no need for participation in the play-offs this time, with Coventry establishing themselves as the best team in the second tier. After their 0-0 draw with Hull City on Monday, they've moved to within four points of reaching the Premier League for the first time since the 2000/01 season.
Promotion can be clinched on Saturday if they defeat basement side Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough and Millwall drop points in their respective games against Portsmouth and West Brom.
Lampard's appointment at the CBS Arena marked his fifth managerial post and second in the Championship, following his one-year stint with Derby County. But during his first spell at Chelsea is when he received the ultimate compliment from Guardiola.
The 47-year-old captured Champions League football in his first season with his former club amid a transfer ban, with the Manchester City boss lavishing praise on Lampard for his decision-making.
Frank Lampard manager / head coach of Coventry City reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Derby County at The Coventry Building Society Arena on April 03, 2026 in Coventry, England.
Frank Lampard is potentially a game away from leading Coventry to Premier League promotion(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Guardiola said: "Frank Lampard was an extraordinary football player, and he will be an extraordinary manager. He did a really good season and I am delighted to watch his team. They are the elite of European football.
"When you start as a manager, you have a passion and no fears. You take decisions without compromise, which he has done by giving opportunities to the young, talented players Chelsea have because his academy in the last five or 10 years has done really well."
Ahead of Coventry's likely step-up to the top-flight, football finance expert Kieran Maguire revealed how lucrative promotion would be for the club. Discussing Coventry's current share of the EFL's TV deal, he told CoventryLive: "As far as the impact on the club is concerned, they get around about £12million from the TV deal.
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (L) greets Chelsea's English head coach Frank Lampard (R) ahead of the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on November 23, 2019. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola believes Lampard is destined for the top(Image: PAUL ELLIS, AFP via Getty Images)
"You can add a minimum of £100m on to that. And then it goes up by another £2.5m to £3m for every place higher up the league. So there's a minimum of £100m there.
Article continues below
"I think you can add an extra £15m to £20m for the commercial side of the club... that front-of-shirt deal will become that much more attractive because you're being broadcast to almost 200 countries around the world.
"And you're acting as a billboard." Coventry have lost just one of their last 11 games in the league and are taking on a Wednesday side who've won just one game all season, all the way back in September.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£44
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.