Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala
(born 18 January 1971) is a Spanish football manager and former player.
Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of
his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was
part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European
Cup. Guardiola also played for Brescia Calcio and A.S. Roma in Italy;
Al-Ahli in Qatar; and for Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico while attending
managing school. While playing in Italy, he served a four-month ban for a
positive drug test although he was cleared of wrongdoing twice on
appeal in 2009 before the Courts of Justice of the Italian Football
Federation (FIGC) and the Federal Anti-Doping Courts of the Italian
Olympic Committee (CONI). As an international, he played for Spain and
friendly matches with Catalonia.
After retiring as a player, Guardiola became coach of FC Barcelona B. On 8 May 2008, Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would succeed Frank Rijkaard as the first team manager. He signed his contract on 5 June 2008. In his first season as manager, Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. In doing so, Guardiola became the youngest UEFA Champions League-winning manager ever. The following season, Guardiola and Barcelona won the Supercopa de España against Athletic Club Bilbao, the UEFA Super Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk, and the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes, bringing the manager's tally to the maximum of six trophies in six competitions in one year, thus completing the first ever sextuple.
On 8 September 2011, Guardiola was awarded the Catalan parliament's Gold Medal, the highest honour. On January 9, 2012 Guardiola received the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award, with 41.92% of the votes, ahead of Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson, who received 15.61%, and Jose Mourinho, coach of Real Madrid who had 12.43%.
After retiring as a player, Guardiola became coach of FC Barcelona B. On 8 May 2008, Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would succeed Frank Rijkaard as the first team manager. He signed his contract on 5 June 2008. In his first season as manager, Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. In doing so, Guardiola became the youngest UEFA Champions League-winning manager ever. The following season, Guardiola and Barcelona won the Supercopa de España against Athletic Club Bilbao, the UEFA Super Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk, and the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes, bringing the manager's tally to the maximum of six trophies in six competitions in one year, thus completing the first ever sextuple.
On 8 September 2011, Guardiola was awarded the Catalan parliament's Gold Medal, the highest honour. On January 9, 2012 Guardiola received the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award, with 41.92% of the votes, ahead of Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson, who received 15.61%, and Jose Mourinho, coach of Real Madrid who had 12.43%.
