10 greatest footballers turned managers of all time

Zinedine Zidane, Josep Guardiola
Zinedine Zidane, Josep Guardiola

#3 Pep Guardiola

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Arsenal FC v FC Bayern Munchen - UEFA Champions League
Arsenal FC v FC Bayern Munchen - UEFA Champions League

The man who perfected tiki-taka and made it a religion - but sadly enough, Pep Guardiola's playing career often gets overlooked. The Spaniard was part of the Dream Team that took Spain by storm in the early 90's, conducting play at the heart of midfield. By the time he left Barcelona, Guardiola had won La Liga 6 times, while also lifting the European Cup in 1991-92.

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However, it was his managerial career that the Blaugrana will forever remember, as Pep took over a club in crisis and with the aid of Lionel Messi unleashed an era of domination that was arguably the best Barcelona team of all time. In 4 eventful seasons at the club, Barcelona swept away everyone who stood before them, with record-breaking treble seasons becoming the norm.

Guardiola's exacting standards and ridiculous attention to detail carried over to Bayern Munich and now Manchester City, although he has yet to win the UEFA Champions League again, after lifting two with Barcelona. A win percentage of 75.59% throughout his career is something staggering, despite the top teams he has managed.

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Trophies won as a player: 17

Trophies won as a manager: 21

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Edited by Sunaadh Sagar
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