Pep Guardiola not only achieved great success in his coaching career with numerous titles but also played a significant role in nurturing a generation of outstanding assistant coaches who are now making waves in European football leagues.
#1 XAVI HERNANDEZ During his playing days, Xavi was the soul of Barca's attacking Tiki-taka style under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. As a central midfielder, he formed an exceptional trio with Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, ranking among the best midfielders in Camp Nou's history. Xavi was part of the iconic "sextuple" triumph with the Catalan club in 2009.
After retiring from football, Xavi began his managerial journey at Al Sadd in Qatar, a sort of internship, before returning to Barca as the head coach in 2021. He immediately left his mark on the team, leading them to a convincing La Liga title in the last season.
Influenced by Pep Guardiola, Xavi is also a proponent of attacking football. He emphasizes high-pressing play and the importance of ball possession. However, the 43-year-old coach does not rigidly stick to attacking football philosophy. When needed, he can also implement a sophisticated counter-attacking strategy.
#2 MIKEL ARTETA Before becoming the head coach of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta spent a considerable period at Manchester City as Pep Guardiola's assistant coach. His time learning under Pep at Etihad greatly benefited the 41-year-old strategist. As a result, Arteta has created an Arsenal team that plays in a manner quite similar to Manchester City.
In the 2022/23 season, Arteta led Arsenal to top the Premier League table for two-thirds of the journey. It was only in the late stages that his team was overtaken by Manchester City, resulting in a regrettable miss of the championship. Nevertheless, Arsenal under Arteta's guidance has shown great promise, and experts believe they have the potential to challenge Manchester City's dominance in the upcoming season.
#3 VINCENT KOMPANY Kompany was once considered one of Manchester City's finest center-backs. Under Pep Guardiola, the Belgian former footballer learned many valuable lessons, which he has now successfully applied as a coach. In his debut season as a manager, Kompany guided Burnley to win the Championship, securing their promotion to the Premier League.
Kompany's Burnley plays a fierce and intense brand of football, always eager to contest for the ball in midfield. They transition quickly from defense to attack. In the 2022/23 season, Burnley, under Kompany's guidance, was regarded as the best team in executing counter-attacks.
#4 XABI ALONSO Xabi Alonso was Pep Guardiola's favorite pupil during his time at Bayern Munich. The renowned tenacious midfielder heaped praises on his compatriot, even going so far as to say that Guardiola possesses the smartest football mind in the coaching world today.
Admiring Pep Guardiola greatly, Xabi Alonso's coaching philosophy is heavily influenced by his former mentor, from coaching style to football perspectives. While he also places high importance on ball possession like Guardiola, the biggest difference lies in not rigidly sticking to attacking football.
Under Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen is known for their aggressive and quick transitions from defense to attack. In the 2022/23 season, the team played one of the best counter-attacking football in the league.
#5 TITO VILANOVA Tito Vilanova was Pep Guardiola's trusted right-hand man at Barca. After Guardiola's departure, Vilanova was handpicked to take over as the head coach. He led the team to win La Liga in the 2012/13 season.
Having spent many years working alongside Pep Guardiola, even back in their days with Barca B, Vilanova understood and absorbed Guardiola's football philosophy better than anyone else. This was evident when he took over the reins at Camp Nou, and Barcelona continued to operate smoothly.
Tragically, Vilanova's coaching career was cut short due to illness. He was diagnosed with parotid gland cancer, which rapidly deteriorated his health and prevented him from continuing his coaching duties at Camp Nou. Just two years later, Vilanova passed away, leaving behind heartfelt sadness and admiration from football lovers around the world.
