Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted Friday he had enjoyed “insane” success as he prepares for the 1,000th game of a spectacular managerial career against Liverpool.
The Spaniard’s first job in the dugout was with Barcelona’s B team before he took the main job at the Camp Nou, subsequently moving onto German giants Bayern Munich and then City.
The 54-year-old former Barcelona and Spain midfielder has won 715 of his 999 games so far, picking up multiple honours at all the clubs he has managed.
“The numbers are insane,” Guardiola told a pre-match press conference.
“I’m not living thinking how many, but when you have the milestone and you read what you have done… the victories, average, not just in the Premier League and Champions League, we have done incredible things in Barcelona, incredible.
“So, difficult to reach it. And if I start again, I will not reach it.”
Guardiola, who arrived at the Etihad in 2016, said Liverpool were the ideal opponents for his landmark game on Sunday as they had been his biggest rivals in England.
The two clubs have dominated English football over the past decade, sharing the past eight Premier League titles between them.
“Of course, Barcelona, the impact in my life as a ball boy, football player, manager and so on, is obvious, and of course, Bayern was an incredible step as well,” said Guardiola.
“But Liverpool, especially with (former boss) Jurgen (Klopp), have been the biggest rival in this country. It could not be better, to be honest.”
