Wayne Rooney, the esteemed former player of Manchester United, holds the conviction that Sir Alex Ferguson surpasses Pep Guardiola in the ongoing discourse concerning the most illustrious football managers.
Guardiola has further cemented his legacy by guiding Manchester City to their fourth consecutive Premier League title, following a momentous treble-winning season in 2022/23.
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This recent victory elevates Guardiola’s count to six Premier League titles, equating him with the esteemed Bob Paisley and George Ramsay, yet Sir Alex Ferguson’s unparalleled record of 13 titles still reigns supreme.
Since embarking on his managerial career at Barcelona in 2008, Guardiola, now 53, has amassed a remarkable 39 trophies.
Nonetheless, Sir Alex Ferguson’s unparalleled achievements, which include 49 titles across his tenures with St Mirren, Aberdeen, and Manchester United, solidify his status as the most triumphant manager in the sport’s annals, a sentiment echoed by Rooney, who regards the legendary Scotsman as the unparalleled greatest.
‘I think of course there are going to be arguments as to who is better,’ the ex-United and England captain told ESPN Brasil.
‘But I think people tend to just look at what Sir Alex did at Manchester United, and what he did at Aberdeen was incredible.
‘And you’d ask the question, could Guardiola do that at a team like Aberdeen?
‘There’s questions, there’s debate, I think Guardiola for his era is of course the best and he’s changed the way football is played worldwide.
‘But yeah, for me, Sir Alex, what he achieved in the game is incredible.’
Recent speculations suggest that Pep Guardiola may conclude his tenure as the head coach of Manchester City after the upcoming summer, as he approaches the last year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite this, Manchester City’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, maintains a composed stance. He is confident that the club will arrive at an agreeable ‘right solution’ that aligns with Guardiola’s interests and plans.
‘We have had this conversation many times before, you know that, over the years of the contract,’ he told City’s internal media in his annual end of season address.
‘Pep has always been fully committed to this club, fully committed to every contract that he has signed with us.
‘This decision on his future is always a decision that we will take together, and I have no doubt that we will find, as always, we have done, the right solution that works for Pep and works for us.’
‘You can look at just records, for history’s sake and there I think he’s racked up every record, almost, in the book. And these are records that I think will be very, very hard in the future to ever break,’ he added.
‘From winning six out of the last seven Premier Leagues, to winning four in a row, to the number of wins, the records go on and on and on.
‘I think what his impact has been on football. English football has changed with the evolution to the type of football that Pep has brought into the league.’
