In 2008, Pep Guardiola entered the history books as one of the ex-Barcelona players to take charge of the Catalonian giants. Even though the team was filled with many stars, they struggled after winning the UCL in 2006. However, the introduction of Pep Guardiola changed the history of the team.

Barcelona became one of the best teams in the world, and they dominated the Spanish La Liga and UCL as they became one of the top free sports betting picks. We saw a team that others were scared to play against as they had to bring extra to the pitch whenever they played FC Barcelona during that period.

He led them to two trebles in his four seasons at Barcelona, including two UEFA Champions League. Only a few teams have come close to the record Guardiola and Barcelona had together. It was a match made in heaven. However, it was very short-lived, and the Spanish genius moved to another country. 

Since leaving Barcelona in 2012, Pep Guardiola has been unlucky in the UEFA Champions League. Even though his team is almost always the favorite to win the competition, they lose the plot and crash out whenever they get close. For over a decade, Guardiola has struggled to lay his hands on the most coveted trophy in European football. 

The UCL has been elusive, and we believe it is the only thing left for him to seal his name in the all-time greats. As he is still a somewhat young coach with many years of experience, we believe he still has some years to offer, but can he win the UCL trophy outside of Barcelona? Or is it wishful thinking that Guardiola will coach a different team and win the trophy?

Check out this piece to see what we think about Guardiola’s quest for the UCL and what we think he needs to get his hands on the title. 

At Bayern Munich

In 2013, Pep Guardiola joined the team immediately after Bayern Munich won the UCL. It seemed like they might go on to win another UCL trophy. However, it wasn’t meant to be as they struggled to get past the Semi Final stages. They were so close to winning the trophy on many occasions, but they crashed out.

They were victims of the two top Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Guardiola’s former team Barcelona. They struggled to make it, but in the end, it was futile. And after three years, despite dominating the Bundesliga, it seemed Pep Guardiola failed with Bayern Munich’s team, given their massive squad. 

With Manchester City

In 2016, after three years of coaching Bayern, Pep Guardiola moved to England, and it was a fresh challenge as he would have to face the toughness of the best league in the world. And it started that way. For the first time since 2012, Guardiola failed to win a league title. And it was the first time a team he has coached didn’t finish in the top two.

It showed the league’s competitiveness and that even the genius can struggle. But at the turn of his second season, the domination started. They were on the verge of breaking the invincible’s record, but it wasn’t meant to be. However, they won the league. 

Since he arrived in the EPL, Manchester City and Pep Guardiola have won four of the last six EPL titles. Once Liverpool and Chelsea have been able to stop the Cityzens. They’ve been dominant, and as it stands, they are at the forefront of winning the 2022/2023 EPL trophy. The only problem remains the UCL.

They’ve been trying, but it hasn’t worked out. In the 2020/2021 season, Manchester City made it to the finals, but they couldn’t get their hands on the title. It was Guardiola’s most significant chance to win his third UCL title, but it wasn’t meant to be as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea FC under their new coach, Thomas Tuchel.

We expect the team to go again this season, and undoubtedly, it would be an exciting run to see as they try to win the trophy. The only thing left for Guardiola to win is winning the UCL, and he would be City’s most outstanding coach ever as the team has never won a European competition. 

What We Think

There is still plenty of years ahead for Pep Guardiola. He seems comfortable with coaching Manchester City, and we know they would eventually win the tournament if they keep up with their current pace. The team is outstanding and remains a strong opponent in Europe. 

So, it is only a matter of time before they would get back to the final and win the UEFA Champions League, and we think if Pep Guardiola is patient enough, he will be the coach to lead them to European glory.