England manager Thomas Tuchel has hailed Pep Guardiola as a 'one of a kind' influence on football, following the confirmation that the 55-year-old will leave Manchester City after a decade in charge. Guardiola's departure was announced on Friday, bringing an end to a trophy-laden spell that yielded 20 major honours, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Speaking at the England World Cup squad announcement, Tuchel said: 'The impact he had on every league where he trained, it's just one of a kind, just one of the very, very, very best. He made a big revolution with the way he played at Barcelona and then he put everything upside down in the German league, and then he comes here and crushes every record.'
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, a prominent City fan, posted on X: 'He came, he conquered, long live the king. Thank you for the good times, Pep.' Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany, who served as Guardiola's first captain at City, credited him with inspiring his own coaching career. 'I know that I owe this hunger to become a coach to the years I lived with Pep. I believed in his leadership,' Kompany said.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick called Guardiola 'the best coach in the world' and expressed hope he would return to football soon. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who will face Guardiola in his final home game on Sunday, described him as 'a huge inspiration for other coaches'. Leeds boss Daniel Farke added: 'In our generation Pep is definitely the best. There is no manager who has influenced more, coaches and players, the way he has changed the game.'
Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, who is also leaving his post this summer, said Guardiola's legacy is 'phenomenal' and that he has 'changed the game' across multiple countries. Guardiola's final match at the Etihad Stadium will be against Emery's Aston Villa on Sunday.
