Erling Haaland has paid an emotional tribute to departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, stating that the Catalan 'made greatness feel normal'. The Norwegian striker spent four years under Guardiola, the longest managerial spell of his career, and scored 162 goals during that period.
Haaland arrived at City in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund and helped the club secure a treble in his first season, breaking the Premier League single-season goal record. He praised Guardiola's relentless pursuit of improvement, saying: 'Even after hat-tricks, wins and trophies, there was always another lesson, another challenge and another level to reach.'
The forward also noted that Guardiola's mentality 'changed this club forever and changed me too'. Haaland's time under Guardiola included two Premier League titles, a domestic cup double, and three Golden Boot awards in four seasons.
Guardiola announced the end of his decade-long tenure at the Etihad, with several City players also sharing warm farewells. Bernardo Silva, who also departs after nine years, called Guardiola 'my father of football' and thanked him for his support and guidance.
