Erling Haaland has paid an emotional tribute to outgoing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, describing the Catalan as a coach who 'made greatness feel normal'. The Norwegian striker spent four years under Guardiola at the Etihad, the longest managerial relationship of his career.
Haaland joined City in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund and quickly adapted to Guardiola's system, scoring 162 goals under his tenure. The 24-year-old helped the club secure a historic treble in his first season, breaking the Premier League single-season scoring record in the process.
In a social media post, Haaland wrote: 'A coach who never stopped teaching. It sounds crazy to say this, but you made greatness feel normal. Even after hat-tricks, wins and trophies, there was always another lesson, another challenge and another level to reach. That mentality changed this club forever and changed me too. The honour of a lifetime to work with the best. Thank you for everything, boss.'
Guardiola, who has managed elite strikers such as David Villa, Samuel Eto'o, Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Aguero, previously described Haaland as 'the best striker in the world'. The pair ended their association with a domestic cup double this season, adding to two Premier League titles and Haaland's third Golden Boot award in four years.
Other City players also paid tribute to Guardiola, with Bernardo Silva calling him 'my father of football'. Guardiola departs after a decade in charge, having rewritten numerous records and waved an emotional goodbye to fans on the final day of the season.
