Pep Guardiola bio, net worth, wife, family, age, achievements, height 2025

Biography of Josep Guardiola

Even rivals consistently viewed Pep Guardiola as a smart and principled player, while fans celebrated him as one of the best midfielders of his era. But injuries that dogged him throughout his career kept Guardiola from reaching his full potential.

When he became a coach in the mid-2000s, he started his managerial career at his beloved Barcelona, where he'd once enjoyed his greatest playing successes. In his first season, 2008/2009, Pep guided the team to a treble, winning the domestic cup, league title, and Champions League. In the following seasons, matching this incredible achievement proved impossible, leading him to join Bayern Munich in 2012. But the team's inconsistent performances sparked rumors questioning the Catalan's abilities.

In 2016, Guardiola moved to Manchester City, promising the club's fans an exciting style of play. Under his leadership, the team easily won domestic competitions, but the Champions League stayed out of reach. By 2020, talk about Guardiola's curse and possible departure grew louder, especially since he rarely stayed at other clubs beyond four seasons.

But the determined Spaniard once again went his own way: he not only renewed his contract twice, but also led Manchester City to a coveted "golden hat-trick" by summer 2023, securing his second career treble with a Champions League victory.

Early Years

Josep Guardiola Sala was born on January 18, 1971, in the Spanish town of Santpedor in Catalonia. He grew up with two older sisters and later got a younger brother, Pere. Josep's mother was a housewife, while his father worked as a bricklayer.

From an early age, Guardiola had a passion for football. "I can't remember when I started playing, but as far back as I can remember, I've always had a ball at my side," he said later. Seeing their son's growing interest, his parents enrolled him in the local club, Gimnàstic de Manresa.

In 1984, scouts from Barcelona spotted young Pep. Although the lanky teenager didn't make a strong first impression during tryouts, he was still admitted to the club's prestigious youth academy, La Masia.

Barcelona

Guardiola first stepped onto the pitch in 1990 during a match against Cádiz. It was then that coach Johan Cruyff decided to transition Josep from his position on the right midfield flank, establishing him as a central midfielder. By the 1991/92 season, the young player truly began to shine. The team secured victory in the European Cup, and some Italian publications hailed Pep as the best youth player in the world.

That same year, he made his debut for the Spanish national team and was named its captain. The team clinched gold at the Olympics, and Guardiola was awarded the Bravo Trophy, presented to Europe's best young players.

In March 1993, Guardiola netted his first goal during a match against Real Valladolid.

For three consecutive seasons up to 1994, the team consistently topped La Liga. But their luck ran out after that. After Cruyff left, Barça dropped to third and fourth place.

Pep Guardiola: Goals, Skills, Assists

Everything changed when Bobby Robson took over. In the 1996/97 season, Barcelona clinched three prestigious awards: the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Just six months later, Pep was named Barcelona's captain. However, he spent most of the subsequent season sidelined due to injury. Other clubs, like Roma and Parma, expressed interest in acquiring Guardiola. But instead of moving, Josep extended his contract until 2001.

Those three years at Barça proved challenging for Pep. He often clashed with coach Louis van Gaal's methods, though he tried to keep things private. On top of that, persistent injuries took their toll: surgeries forced Guardiola to miss the 1998 World Cup with the national team and part of the 1999/00 season. In the 2000/01 season, Barcelona settled for fourth place in the league.

In April 2001, Pep announced his departure from the club. Over 12 seasons, he clinched 16 trophies with the team. Additionally, during those years, he made 47 appearances for the national team and scored 5 goals.

Brescia and the Doping Scandal

The athlete continued his career with Brescia and was named its captain within six months. However, Guardiola soon faced disqualification after the substance nandrolone, considered a doping agent, was detected in his samples. Josep strongly denied any intentional doping and blamed the positive test on contaminated dietary supplements.

Pep returned to Brescia in spring 2002, but the doping charges weren't fully cleared until seven years later. Due to the disqualification, he missed several matches. Yet, in the summer of 2002, he transferred to Roma. At Roma, Guardiola spent most of his time on the bench, which led him back to Brescia a year later.

This stint also didn't last long, as in 2003, Pep moved to Al-Ahli, turning down an offer from Manchester United in the process. At the Middle Eastern club, he established himself as one of the league's standout players. By 2005, he caught the attention of clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea.

Towards the end of his playing career, Guardiola was with Al-Ahli

Pep declined all offers, opting instead to undergo a condensed coaching program in Madrid. In 2006, he combined his studies with playing for the Mexican club Dorados de Sinaloa. However, this stint wasn't exactly successful: the team kept sliding down the table, and Guardiola battled constant injuries. In the fall of the same year, he announced his retirement from playing.

Coaching Career: Barcelona

In 2007, Guardiola returned to his beloved Barcelona, this time as the coach of the B team. Under his leadership, the squad earned promotion, and by the 2008/09 season, Pep stepped up as head coach of the first team.

He started with squad changes, approving the sale of some players while bringing in new ones, like Gerard Piqué. The results came quickly: Barcelona pulled off a treble, capturing the domestic cup, league title, and Champions League. In the latter, the team convincingly defeated Manchester United.

FC Barcelona – The Guardiola System (2008-2012)

That season is remembered by Barcelona fans as one of the most successful. Guardiola set a record as the youngest coach to lead a team to a Champions League victory.

The following season saw the addition of Zlatan Ibrahimović and victories in the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. Pep became the first coach in global football to achieve such feats.

However, luck wasn't on their side in the Champions League, as they only made it to the semi-finals. Struggling to cope with the string of losses, Guardiola was hit with a €15,000 fine for yelling at the referee during a match against Almería.

The 2010/11 season brought Barcelona another Champions League title and a Spanish Super Cup. A year later, they lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In January 2012, FIFA recognized Guardiola as the best coach. Nevertheless, in April of that same year, he announced his departure from Barcelona, citing exhaustion as the reason.

Bayern Munich

Following his successful stint with the Spanish giants, Pep took a sabbatical, spending time in New York. In early 2013, it was announced that he would be taking over as the coach of Bayern Munich. Under his guidance, the Munich side won the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, and secured the Bundesliga title. However, Bayern's Champions League run fell short of expectations, with Guardiola taking personal responsibility for the team's failures.

The following season, 2014/15, brought a string of disappointments for the team – losses in the German Super Cup, the domestic cup, and the Champions League. The next year, Bayern's performances remained inconsistent. In the Champions League, the German giants could only reach the semi-finals. By the start of 2016, Pep decided to leave the club.

Manchester City

In February 2016, Guardiola signed a three-year contract with the English club, which would see him earn a salary of €20 million per year. Pep's tenure at the team started with a series of victories, with their first loss coming against Tottenham Hotspur.

However, City's performances started to falter thereafter. Media outlets started calling Guardiola "one of the biggest frauds." But he promised to bounce back the following season and delivered, leading the team to a Premier League title before extending his contract with the club until 2021.

By the 2018/19 season, Manchester City had become utterly dominant in England. The team clinched the Community Shield, the Football League Cup, the Premier League title, and the FA Cup, completing a historic domestic treble.

Over the next two seasons, Pep's side also claimed the Football League Cups. Yet, the Champions League trophy remained elusive for the team. Rumors started swirling about a so-called "Guardiola curse," claiming his team couldn't win the trophy because Pep had exhausted all his luck during his Champions League triumphs with Barcelona. Despite the speculation, Guardiola extended his contract with the club for another three years in November 2020.

Personal Life of Josep Guardiola

Pep has always been notably consistent in his personal relationships. He met his future wife, Cristina Serra, in a clothing store when he was just 18 years old. They married in 2014, and by then the couple already had three children - two daughters and a son.

Josep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra

Throughout his career moves, his family has always followed. However, in 2019, Pep's wife, along with their youngest daughter, moved from England back to Spain. Back home in Spain, Cristina pursued her passion for fashion, launching her own clothing boutiques.

Pep Guardiola with his wife and children

Josep has always held a deep connection with the history and culture of his homeland. He's a passionate admirer of Catalan poetry and has even walked the runway for local designer Antoni Miró. In 2002, the celebrated Catalan received an award for his contributions to preserving cultural identity. Nine years later, Guardiola also received the Honorary Medal of the Parliament of Catalonia. He has never shied away from expressing his support for the political independence of the region.

Josep Guardiola Now

The 2022/23 season finally silenced talk of the so-called "Guardiola Curse." Under his guidance, Manchester City achieved the treble. The team swept through each competition: first, the FA Cup, then the Premier League championship. Finally, on June 10th, 2023, they claimed victory in the UEFA Champions League, defeating Inter Milan in the final. This made it just the second treble in English football history.

How Pep Reached His Final Form

For Pep, this was also his second treble, making him the only manager to achieve this feat with two different clubs:

I think the stars were aligned – the cup belongs to us. It wasn't our best performance in the final. But, perhaps, if we are lucky enough to make it to the final in the future, we will look better.

After the triumph, Guardiola said he'd take a short break before returning to work with fresh energy. Manchester City extended his contract until 2025, promising Pep a significant raise to his current €23 million annual salary. This deal makes Guardiola one of the highest-paid football managers in the world.

Interesting Facts

Guardiola's known for his dedication: when he joined Bayern Munich, he spent 5 hours a day learning German.
During his time at Dorados, Pep used his own money to give bonuses to the lowest-paid staff members.
Besides football, Guardiola is a big fan of golf and hockey.
Josep's a massive Coldplay fan and often plays their music during training sessions.
In 2023, Guardiola made a cameo appearance as himself in the popular series "Ted Lasso." with Jason Sudeikis.