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Pep Guardiola: Premier League has made me a better manager

Pep Guardiola says his experience in the Premier League has made him a better manager
Image: Pep Guardiola says his experience in the Premier League has made him a better manager

Pep Guardiola says the unpredictability of the Premier League has made him a better manager than he was in Spain or Germany.

The Spaniard is in his third season at Manchester City and led them to the Premier League title with a record 100 points last season.

Guardiola delivered three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies with Barcelona before leading Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga titles during his three years in Germany.

But the 47-year-old believes his managerial skills have improved further since coming to England.

Pep Guardiola
Image: Pep Guardiola celebrates winning the Premier League title with a record 100 points

"I am a better manager than I was in Germany, and I am a better manager now than I was in Barcelona by far, just for the fact of being there," he said at the Peers Annual Lecture at Liverpool University on Wednesday.

"Now, I feel being here I am a better manager too because I learned to handle this incredible league in many circumstances.

"We are doing a job, everybody around the world is watching us, and it is fantastic."

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Asked for his views on how the Premier League rated to other domestic competitions, Guardiola feels England's top flight is the "most unpredictable".

David Silva
Image: City's 3-1 win in the Manchester derby took them two points clear at the top of the Premier League

"It is the toughest one, for the amount of games, for the weather and the referees saying: 'play (on), play (on), play (on)' and the competitors, there are many. It is the only country that five or six [teams] can win the Premier League," Guardiola added.

City return to Premier League action on Saturday away to West Ham holding a two-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table, the reigning champions also already boasting a goal difference of +31 after 12 games.

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City's Carabao Cup, Premier League and Community Shield wins in 2018 means Guardiola has now won 24 major trophies as a club manager, and he feels he will step into international management "sooner or later".

Pep Guardiola during Manchester City's Champions League group game against Hoffenheim
Image: Guardiola is interested in managing an international team in the future

"I would like to be an international manager in a national team," he said.

"Sooner or later, it will happen because every three days I would like to be involved, but a little bit more calm, play more golf....now I do not have time to play.

"So yes, sooner or later it is going to happen, if I have a chance and some international team wants to come 'knock knock'. We will see."

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