The second Triple Crown! Is Gua Shuai already a GOAT in the coaching industry?
At 3 a.m. Beijing time on Sunday, Manchester City vs Inter in this season's Champions League final, which is also a fight between the two managers, and compared to the "first brother" Inzaghi Jr., Guardiola is undoubtedly more optimistic.
Triple crown, Gua Shuai did it 14 years ago
So far this season, Manchester City has completed the Premier League + FA Cup double, if they can beat Bayern to win the title, it will be the first time in the history of the team to win the Champions League, and it will also become the second treble team in the history of English football!
But for Pep Guardiola, the "treble" is nothing new, as he did it 14 years ago. The 2008-09 season, his first season in charge, led Barça to a nine-point victory over Real Madrid in La Liga, a victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final and Manchester United in the Champions League final to achieve a treble!
What's more frightening is that in 2009 the coach was crowned six-time champion, but the Spanish Super Cup, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup are all counted as the results of the 2009-10 season, so it is the triple crown of the season, the six-time champion of the year, and it is really the peak of debut.
GOAT？ Gua Shuai is still being questioned
In 2011, Pep Guardiola won the title twice in three years, beating Manchester United, and they were also La Liga champions that season, but unfortunately lost to Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey and missed out on a second treble.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, and now Pep has won 34 championships in all competitions in his coaching career: 3 La Liga, 3 Bundesliga, 5 Premier League, 2 Champions League, 3 Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Copa del Rey, 3 Spanish Super Cups, 2 Bundesliga Cups, 2 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 2 Community Shields.
34 titles also made him the third most won manager in history, behind Ferguson with 49 and Lucescu with 37. Considering that Lucescu does not have a Champions League winner and has a low gold content, there is actually only a mountain in front of Ferguson.
Interestingly, the only previous treble in the Premier League was created by Alex Ferguson in 1998-99, and he is the only manager who has won more Premier League titles than Gua Shuai.
However, Ferguson's main achievement has been achieved at Manchester United, and Pep Guardiola has already broken through the big three and won all titles, so is it enough to become a GOAT in coaching? Wait! Because he has the most questionable point: after leaving Barca, he has never won the Champions League again!
Indeed, in charge of Bayern, the coach fell in the semi-finals of the Champions League for three consecutive years; In 2021, he led Manchester City to the Champions League final, but lost to Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, so as long as he did not lead two different teams to lift the big ear cup, the voice of doubt has always been heard.
A great opportunity to crown GOAT
Now, Pep Guardiola's opportunity has come, and it's a great one. If he can beat Inter in the final, he will be able to fight back the biggest doubts, becoming the sixth manager to lead two different teams to Champions League titles after Hapel, Heathfield, Jose Mourinho, Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti.
What's more, he will become the first manager in history to win the Triple Treble twice! Previously, only Scotland coach Jock Stein, Ajax coach Michels, Hiddink, Ferguson, Mourinho, Heynckes, Enrique and Frick have done it once.
At that time, Guardiola will really deserve the honor of "GOAT" in the coaching session!