Pep Guardiola will take charge of his 1,000th match in management when Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 9.

Since starting out with Barcelona B in 2007, Pep Guardiola has rewritten the record books. His career tally stands at 715 victories, 12 league titles, and three Champions League trophies across his time at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City.

Over nearly two decades, Guardiola has been defeated just 128 times. The Spanish tactician has won 14 domestic cup triumphs so far in his illustrious managerial career.

Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the 1,000th game as a coach, the 54-year-old admitted even he is taken aback by the sheer scale of his achievements.

“Of course, I know a lot. The numbers are insane, I’m sorry to tell you,” Guardiola said with a laugh. “I’m not thinking about how many, but when you have the milestones and you read what you have done, the victories, the average, not just in the Premier League but in the Champions League too, we have won incredible things in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here.”

Reflecting on the journey that brought him to this point, he added, “It is difficult to reach, and if I start again, I would not reach it, it is too many games. A few defeats, comparing 1,000 games and hopefully on Sunday I hope we can continue.”

Greatest of all time?

Guardiola’s influence on football goes far beyond trophies. His tactical approach transformed the English game, inspiring countless managers to adopt a more fluid, possession-based style.

At Manchester City, he has led the club to historic heights, including becoming the first side to reach 100 Premier League points, securing the domestic treble, and winning four consecutive league titles.

“It looks like I have false humility but this amount of percentage, beyond 70% of victories, it means every 10 games we win seven and will draw one or two,” he said. “It can happen because you are in Barcelona, Munich and City with the players I have. After that, it is a lot of hard work. Dedication, passion, love, in that nobody [can] beat me.”

He continued, “I love to scrutinise the secrets of what you can do to opponents, convince the players and go in together. All the times the players follow me. All the time.”

When asked about being labelled the greatest manager of all time, Guardiola didn’t shy away. “They are completely right!” he said with a grin. “The influence of every manager has been through history. Of course, I can say I’ve been part of that because the numbers explain, I’ve had success and it’s been nice to watch my teams. So I’m there. But I never started thinking ‘I want to be the best.’”

Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp My Biggest Rivals – Pep Guardiola

Fittingly, Guardiola’s 1,000th match comes against Liverpool, the team that has pushed him hardest throughout his time in England. Since 2017, City and Liverpool have dominated the Premier League, trading titles and setting new standards of excellence.

“I think we pushed Liverpool to be better and they pushed us to be better, for sure,” Guardiola said. “If I had to choose one rival for this personal milestone, I want to share it with many, many people, that would be the best.”

The rivalry between Guardiola and former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp became one of football’s defining duels. The German is the coach Guardiola has faced the most in his career, 31 times, and also the one who has beaten him the most, with 11 victories.

“Liverpool, especially with Jurgen, have been the biggest rival in this country,” he said. “It could not be better, to be honest. The universe decides that. It’s nice to live it at our best.

“I always enjoyed this healthy rivalry. I always had the feeling of how much we respected each other. Jürgen gave me a lot, and I miss him. He gave me a lot in terms of how much I had to do to try and beat him.”

Teams Guardiola Has Dominated and Those Who Have Troubled Him:

Pep Guardiola’s record against Premier League sides is staggering. He has beaten Arsenal 20 times in 33 meetings, Burnley 18 in 19, West Ham 17 in 20, Manchester United 16 in 30, Bournemouth 16 in 17, and Chelsea 15 in 30.

His toughest opponents? Liverpool and Tottenham, both of whom have defeated him 10 times in 24 encounters. Manchester United (8 losses), Chelsea (6), Real Madrid (7), and Arsenal (6) follow behind.

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