Happy birthday to Pep Guardiola! Man City boss hits the big 50 today

Today we celebrate the 50th birthday of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola by taking a brief look back on his career story.

Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola Sala is regarded as one of the greatest managers in football history, having successfully transitioned from player to coach.

The Catalan was a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. He was spotted at an early age by Johan Cruyff, who played a pivotal role in moving Guardiola from the right side of midfield into the middle. The iconic Dutchman later made him a key member of his famous ‘Dream Team’ between 1988 and 1996.

Pep made 382 appearances for Barcelona’s senior team and won an impressive 15 major honors, including six La Liga titles and the European Cup.

Happy Birthday to Pep Guardiola 🎉

One of the greatest mind the game has seen 👏 pic.twitter.com/sQsaYaKFYs

— Fanzine (@Fanzinecom) January 18, 2021

The former defensive midfielder left in 2001 for brief spells with Italian clubs Brescia and Roma, Al-Ahl in Qatar, and Dorados in Mexico before retiring five years later. He then returned to Barcelona to begin a coaching career.

An impressive start at the youth set-up won Guardiola an early promotion to first-team manager in 2008. The decision was unexpected and a bold one, to say the least. Yet, Pep silenced his doubters by leading Barcelona to La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League in his debut campaign.

After ending a glory-laden spell at Camp Nou in 2012, the 50-year-old’s reputation has since grown upon leading Bayern Munich and Manchester City to many domestic honors in Germany and England respectively.

Now in his fifth season at City, Guardiola hopes to end the club’s long wait for Champions League glory while continuing to experience domestic success.

Everyone here on Ace Football wishes Pep a happy 50th birthday and all the best for the upcoming year.

Here are some of the best tributes on Twitter today.

Pep Guardiola on his 50th birthday tomorrow: “My family is in Barcelona, I will be here alone." 💔🥺 @footballdaily pic.twitter.com/BUHxozpUip

— Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) January 17, 2021

HAPPY 50TH, BOSS! 💙

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/px7fzsv3Ix

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 18, 2021

💙 Legendary player.
❤️ Generational manager.

Happy 50th birthday to a man who built a legacy at @FCBarcelona… ✨

🎂 PEP GUARDIOLA 🎂#LaLigaHistory pic.twitter.com/vx6Jx27e5U

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) January 18, 2021

Happy 50th B'day, Pep Guardiola! 🥳👑

🔷 261 Games
✅ 193 Wins
🤝 31 Draws
❌ 37 Defeats
📱 74% Win Rate
⚽️ 639 GF
🥅 214 GA
📈 +425 GD
🏆 EFL Cup [x3]
🏆 #PL [x2]
🏆 Charity Shield [x2]
🏆 #FACup [x1]
🏅 PL MOTM [x7]
🏅 PL MOTS [x2]
🏅 LMA MOTY [x1]pic.twitter.com/lg8Tn2MG6L

— Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) January 18, 2021