Debate in England: Who is better, Guardiola or Ferguson?

“I love Pep, he's a nonconformist”, expressed Rio Ferdinand, United legend and great rival of City, after the achievement of the third Premier in four years by the team citizen, with Guardiola as conductor. However, when Robbie Savage, also a former footballer and cabinmate in Sky Sports, said Santpedor's was “the best coach I had ever seen in the Premier League”, Ferdy He twisted his face and replied with a mocking “you should grab your coat and go after that.”

The name did not come to the fore, but it goes without saying that the technician Ferdinand had in mind was none other than Sir Alex Ferguson. Fergie it was he who, 46 ​​million euros through, took Rio to Old Trafford from Leeds United. Together they won six league championships and a Champions League, among countless other titles. Savage wanted to clarify that he took into account Pep's global record “at Barcelona, ​​Bayern and now at Manchester City”. But he added that if he manages to overcome Chelsea on the 29th and raises the first Orejona of the skyblue, would “possibly the best (coach) ever “. It is clear that the excentral disagrees, but this has created an interesting debate that in the Daily Mail they have wanted to reel.

In the Premier

Where the comparison seems impossible that the winner is not Ferguson is in the Premier League. Guardiola has been in Manchester's blue zone for five years now, quite a bit considering how volatile the coaches' stages are on the benches today. But Sir Alex's 21 seasons in the rival neighborhood seem chimerical. For now the 13 leagues won by the Scotsman are not threatened by the three of the Spanish, although it does equal the success rate of the United legend: 0.6 leagues per season trained. Where Pep does triumph is in percentage of victories (73.8% against 65.1%) and in goals per game (2.43 for just over 2 for Fergie). Guardiola's longevity will mark the comparison.

Before the Premier and totals

Success also accompanied both of them before landing in the English competition. But for Guardiola it was arriving and kissing the saint. In his first year with Barcelona, ​​after going through the Blaugrana subsidiary, he won absolutely everything, signing the remembered sextet. 14 titles, three Leagues and two Champions League included, and four courses later he went to Munich. With Bayern he triumphed in Germany, but failed in Europe, although he added seven new winches to his record. Which he completes with the ten that he already adds in England. All this for a total of 24 titles.

Here, Ferguson is the absolute winner, since 36 times he has been champion of a competition, but on average he is below the current coach citizen. 30.8 games needs Pep to win a title for Sir Alex's 59.8. And it is that the Scotsman took a little longer to taste the honeys of the great triumphs, although in his twelve years on the benches prior to sitting in the Theater of Dreams he had time to make history with Aberdeen, where he arrived after shining with St Mirren. Con The Dons managed to end the duopoly of Celtic and Glasgow Rangers, winning three league championships in eight years and, among others, a huge victory in the 1983 Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid by Camacho, Juanito or Santilla, led by Alfredo Di Stéfano from the bench.

As we advanced, the totals are for Ferguson, but the averages smile at Guardiola. 1,253 victories in 2,155 games for the Scot, that is, 58.1% of the games won. 541 wins in 710 games for the Spaniard, 73.1% of victories. Comparing epochs is very complicated, the contexts make it almost impossible for the circumstances to develop under similar conditions. Will Guardiola be as long-lived as Ferguson? Will it outperform you in absolute terms? Will the percentages equalize over time? Time, as almost always, will be the judge who answers all these questions. What is not debatable is that we are facing two of the greatest coaches in the history of football.