Pep Guardiola became the latest name added to the illustrious list of managers with 1,000 games under their belt as he took charge against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
The Manchester City boss has become the 119th man to reach the milestone, and the 11th Spaniard. A spectacular career on the touchline means Guardiola is the only member of the 1,000 club who boasts a win rate of more than 70%.
“To reach 1,000 games in management is something very special for me,” he said, recognising his achievement. “When I started managing Barcelona B all those years ago, I never thought for one second about reaching 1,000 games. You just want to do a good job, play football the right way and see what happens.”
Despite a stellar playing career, Guardiola’s legacy in the game has been defined by his tactical genius and knack for seemingly always being two steps ahead. Some of his teams rank among the greatest ever.
Here’s who Guardiola has joined in the 1,000 club.
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Fergie is the only man to reach 2,000 games. / Gareth Copley/Getty Images
“Reaching 1,000 matches and achieving such longevity in football is a landmark that can never be underestimated and, to continue to deliver league, Champions League and domestic cup titles in three of Europe’s most competitive leagues is outstanding,” Sir Alex Ferguson commented, welcoming Pep to the club.
Fergie, however, didn’t stop once he reached 1,000. His longevity knew no bounds, and the Scot went on to double his tally and some. He’s the only manager in history to reach 2,000 games, finishing his 39-year career in 2013 with 2,155.
Englishman Neil Warnock is the only man who has since come close to breaching 2,000, but he retired after a brief spell with Aberdeen in 2024, having overseen 1,960 games with 15 clubs.
15 is an impressive haul, but that figure pales in comparison to Brazilian Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who managed 21 clubs, including Real Madrid, as well as the Brazil national team between 1998–2000. Luxemurgo managed a total of 1,819 games between 1983 and 2021, the third-most ever.
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In contrast, the overwhelming majority of Guy Roux’s 1,754 games came over three spells with Auxerre. His compatriot, Arsène Wenger, Ferguson’s longtime rival, racked up 1,702 games on the touchline.
Manuel Pellegrini, a Premier League title winner with Man City, has the biggest haul of games among active managers, with the Chilean continuing to add to his impressive tally of 1,566 at Real Betis.
Other high-profile managers to reach the milestone include Brian Clough (1,453), who’s since been usurped by his son, Nigel (1,537), as well as Sir Bobby Robson (1,446), Carlo Ancelotti (1,404), José Mourinho (1,195), Bill Shankly (1,172) and Guardiola’s favourite rival, Jürgen Klopp (1,080).
Active Managers to Oversee 1,000 Games
Manager
Games Managed
Win Rate (%)
Manuel Pellegrini
1,566
47.64
Mircea Lucescu
1,539
59.52
Nigel Clough
1,537
40.92
Carlo Ancelotti
1,404
59.83
Jorge Jesus
1,349
57.27
José Mourinho
1,195
61.76
David Moyes
1,172
42.58
Dick Advocaat
1,156
52.6
Myron Markevych
1,117
48.4
José Bordalás
1,116
46.33
Steve Bruce
1,086
37
Cuca
1,085
49.12
Mano Menezes
1,081
49.2
Jürgen Klopp
1,080
54.44
Miguel Álvarez
1,067
42.08
José Luis Mendilibar
1,064
40.04
Ian Holloway
1,036
36.39
Kurban Berdyev
1,032
47.58
Unai Emery
1,019
53.48
Chris Wilder
1,016
42.52
Dick Campbell
1,011
40.85
Marc White
1,000
51.27
Guardiola was appointed Barcelona manager in 2008. / LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images
Barcelona opted for a relative novice in Guardiola 17 years ago when they went about replacing Frank Rijkaard, despite José Mourinho’s strong push for the job.
Guardiola guided Barcelona B back into the Spanish second tier in 2007–08, with his adherence to the principles established by his former boss, Johan Cruyff, ensuring he garnered the faith of a hierarchy led by Joan Laporta.
Barça’s gamble paid off immediately. Guardiola led the club to a historic sextuple in 2008–09, the first six of a mammoth 40 trophies he’s claimed during his illustrious managerial career. A Mourinho-influenced burnout contributed to his Barcelona departure after 247 games, and Guardiola subsequently joined Bayern Munich after a year out.
The Spaniard helped perfect a modernising Bayern team that had been brought into the new age of positionalism by Louis van Gaal, another of his influences at Barcelona, but while they dominated domestically, Guardiola was guilty of overthinking on the big stage and Bayern came up short in Europe.
After three seasons and 161 games in charge of Die Roten, Guardiola opted for the rigours of the Premier League. Not even the Spaniard himself could’ve foreshadowed the extent of the dominance he’d embark on. Sunday’s duel serves as his 550th in charge of the Cityzens, having guided the Manchester club to 15 major honours, including six league titles and a Champions League crown.
Club
Games Managed
Win Rate (%)
Trophies
Barcelona
247
72.5
x3 La Liga, x2 Copa del Rey, x2 Champions League, x2 UEFA Super Cup, x3 Supercopa de España, x2 FIFA Club World Cup
Bayern Munich
161
77
x3 Bundesliga, x2 DFB Pokal, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
Man City
549
71.8
x6 Premier League, Champions League, x2 FA Cup, x3 Community Shield, x4 Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
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