Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola this evening made use of the opportunity to pay tribute to Barcelona, after scooping the award for ‘The Best’ coach of the year.
Guardiola, of course, is fresh off what proved a record-breaking campaign in England.
After clinching both the Premier League and FA Cup titles, the Spaniard rounded out 2022/23 by guiding Manchester City to a first-ever Champions League crown, too.
In turn, it came as little surprise when, on Monday, Guardiola saw his remarkable achievements recognised.
As part of FIFA’s ‘The Best’ ceremony – held on an annual basis to reward football’s star performers in their respective fields – the 52-year-old was voted coach of the year.
After lifting his prize at the podium, as is customary, Guardiola then went on to provide a short speech.
And it was during this address that the iconic tactician made sure to pay tribute to La Liga heavyweights Barcelona, who remain, as he put it, ‘the club of my heart’.
“Barça is the club of my heart,” Guardiola began, as cited by Fabrizio Romano. “Barcelona is the reason why I am standing here. Barcelona is part of my life.”
Conor Laird | GSFN
