A manager plays an important role in the success of any football team and there’s no question that Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have managed to live up to such expectations. With 25 and 31 trophies respectively, the Portugese and the Spaniard are undoubtedly among the most decorated tacticians in the game.
Since 2009, these two have faced each other 24 times across three different countries and their managerial rivalry has encapsulated the very best and worst of the modern game. It is a rivalry that has decided many pieces of silverware and ignited some of the most intriguing tactical innovations.
However, while Mourinho has plenty of managerial experience than Guardiola owing to the fact that he came into the system 8 years before the Spaniard, Guardiola on the other hand has enjoyed more stability in management than the Portuguese. Statistically, Mourinho who turns 59 years today is currently managing his 9th football team (Roma) in Italy.
He has previously managed clubs like Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, among others, but never at anytime did he spend more than three uninterrupted seasons in any of the clubs he has coached. Unlike the Roma boss, his rival Guardiola has only been at three clubs (Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City).
In fact, both managers arrived Manchester at the same time in 2016, but Mourinho got fired at United in 2018, while Guardiola has turned City into a dominant team within and outside England. The Spaniard can further consolidate his stability with the fact that he has never been sacked, unlike the Portuguese who was twice dismissed at Chelsea, at Real Madrid, including his most recent dismissal at White Hart Lane.
Take nothing away from the Roma boss and his experience, but Guardiola has proven to be a more stable and successful coach than him.
Their last 24 meetings has produced 11 wins for Guardiola, 7 wins from Mourinho and 6 draws. A duel between these two tacticians is a sideline bout like no other.
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