Former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has labeled Pep Guardiola a ‘beast’ of a boss; claiming he was ‘lucky’ to have worked under the Spaniard at the Etihad.
The Argentina international, who spent four years working under a ‘demanding’ tactician in the Premier League, considers Guardiola to be one of the best.
City are currently enjoying a 19-game winning run with a historic quadruple within reach in what appears to be the Guardiola’s longest stint in his managerial career, having had spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich before linking up with the Premier League outfit.
When asked to give his take on Guardiola, “A beast”, Otamendi told The Athletic.
“There’s nothing better than having a coach like Pep. Honestly, I was lucky to spend those four years with him.
“It’s important to listen to every instruction Pep gives you. He’s a demanding coach. He doesn’t allow you to relax: you have to compete with the other player for your position every day.
“He improves you technically. He works on your positioning, your aggression, everything. I tried to absorb all the information Pep gave me, to learn from everything he said to me.
“If you do things the way he tells you, it’ll end up going the right way for you during a match. That’s why you have to be very open, to have your head ready to take it all in. You have to be prepared to learn.”
Otamendi, who left City for Benfica in the summer of 2020, added: “Pep gives you all the tools you need to learn, after that it’s up to you to evolve. You have to concentrate.
“Honestly, the years I spent with him were very happy ones. I learnt something every day, in every training session, from every little tip. I’m fortunate to have had a coach like him.”
Guadiola. who has enjoyed domestic successes at the Manchester club, has amassed 199 victories in 272 games in charge.
