Pep Guardiola confirms new Man City project in bid to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson
Pep Guardiola dreams of building Manchester City’s answer to the Class of 92.
Guardiola, who has just 18 months left on his City contract, dropped a huge hint that his long-term future may be at the Etihad on the eve of the Manchester derby by revealing how he wants to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson by producing a homegrown galaxy of stars to rival the achievements of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Co.
Phil Foden is the poster boy of City’s academy. Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb have travelled the same pathway, while youngsters like Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright have also broken into the first-team picture.
But Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice in three seasons with a Barcelona team that included La Masia graduates Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andreas Iniesta, wants more.
Guardiola said: “We would love it. I remember in Barcelona we played two Champions League finals against United - and seven of the players were from the academy.
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“What does it mean? Zero in that we didn’t get any profit - because they were so good and we didn’t sell them! But that is the dream. Players who love the club, who were born here.
“Sometimes it’s not possible because foreign players are so good. Erling Haaland is from Norway. We’d love to have Erling from the academy but you have to invest. We’ve sold a lot of young players in the last year who make us sustainable. Maybe they could play here, but we’ll never know. In that moment they wanted to play.
“I don’t know why but academy players have something special that always works.” City have spent huge sums in the transfer market since Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008.
Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson are regarded as the best managers in the history (Getty Images)But they also invested £200million developing a state-of-the-art training campus that incorporates an academy that has reaped rich dividends.
City have won three successive Premier League 2 titles - and have also sold players like Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Romeo Lavia, James Trafford and Brahim Diaz to raise vital funds to meet financial regulations. Sales of homegrown players have totalled £325million in a decade, with £165million being raised in the last three seasons.
Guardiola believes the football education that City provide is best in class - and helps him to integrate academy kids into his squad quickly.
He said: “What surprises me the most is how well educated they are. It’s not just their skills. It’s about how they behave, the respect, how they listen. They make their debut but don’t go ‘ah now I am a senior player’ - it’s completely the opposite.
“That means a lot. That comes from the academy. That comes from the managers. When they don’t behave well they don’t play. To start to understand that the club is the most important thing. Not you, not your father or mother - I’m sorry - and not your agent. Man City is most important.
Phil Foden is the poster boy of City’s academy (PA)“It’s a work ethic, resilience, arriving on time. Go to school and behave well. Follow your teachers, do your homework. This is when you become a better player, a better human being. There are no secrets about that.”
Guardiola added: “When you run with young players it always works. Don’t ask me why, but it always works. It happened here, happened at the academy in Barcelona, and Madrid, even Bayern Munich.
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“And now, with this situation of Financial Fair Play, it’s a way to be sustainable. They have been many times in the Etihad Stadium. They see the environment, they smell what is happening in the club, and they adapt quicker.
“Foreign players come, or players from other clubs, and they need a little bit of time to adapt. Here, it’s like it’s a home. They know the reaction of the fans, they feel comfortable, the way they have to play and it clicks quickly. I think they believe ‘it belongs to me, it’s mine, it’s my home.’ Going from the academy to the first team gives them confidence.”
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