Ederson sends heartfelt message to Pep Guardiola upon managerial milestone | OneFootball

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson believes Pep Guardiola is the best manager of all time after the Catalan reached 1,000 games in management last week. 

The Brazilian shotstopper left City this summer after eight successful years wherein he won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the club’s premier UEFA Champions League crown in 2023.

Ederson also won the Premier League Golden Glove award thrice during a decorated eight-year spell in England after joining Manchester City from Benfica in 2017 for £35 million at the age of 23.

On deadline day in the summer transfer window however, the goalkeeper, 32, joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer after a squad overhaul brought Gianluigi Donnarumma to the Etihad Stadium from Paris Saint-Germain – alongside a return to Manchester for James Trafford after two seasons at Burnley.

Two months on from his exit, Ederson has made a bold yet almost indisputable statement, claiming that Guardiola is the greatest manager of all time.

“I love Pep (Guardiola), I love his mentality,” Ederson said this week, as quoted by Hayters TV. “He’s the best coach of all time, for me. It was a pleasure to work with him.”

Giving a peak through the curtain into the circumstances leading to his City departure amid strong interest from clubs in Turkey, Ederson added: “The conversations are difficult to explain now because I spoke over the phone with him (Guardiola).”

Guardiola marked his 1,000th game in management with an emphatic 3-0 victory over reigning Premier League champions Liverpool this weekend as goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez ensured City enter the international break on a winning note.

Ederson was watching from afar and has revealed details of his congratulatory message to Guardiola over the milestone. “After the game, it doesn’t happen many times to speak with him,” Ederson said.

“When I talked to him (Guardiola), he said, ‘You need to come back to say goodbye properly’,” the Brazilian added, having left Manchester City on deadline day in a hurried manner, having yet to bid a proper farewell to his teammates at the Etihad Stadium.

“Yesterday, he (Guardiola) sent me a message about how many wins I’ve had in my career.”

The former Barcelona player is deemed the greatest manager of his generation, having won 40 major trophies in his coaching career across Barcelona B, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. 

The 54-year-old has won 18 honours at City in 550 games and became only the 39th coach in the modern era of English football to reach the 1,000 mark last weekend. To the dismay of City fans however, it has been reported that the Catalan could leave the club at the end of the season after opening up on life beyond his managerial career over recent months.

Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with the job in its earliest stages, while a return to the Etihad Stadium for Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany could also transpire depending on his stance on parting ways with the flying German giants.