Prodigy Guardiola ready to face grand master

Prodigy Guardiola ready to face grand master

Having been only 12 years old when Sir Alex Ferguson won his first European trophy as a manager, FC Barcelona's Josep Guardiola knows he will be shaking an experienced hand when the two men meet before Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final.

Major honours

It is hard to imagine more different backgrounds than those of the two coaches who will occupy the dugouts of the Stadio Olimpico. At 67 years of age and with 22 major trophies under his belt as manager in a 23-year stint at Old Trafford, Sir Alex arrives in the Italian capital as the hugely experienced manager of Europe's reigning champions. Having first tasted European success in 1982/83 with Aberdeen FC in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, he scaled new heights in a memorable UEFA Champions League final at Barcelona's Camp Nou in 1999, when his Manchester United FC side scored twice in added time to defeat FC Bayern München 2-1. The 2007/08 crop also left it late to win Europe's top club trophy, needing a penalty shoot-out after extra time to see off Premier League rivals Chelsea FC in Moscow.

Brilliant start

As a player, Guardiola helped frustrate Sir Alex in a 2-2 draw for Barça at Old Trafford during the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League group stage, but the Spaniard's CV since hanging up his boots does not bear comparison. One season in charge of Barcelona's B team in 2007/08 and now a year at the helm of the senior side underlines the fact that the 38-year-old former club captain is very much at the start of his managerial career. What worries many United fans, however, is just how brilliant that first season in the top flight has been. Guardiola's men recently won the Spanish Liga title and Copa del Rey in the space of a week, yet even more than the silverware it is the manner in which they have played that has really impressed football fans around the world.

Spanish-style entertainment

Hugely entertaining to watch, Barcelona's strike trio of Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o, ably supported by the predatory Andrés Iniesta, have captivated television audiences. The Azulgrana rattled in a remarkable 18 goals in their six group stage matches this season, while their merciless 4-0 first-leg demolition of Bayern in the quarter-finals was one of the performances of the season. There is also one area of experience where the Barcelona coach has an edge. Unlike Sir Alex, Guardiola knows what it takes to win a European Champion Clubs' Cup final as a player, having featured as the Catalan outfit defeated UC Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley in 1992. Clearly, there is no shortage of differences between the two men, but with both united in their commitment to attacking football, it is little wonder that Wednesday is already being tipped to be a classic European final.
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