initially appeared on
Which former Barcelona head coach stated it? The primary quote is from August 2016.
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“I do know his values, I do know his expertise. I’ve numerous respect for him. However I used to be clear what I used to be searching for. I attempt to play the way in which I like, the way in which I grew up, and I’m right here to attempt to persuade the gamers.
“He is aware of from the start, what I really feel, what the state of affairs is. I need happiness for the gamers. I attempt to be clear. The very first thing I’m searching for from the goalkeeper is to avoid wasting. After that, he has to have the ability to play with the ball. He has to assist us to create build-up. That’s the reason I’m right here.”
Now take this one, from August 2025.
“I’m supported by my membership and we’re looking for one of the best resolution. It’s a troublesome resolution. He is among the absolute best goalkeepers on the market and an excellent higher man.
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“However we had been searching for a distinct profile. It’s extremely troublesome to take a lot of these selections.”
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These Catalan ideas, enshrined by the nice Dutchman Johan Cruyff, laid deep roots. The primary quote is from Pep Guardiola, a few months after taking up at Manchester Metropolis. Guardiola was explaining why fan favorite Joe Hart was being jettisoned. He wanted a goalkeeper that was proficient together with his ft in addition to his fingers.
The second quote is from Luis Enrique, Guardiola’s most embellished successor at Barca who led Paris Saint-Germain to a glowing treble final season. Gianluigi Donnarumma was a key a part of their success, a penalty-shootout hero at Anfield and the maker of a number of essential saves within the knockout wins over Aston Villa and Arsenal.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Nonetheless, Luis Enrique desires to go in a brand new course, hoping new recruit Lucas Chevalier can function extra in step with his beliefs. Here is the twist, although, as you are in all probability conscious: Guardiola is signing Donnarumma to play for Manchester Metropolis.
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It has been a busy deadline day when it comes to outgoings on the Etihad Stadium. Ilkay Gundogan’s finally ill-advised encore in east Manchester will wrap up with a transfer to Galatasaray. The person who lifted a treble-completing Champions League trophy for Metropolis in 2023 will return to Istanbul, the place Guardiola’s males beat Inter Milan within the last. Manuel Akanji, a reliable and adaptable performer within the backline that season, .
The Istanbul theme continued with the person who made the trophy-clinching saves on the Ataturk Stadium. , the Brazil worldwide’s want for a brand new problem persuading Metropolis to enter the marketplace for Donnarumma.
The Italy goalkeeper is undoubtedly a world-class performer, however he is hardly received Fred Astaire’s ft. Guardiola is bringing within the man who finally grow to be Luis Enrique’s Joe Hart. After two busy home windows and the departure of arguably the membership’s best ever participant in Kevin De Bruyne, Donnarumma’s arrival underscores the sense of a brand new period at Metropolis, one which back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton & Hove Albion exhibit has begun on unsteady legs.
However the period handed — that of the treble, a record-breaking 4 titles in a row and 6 Premier Leagues in seven seasons — wouldn’t have been potential with out Ederson.
Ederson of Man Metropolis
Who’s Pep Guardiola’s greatest signing at Man Metropolis?
De Bruyne’s enduring excellence means it is onerous to argue in opposition to him as Guardiola’s best ever Metropolis participant, however the Belgium playmaker was already within the constructing when Guardiola arrived. After the misstep of bringing in Claudio Bravo as Hart’s preliminary substitute in 2016, buying Ederson from Benfica in summer season 2017 stands as Guardiola and former director of soccer Txiki Begiristain’s greatest purchase in Manchester.
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Even now, putting an excessive amount of emphasis on what a goalkeeper can do with the ball at their ft attracts scorn from traditionalists. Give me a man who saves photographs, that type of factor. It is true Ederson might need executed somewhat bit extra of that.
However together with his rapier left foot, he was a game-changer. Brief passes, completely picked and weighted, completely satisfied to take the ball below strain with an nearly sociopathic calm. Ederson may additionally go lengthy. Actually lengthy. He holds the Guinness World Document for the longest soccer drop kick. He may additionally hammer them flat. Erling Haaland took a selected liking to that, and Ederson’s seven assists are essentially the most for a keeper in Premier League historical past.
Ederson did issues in another way and, in doing so, he allowed Guardiola to do issues in another way. The coach’s imaginative and prescient for high-pressing, high-possession positional play was absolutely realised and have become dominant in England.
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“He’s the calmest keeper I’ve seen,” stated Sean Dyche after his Burnley aspect burgled a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in opposition to a Metropolis crew on their strategy to a file 100-point haul in 2017/18.
“It is like having Ronald Koeman in objective. He will get [the ball] and spins it across the pitch, in every single place, and that provides to their gameplan massively as a result of he defuses the sport.
“They offer it again to him, he is good and calm after which he’ll clip one into midfield or clip it extensive. There’s not that many keepers I do know who can do this and it is a huge weapon for them within the type they play.”
Ederson and John Stones
Whereas groups had pressed the skittish Bravo successfully, in the event that they charged at Ederson together with his Koemanesque poise, he would blast by way of the traces to seek out the Metropolis gamers who would tear the opposition aside.
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Haaland would possibly lay waste to each web page of the goal-scoring file books by the point he is executed in Manchester. Gundogan and Bernardo Silva have been their supervisor’s eyes and ears on the sphere. Kyle Walker’s tempo and indomitable spirit helped him to grow to be probably the greatest full-backs in Premier League historical past, as did the reassuring presence of Ruben Dias and John Stones inside him, to not point out Rodri en path to a Ballon d’Or as he protected that high-end defence.
Guardiola has signed a number of good ones however Ederson unlocked the door to the whole lot. Donnarumma’s arrival confirms this rebuild is occurring from the foundations up.