Haaland pays tribute to Guardiola after City manager's decade-long reign ends

Erling Haaland has paid tribute to Pep Guardiola following the Manchester City manager’s departure after ten years at the Etihad, saying it had been “the honour of a lifetime” to work under him. The Norwegian striker, who scored 162 goals in four seasons under Guardiola, described his former boss as a coach who “made greatness feel normal.”

Posting on social media, Haaland wrote: “A coach who never stopped teaching. It sounds crazy to say this, but you made greatness feel normal. Even after hat-tricks, wins and trophies, there was always another lesson, another challenge and another level to reach. That mentality changed this club forever and changed me too. The honour of a lifetime to work with the best. Thank you for everything, boss.”

Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, arriving at a club that had won trophies without a natural centre-forward and requiring a tactical adjustment to accommodate him. He scored twice on his debut and went on to break the Premier League record for goals in a single season. In his first year, he helped City win the treble, and he has since claimed three Golden Boots in four seasons, as well as two Premier League titles and a domestic cup double in his final campaign under Guardiola.

Guardiola, who previously managed strikers including Robert Lewandowski, Samuel Eto’o, David Villa, and Sergio Agüero, singled out Haaland during a dip in form earlier this season, stating: “Erling is the best striker in the world.”

Haaland was not alone in his praise. Bernardo Silva, who also departs City after nine years, described Guardiola as his “father of football,” adding: “I am really grateful for everything he did for me, the way he trusted me, the way he supported me during the bad moments, the way he helped me see football in a different way — and then obviously winning helps.”

Guardiola said an emotional farewell to City supporters on the final day of the season, closing a tenure in which he rewrote numerous records in English football.