Pep Guardiola compared to Antoni Gaudí by Bratislava manager and preferred over Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been showered with fresh praise by his Champions League opponents SK Slovan Bratislava this week.

The Catalan coach and his all-conquering squad will be desperate to firmly make their mark on this season’s top European competition, having been restricted to just a single point on the opening matchday of the league phase.

Despite clear opportunities for both Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden to win the game against Inter Milan earlier in September, the two sides who met in the 2023 final of the tournament would be held to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

This week presents Manchester City with their first ever meeting against Slovakian opposition, with the country of Slovakia becoming the 27th different nation that the Etihad club have faced a club from in major European competition.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the meeting with City this week, Slovan Bratislava coach Vladimir Weiss compared Pep Guardiola to legendary Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí

“I would compare Pep to Antoni Gaudi. He’s been building something nobody could understand,” said Weiss on Monday evening. “He is a genius, just like when Gaudi had his idea for a cathedral and now he’s achieved what he wanted to do.”

The Bratislava coach continued, “He’s selected players who fit his philosophy. I love (Carlo) Ancelotti, (Jurgen) Klopp but Pep has changed football with his attitude and creativity and stubbornness — in a good way. I’ll wake up tomorrow and it will be reality.”

Slovan Bratislava’s captain and former Manchester City Academy starlet Vladimir Weiss has also spoken fondly of his first club at the senior level of the game as he said, “I have the best memories of my time at City.

“It was an amazing achievement to break through to the first team at a young age with the players that were already in the squad. With time, there were better and better players and with Mancini coming in, my chances were getting smaller.”

Weiss continued earlier this week, “I am always going to watch City, not just because they’re my first club but because they play the best football in the world for me. To watch City for me is a pleasure. I’m following the club and it’s a club that’s always going to stay in my heart.”