Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has labelled Pep Guardiola as the best manager in the world and "probably the best to have ever existed on Earth".
The Catalan coach ended months of speculation about his future by signing a new two-year contract extension at the Etihad Stadium, with his new deal taking his stay at the club to over a decade, having joined the Citizens in the summer of 2016.
Guardiola is most successful manager in Man City's history having won a total of 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles in the last seven seasons as well as the club's first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023.
The 53-year-old steered the Citizens to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season and a key figure in his team over the last two-and-a-half seasons has been Norwegian goal machine Haaland.
Man City's No.9 has won the Premier League Golden Boot in the last two campaigns and is vying to win a third this season; he already sits top of the 2024-25 scoring charts with 12 goals in just 11 games.
Haaland has established himself as one of the most deadliest strikers in Europe during his record-breaking spell at Man City and has scored a total of 105 goals in 114 appearances across all competitions.
"The best manager ever... the best manager on planet earth" 🌍
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 22, 2024
Erling Haaland on the news of Pep Guardiola's contract extension. pic.twitter.com/XGwffgHZY3
Haaland: 'I expected loads from Pep and he's delivered every single second'
Haaland, who is reportedly in talks with Man City over a contract extension of his own, is "super happy" at the club, and that is largely because he is working with, in his eyes, the best manager on the planet.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Haaland said: "From everything I heard, yeah, exactly what I expected. He's the best manager in the world and I think we all know that, and he's probably the best that ever existed on the Earth.
"I expected loads of things from him and he's been delivering up to this every single second. I'm super happy and you can also see that when I play as well."
Asked what makes Guardiola the best and different to other managers, Haaland added: "I think it's the small details. He always wants to put perfection on it.
"Of course perfection doesn't exist, I think also the hungriness - how much he wants to develop players and how much he wants to develop me, and of course how much he wants to win football games.
"In the end it's about winning trophies and that's the most important thing."
[Guardiola] gives me freedom [to score goals]," the Norwegian continued. "But again there are loads of things he wants me to do, and in the end it's a team sport. I just want to do what's best for the team and to make the team win, because in the end if we don't win games, nothing matters."
© Imago
Haaland: 'Guardiola has got my full trust'
Man City entered November's international break on the back of losing four games in a row across all competitions for the first time under Guardiola, who will hope to end the club's losing streak in Saturday's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland has revealed that Guardiola has been calm and focused over the last fortnight and the striker 'fully trusts' his manager to find the right 'solutions' in his quest to turn City's fortunes around, as he has done in previous campaigns.
"[Guardiola has] been calm. We just need to continue. We just need to do our best because in the end you can't do more than your best," said Haaland. "He demands a lot. He demands us to be at our best in every training, in every game, and that's what we need to do.
"It hasn't been good enough losing four games now but let's try to win the next. Let's focus on the training today, the training tomorrow and then the game.
"When you look at what he's been doing for the club, he's not bad, is he? So he's got my full trust. And if he tells me something, I'd better do it because he knows the best in the end. Everyone knows that, so I'm sure he will find solutions now as well. I'm sure of that."
Man City can move to within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a win over 10th-placed Spurs before the Reds travel to St Mary's to face basement club Southampton on Sunday.
Oliver Thomas
