‘Pep Guardiola Is A Genius, He Changed Football’- Rio Ferdinand Speaks

Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has claimed Pep Guardiola “changed the way we see football” and labelled the Spaniard a “genius”.

Guardiola has won two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and two EFL Cups since arriving in Manchester in 2016.

However, it is not his trophies that Ferdinand is so impressed with, but his innovations in terms of tactics.

“He’s got that competitive edge, he’s a genius sitting there,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.

“He’s an innovator, he’s changed the way we see football, you talk about goalkeepers coming in and being part of the team, not being detached and just being a goal keeper and being part of the back four. That’s down to him.

“Full-backs playing inside the field now more than ever, it’s crazy some of the stuff he does. Sometimes you think, is it boredom? Was he just bored of winning the way he was before?”