"He's certainly among the top two or three coaches of all time" - Barcelona legend Carles Puyol heaps praises on Premier League manager

Barcelona legend Carles Puyol believes his former boss and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is among the greatest coaches of all-time.

Puyol was one of the constant features in the playing XI during Guardiola's stint at the Spotify Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012. The veteran defender played a key role in all the success the Catalans enjoyed during those years, including their two UEFA Champions League triumphs.

Ahead of the 2023 Champions League final, where Guardiola's City side will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, June 10, Puyol has praised his former manager. It's worth noting that the two played 33 matches (18 wins and seven losses) together for Barcelona and Spain between 1999 and 2001.

He told Laureus Spirit of Sport (as quoted by Reuters):

"I (played) with Pep for two years and to be honest you could already see these leadership qualities in him in all sorts of ways.

"The way he spoke, his commitment to the club, and you could already see him as a coach. For me, if not the best, he's certainly among the top two or three coaches of all time."

Puyol further elaborated on Guardiola's tactics, saying:

"Even having a coach like Van Gaal, who I love very much, sometimes Pep would even move us around, as a defender. He'd switch us into a back three, a back four at times.

"I clearly remember one game against Atletico Madrid and I was stunned at how he could be playing and still visualise the best way to defend."

Guardiola has had a massive impact on modern-day, with many teams shifting to more possession-based styles with minor tweaks to the system he created at Barcelona. However, he has not won the Champions League since leaving the Blaugrana in 2012.

Saturday's final against Inter will give him another chance to break that jinx.

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Carles Puyol boasted an excellent record playing under Pep Guardiola for Barcelona

Carles Puyol will go down as one of Barcelona's greatest defenders and leaders of all-time. He enjoyed a 15-year stint with the senior team after graduating from La Masia and playing for their youth teams.

Puyol's best days with the Catalans were arguably during the Pep Guardiola reign from 2008 to 2012 when he was club captain. The former centre-back played 164 times under the current Manchester City boss, recording eight goals and six assists.

Together, they lifted three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and two Copas del Rey.

Overall, Puyol made 593 appearances for Barcelona and lifted 21 trophies. He also won 100 caps for Spain, winning the UEFA Euro in 2008 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.