City ended their long wait for European glory last season, beating Inter Milan 1-0 on their way to a historic treble. Guardiola was celebrated for his tactical innovations on the way to a memorable trophy haul.
His decision to play four centre-backs, moving John Stones into midfield in-possession, allowed City to remain water-tight defensively whilst maintaining their attacking flair. Hargreaves believes those tweaks prove Guardiola is the most tactically astute manager to play the game.
“Pep’s the greatest innovative coach I think we’ve ever seen almost in any sport,” Hargreaves told talkSPORT. “The reason they won the Champions League was maybe their downfall before, the fact that they’re a little bit open, they play this beautiful football.
