LONDON – Pep Guardiola was named the League Managers Association (LMA) and Premier League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after guiding Manchester City to the Premier League title.

He led City to their fifth league crown in six seasons and the club are set to face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday and Inter Milan in the Champions League final a week later.

“I am at an incredible football club... We are in the best league in the world and I promise you we will be there next season,” said the 52-year-old.

Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of City’s long-time rivals, handed over the gong, joking: “It’s sore isn’t it? It’s really sore.”

He added: “But well deserved. As a team they’ve improved every year.

“Winning three championships in a row tells you a story... In the latter part, when it really means something, they produce top-class performances.”

The Spaniard saw off competition from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto de Zerbi, Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, Burnley’s Vincent Kompany and Plymouth Argyle’s Steven Schumacher to win the LMA award.

Championship Manager of the Year Award recipient Kompany, who led a rampant Burnley back to the Premier League next season by accruing 101 points in the second tier, said: “I can still relate to the players, I feel connected to what they are going through.

“I make mistakes and don’t see myself as the finished article. You make mistakes and learn. I’m pretty pleased where I am today.”

The former City captain had previously said Guardiola had “triggered me wanting to become a manager”.

However, another former Guardiola player has admitted that he is “weighed down” by comparisons with his former mentor.

Barcelona’s La Liga-winning coach Xavi Hernandez told Catalan broadcaster TV3: “The figure of Guardiola is weighing me down as a coach. I don’t think it’s fair (to constantly make the comparison). It happened to me when I was a player as well. Everyone has to turn the page.”

Despite helping Barca to their first league title since 2019 in his first full season at the helm, Xavi was adamant he had unfinished business in Europe.

His side failed to get past the Champions League group stage before being knocked out of the Europa League by United.

He said: “The feeling of not being able to compete in Europe has been very hard to deal with, one of the worst feelings I’ve had as a coach. It’s this team’s unfinished business. We have to compete and aspire to win everything. We have to strengthen well this summer to do better in the Champions League.”

Guardiola, meanwhile, is hoping to win the Champions League for the first time since he led Xavi’s Barca team to the title in 2011, when they face Inter on June 10.

However, before that they will have to contend with the FA Cup final against their neighbours.

City received a boost after United said in a statement on Tuesday that Anthony Martial will miss the showpiece due to a hamstring tear sustained towards the end of Sunday’s 2-1 win against Fulham at Old Trafford.

Martial scored nine goals in 29 appearances for United this term but was restricted by a series of injuries. The Red Devils have struggled in the striking department with Wout Weghorst scoring just twice in 30 matches.

Only Marcus Rashford, who had a career-best 30 goals this season, has been prolific, but the 25-year-old has only recently returned to action after injury.

Meanwhile, five men in the UK who illegally streamed Premier League football matches to tens of thousands of people were jailed on Tuesday, the league announced.

Members of the gang received prison terms ranging from three to 11 years each after the Premier League brought what it said was “the world’s largest-ever prosecution of an illegal streaming network”.

The defendants, aged between 30 and 46, raked in more than £7 million (S$11.3 million) selling subscriptions to three illegal platforms streaming to over 50,000 customers and resellers. REUTERS, AFP