Graham Potter has revealed that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is one of the biggest influences on his career, admitting that the Spaniard’s impact on football was important. Potter was keen to praise Guardiola for his revolutionary influence on the game during his time at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City. Speaking on BT Sport before Chelsea’s Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb, the ex-Brighton chief explained why all three coaches had helped to shape him as a manger.
Graham Potter said: “My time abroad certainly had an influence, but it should not affect who you are. There is no point trying to act, I learned that pretty quickly because some of my mistakes I have made have been trying to be somebody I am not. My experience in Sweden shocked me by how there is a negative perception of English managers abroad. People saw you as an English coach and there was a bit of negativity around that. There was a generalisation of an English coach, but I have just been myself. I was there for seven years so I learned a lot. I remember the first time when Jose Mourinho first came to England as the Chelsea manager, I think he had a massive impact on the Premier League and football in this country. Pep’s influence has been huge, so those two spring to mind. On a closer level to me, Roberto Martinez in terms of watching him work and watching him coach the lower leagues in England. There have been loads and that is the good thing about being in the UK, there are top coaches here and you are constantly learning from them every time.”
The Blues face off against Chelsea in the EFL Cup on November 9, which will be the first time that Potter has come head-to-head with Guardiola after being appointed manager of the London outfit.
